21 Developing the innovative power of social work: synthesis and future directions
-
Erik Jansen
Abstract
The chapters in this book provide exciting insights about the crossroads between social work and social innovation. These insights show that there are at least two angles to consider: the innovative power of social work in the human service domain, and the role and meaning of social work in all kinds of innovations in other areas (economy/entrepreneurship, digitalisation, ecology, housing), raising the question of what the human value of these innovations is. The first angle relates to how social work can be innovative itself, as a field of practice and an academic discipline. It includes the competencies of social workers and the innovative character of social work research. In other words: this angle highlights social workers as social innovators. The second angle brings to the fore the critical-ethical role social work can play regarding the added value of so-called ‘social innovations’ for human well-being, applying the normative framework as expressed in the international definition of social work. Another aspect considers how social work can help in creating this value by bringing in its knowledge about human needs, social relations and social quality.
Abstract
The chapters in this book provide exciting insights about the crossroads between social work and social innovation. These insights show that there are at least two angles to consider: the innovative power of social work in the human service domain, and the role and meaning of social work in all kinds of innovations in other areas (economy/entrepreneurship, digitalisation, ecology, housing), raising the question of what the human value of these innovations is. The first angle relates to how social work can be innovative itself, as a field of practice and an academic discipline. It includes the competencies of social workers and the innovative character of social work research. In other words: this angle highlights social workers as social innovators. The second angle brings to the fore the critical-ethical role social work can play regarding the added value of so-called ‘social innovations’ for human well-being, applying the normative framework as expressed in the international definition of social work. Another aspect considers how social work can help in creating this value by bringing in its knowledge about human needs, social relations and social quality.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of figures and tables x
- List of abbreviations xi
- Notes on contributors xiii
- Introduction 1
-
Framing social innovation and social work
- Social work and social innovation: how the twain can meet 11
- How to change our neighbourhoods, regions and the world: using symptoms, systems and transformation as a framework for social innovation and social work 24
- Social work, social innovation, discretion and creativity: day-to-day innovation of practice 41
- Potential for social innovation in social work: applying the capability approach 54
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Examples of social innovations in social work across Europe
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Co-creation and co-production of social services: social innovation in practice
- The art of co-creation: service innovation in Europe 71
- Promoting social services innovation: regional and local examples from across Europe 84
- Co-creation in action: lessons from the CoSIE project 98
- Social innovation and service users’ involvement: enhancing the knowledge of social work 112
- Moderating processes of social innovation: insights from a case study on labour market activation 124
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Education and learning: social innovation in social work education and learning
- Regional learning networks in the social welfare domain: drivers of social innovation in social work 139
- Putting learning communities into practice: innovation of social work education 150
- Learning from innovation processes: introducing Easy Language in adult protection services 164
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Community work, community-led innovation and collective action
- The rediscovery of community: community development as social innovation 179
- Climate change from a green social work perspective: responding to a constantly evolving crisis challenging social work practice 193
- Co-creation of nature-based solutions: guidelines for citizen engagement 208
- Innovating social work practices to better address homelessness: participatory action research with community services in Italy 223
- Challenging the power status quo: paradoxes in grassroots social innovation 236
-
Social entrepreneurship: inclusive and regenerative models of social business and innovation for sustainable impact
- Social entrepreneurship as social innovation: what about social work? 251
- The growing rhetoric of entrepreneurship in times of crisis: future challenges of social work in the case of Portugal 263
- Unlimited incubators for belonging, cohesion and impact: nurturing ‘what is already there’ 276
- Developing the innovative power of social work: synthesis and future directions 289
- Index 298
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- List of figures and tables x
- List of abbreviations xi
- Notes on contributors xiii
- Introduction 1
-
Framing social innovation and social work
- Social work and social innovation: how the twain can meet 11
- How to change our neighbourhoods, regions and the world: using symptoms, systems and transformation as a framework for social innovation and social work 24
- Social work, social innovation, discretion and creativity: day-to-day innovation of practice 41
- Potential for social innovation in social work: applying the capability approach 54
-
Examples of social innovations in social work across Europe
-
Co-creation and co-production of social services: social innovation in practice
- The art of co-creation: service innovation in Europe 71
- Promoting social services innovation: regional and local examples from across Europe 84
- Co-creation in action: lessons from the CoSIE project 98
- Social innovation and service users’ involvement: enhancing the knowledge of social work 112
- Moderating processes of social innovation: insights from a case study on labour market activation 124
-
Education and learning: social innovation in social work education and learning
- Regional learning networks in the social welfare domain: drivers of social innovation in social work 139
- Putting learning communities into practice: innovation of social work education 150
- Learning from innovation processes: introducing Easy Language in adult protection services 164
-
Community work, community-led innovation and collective action
- The rediscovery of community: community development as social innovation 179
- Climate change from a green social work perspective: responding to a constantly evolving crisis challenging social work practice 193
- Co-creation of nature-based solutions: guidelines for citizen engagement 208
- Innovating social work practices to better address homelessness: participatory action research with community services in Italy 223
- Challenging the power status quo: paradoxes in grassroots social innovation 236
-
Social entrepreneurship: inclusive and regenerative models of social business and innovation for sustainable impact
- Social entrepreneurship as social innovation: what about social work? 251
- The growing rhetoric of entrepreneurship in times of crisis: future challenges of social work in the case of Portugal 263
- Unlimited incubators for belonging, cohesion and impact: nurturing ‘what is already there’ 276
- Developing the innovative power of social work: synthesis and future directions 289
- Index 298
