What can social work and social care learn from asset-based community development?

Summary

The video script from 'Exchange Exchanges' at Cardiff University discusses the integration of community work in social care. It emphasizes the historical connection between social work and community development, the importance of an asset-based approach, and the need for social work to embrace community contexts. The session includes case studies and a call for practitioners to reconnect with community development to foster social change, empowerment, and address inequalities.

Takeaways

• 📚 The session focused on the exchange of knowledge between practitioners, academics, and policy makers, emphasizing the importance of community work in social care.
• 🤝 The discussion highlighted the historical connection between social work and community development, and the need to reconnect these fields in current practice.
• 🌟 Keynote speaker Fiona, a professor from Swansea University, stressed the alignment of social work and community development in values, theories, and practices.
• 🔍 Fiona's research into the history of social work revealed that community development was intrinsic to early social work approaches, as seen with pioneers like Jane Adams.
• 📉 Keith Popple's paper critiqued the conditional nature of community development under government agendas, suggesting a tension between top-down initiatives and local needs.
• 📈 The paper from the Australian Journal of Social Work discussed the retreat of community development in social work and the need to reintegrate it as a method of social change.
• 🏘️ Dave Horton from ACE shared the organization's asset-based approach to community development, emphasizing the importance of local ownership and co-production.
• 🏛️ The KAYA Heritage project, a collaboration between ACE and Cardiff University, was presented as an example of an asset-based community development initiative leveraging local heritage.
• 📖 The session concluded with breakout room discussions that surfaced themes of connectivity, asset identification, and the importance of storytelling in community development.
• 🌱 The power of stories and the 'most significant change' approach was emphasized as a method for capturing individual experiences and community transformation.
• 🔑 The importance of considering the wider community context in social work was a recurring theme, along with the potential of the Social Care and Well-being Act in Wales to foster community-focused approaches.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the session at Exchange Exchanges based at Cardiff University?

The session is focused on community work and its connection to social work, aiming to exchange information and knowledge between practitioners, academics, experts by experience, and policy makers.

Why is community development considered important in the context of social work?

Community development is important in social work as it aligns with values of social change, empowerment, addressing inequalities, and is considered an integral method of social work as per the International Federation definition.

What is the historical connection between community development and social work?

Community development has been an intrinsic part of social work since its origins, with early social work reformers like Jane Adams advocating for collective approaches and community involvement in social work practices.

What does Keith Popple's paper 'Community Development in the 21st Century: A Case of Conditional Development' discuss?

The paper by Keith Popple discusses the context of community development under the New Labour agenda, highlighting the tension between top-down prescribed community development agendas and local participatory processes.

How does the paper from the Australian Journal of Social Work view the current state of community development in social work?

The paper laments the loss of community development in social work practice and emphasizes the need to bring it back as a method of resisting and critiquing government agendas, and supporting local initiatives.

What is the 'Bank of Ideas' initiative mentioned in the transcript?

The 'Bank of Ideas' is an initiative that showcases asset-based community development through the story of a town in New Zealand called Bull, which rebranded its local businesses using the name 'Bull' to capitalize on its unique identity.

What is the role of ACE (Alien Kairos Ely) in the community of Ely and Cairo on the west of Cardiff?

ACE is a community organization that aims to put the community in the hands of local people, enabling them to manage projects, employ staff, run buildings, and generate income through an asset-based approach.

What is the significance of the ACE organization's philosophy of being place-based and rooted in the local community?

The philosophy of being place-based and rooted in the local community means that ACE bases all its work on a network of relationships and principles of social capital, which not only forms the infrastructure for their work but is also an outcome in itself.

How does the ACE organization challenge the narrative that their community is a problem that needs solving by outsiders?

ACE challenges this narrative by adopting an asset-based approach that focuses on the strengths and resources within the community, enabling local people to contribute to solutions and build community from within.

What is the 'Kaya Heritage' project and how does it relate to community development?

The 'Kaya Heritage' project is an asset-based initiative that builds on the rich heritage of the Ely and Cairo area in Cardiff, aiming to foster a different sense of place for the communities and provide opportunities for education, social capital building, and skills development.

What are the key outcomes of the 'Kaya Heritage' project?

The key outcomes of the 'Kaya Heritage' project include a large number of active participants, the involvement of various institutional partners, the creation of wider social networks, and progression of individuals to higher education from an area with historically low university attendance.

How does the 'Most Significant Change' storytelling approach contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of community projects?

The 'Most Significant Change' approach involves collecting individual stories of change, where people reflect on the most significant changes they experienced as a result of their involvement in the project. These stories are then used to understand and draw learning from the project's impact on individuals.