VISIT ECSWR 2026 WEBSITE
Date: Wednesday 10th June 2026
Start time: 14:00 BST/ 15:00 CEST
Duration: 90 - 120 minutes
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/CSHh2NTx2X52wbyT7
Title: Death and Bereavement
Abstract: This seminar will examine the critical importance of a nuanced and holistic critical understanding of death, dying, and bereavement within social work education and practice.
Within the UK context, the Social Work Approaches to Death and Dying (SWADD) network, established by academics across multiple universities, has recently undertaken research that highlights significant inconsistencies within the social work education curriculum, including a continued reliance on outdated theoretical frameworks and models. Earlier findings by Turner (Turner and Price, 2021) similarly identified a notable deficit in education and training in this area, describing a “pervasive gap” in practitioners’ knowledge and preparedness.
Drawing on the work of the SWADD network, this seminar will foreground the need to modernise pedagogical approaches to death and dying, with particular emphasis on the integration of digital technologies and evolving cultural practices surrounding death and mourning.
The session will invite critical dialogue among ESWRA members and the wider international community, with the aim of fostering a more coherent and forward-looking approach to teaching death and bereavement, which effectively equips students to engage with the complex realities of contemporary social work practice.
Zoom Link
Topic: ESWRA Seminar June
Time: Jun 10, 2026 14:00 London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84337078998?pwd=4wih786ncxQSKh6xVh1EdPobw67Ikq.1
Meeting ID: 843 3707 8998
Passcode: 365839
|2026-03-25|5|1|§450|ESWRA Seminar: Solidarity and Social Work SIG|Date: Wednesday 13th May 2026
Start time: 12:15 BST/ 13:15 CEST
Duration: 90 - 120 minutes
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/6KFvoQ9iktMcEGPB9
Title: Ecosystem of Reintegration of Veterans and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Times of Crisis: Coordination of Efforts Between the State, Communities, and Civil Society
ESWRA Solidarity and Social Work Special Interest Group
Speakers: Ecosystem of Reintegration of Veterans and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Times of Crisis: Coordination of Efforts Between the State, Communities, and Civil Society
Abstract
The ongoing crisis caused by war and large-scale displacement has significantly transformed the socio-economic landscape of Ukraine, intensifying the need for effective reintegration mechanisms for veterans and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Despite the growing number of initiatives, reintegration processes often remain fragmented, leaving individuals to navigate complex systems of support on their own. These groups face multidimensional challenges, including employment barriers, social adaptation, psychological recovery, and limited access to essential services. In this context, the formation of a comprehensive reintegration ecosystem becomes a critical priority for sustainable recovery and long-term resilience. The concept of a reintegration ecosystem is examined as an integrated, multi-level system that combines the efforts of public authorities, local communities, civil society organizations, and the private sector, with a particular focus on coordination mechanisms that ensure synergy between stakeholders and prevent duplication of efforts. Drawing on international practices and emerging Ukrainian experiences, the study identifies key challenges in building a coherent reintegration ecosystem, including fragmentation of initiatives, insufficient data integration, limited intersectoral communication, and capacity gaps at the local level. At the same time, it highlights opportunities for strengthening coordination through digital platforms, public-private partnerships, and integrated service delivery models. A conceptual model of an effective reintegration ecosystem is proposed, emphasizing inclusiveness, adaptability, and cross-sectoral collaboration. It is argued that only through a coordinated, human-centered, and ecosystem-based approach can Ukraine ensure successful reintegration, strengthen social cohesion, and support long-term recovery.
Keywords: reintegration ecosystem, veterans, internally displaced persons (IDPs), coordination, public governance, civil society, local communities, crisis response, Ukraine.
Zoom link
Topic: ESWRA Seminar
Time: May 13, 2026 12:15 London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85131747851?pwd=wqh4DIyAEafpxlP0XsyXii9CDWXxaG.1
Meeting ID: 851 3174 7851
Passcode: 735894
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 15 May 2026
This special issue will showcase stimulating, quality papers presented at the European Conference on Social Work Research held from 15-17 April 2026 in Aberdeen, Scotland
Proposals are invited from all who presented at the conference. The European Social Work Research journal provides an international forum for the
publication of high-quality contributions relating to all aspects of social work research and drawing on diverse research methodologies, ideas and knowledge. This peer-reviewed journal is published through a partnership between the European Social Work Research Association and Policy Press.
This special issue will focus on one or more of the eight conference subthemes with a connection to the main conference theme: ‘Social Work and Interdisciplinary Research: researching and facilitating evidence informed practice and policy'
The eight subthemes are:
- Challenges and opportunities for social work research, practice, policy or education in contemporary contexts
- Social work research, policy, practice or education across national, social, cultural, disciplinary and professional boundaries
- Exploring the impact and effectiveness of social work practice
- Social work history and identity as a profession and discipline
- Linking the industry 4.0 and digital welfare state
- Theorizing social work and/or social work research
- Linking social work research and practice, including the co-creation of knowledge
- Methodological development, innovation, technologies and capacity building in social work research
Please see the conference website for further description of the conference themes https://www.ecswr2026.org/call-for-abstracts . We welcome in particular research that uses innovative methods or applies theory in new ways.
The special issue, like all issues of the journal, includes a ‘Reflection, Exchange and Dialogue’ section, which provides a dedicated space for shorter contributions that focus on issues that are important and topical for social work research. These contributions will be critical and discursive and are intended to stimulate further inclusive discussion and debate. Further details are available here
Abstracts should be submitted by email to eswr-journal@bristol.ac.uk no later than 15 May 2026 with a maximum length of 500 words. Please note that papers must not be submitted to, or under consideration with, another journal. All research articles will undergo the journal’s standard double-anonymous peer review process, and accepted papers will be published in the journal, either in the special issue or in subsequent issues.
Authors will be notified of acceptance of their abstract 19 June 2026, and the deadline for submission of the full paper online via Editorial Manager is 1 September 2026. Publication date of the special issue is scheduled for June 2027. For further information please contact one of the special issue editors:
Lars Uggerhøj, Professor, Dr., Aalborg University, Denmark
Richard Ingram, Professor, Dr., Dundee University, Scotland, UK
Gary Spolander, Professor, Dr., Robert Gordon University, Scotland, UK
|2026-03-23|1|1|§448|European Social Work Research journal|
Dear ESWRA members
European Social Work Research journal is now in its fourth year. It is the only Europe-wide journal to focus uniquely on social work research, advancing scholarship and debate by connecting empirical research with theoretical understandings that may inform, and be informed by, social work. It publishes many excellent papers from the annual ESWRA conference, was read in over 125 countries last year, and is expecting its first Impact Factor this summer.
As it is the flagship journal of the European Social Work Research Association, we are asking members to support the journal by expanding its readership through university subscriptions. We would like to urge you to contact your librarians and request that they subscribe to the journal. Subscriptions are essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the journal, especially in the current academic climate. They enable more people to access the journal, which increases the usage, citations and the reach of the important work that ESWR publishes.
ESWR is published by Bristol University Press (of which Policy Press is an imprint), an independent, non-profit university press with a social mission. If you are happy to help, they have supplied some suggested wording which you can pass to your librarian. Recommendations are usually more successful if they are supported by information about any projects or courses (especially teaching) that would benefit from a subscription. Download a template for contacting your librarian here https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/asset/13160/recommend-eswr-to-library.docx.
Thank you for taking the time to support the journal and our research community.
Karen Winter, Chair, ESWRA
|2026-03-03|6|0|§447|ESWR journal February articles|ESWR have published five new research articles in February 2026, including two open access articles, all available at European Social Work Research | Bristol University Press.
Challenges and opportunities for social work practice research in addressing epistemic injustice
Authors: Catrine Torbjørnsen Halås , Bas van Lanen , Sui Ting Kong , Elke Plovie , Silvia Fargion, and Martine Ganzevles
Authors: Leigh Ann Loebs and Katarina Grim
Authors: Jan Wienforth and Ursula Unterkofler
Authors: Lesley Deacon , Dean Stamp, Mel Cawkwell, Carrie Phillips, Alex Cuthbertson, Paige Thomason, Zeta Bikova, and Suzie Keyes
What do the public think about artificial intelligence note-taking tools in social care?
Authors: Jed Meers , Eppie Leishman, Izzie Salter, Simon Halliday, and Joe Tomlinson
|2026-02-26|6|0|§445|New ESWR Co-Editor announcement|Policy press has announced the new Co-Editor of ESWR.
We are pleased to introduce the new Co-Editor of European Social Work Research; Panagiotis Pentaris. Panagiotis Pentaris is an Associate Professor of Social Work & Thanatology, and Academic Lead of Research and Ethics and Postgraduate Research Lead at Goldsmiths University, London.
“It is an honour to be joining ESWR at a time when social work research is expanding in scope, complexity and impact. I look forward to supporting innovative, interdisciplinary work that not only reflects the realities of contemporary social issues but also shapes the future directions of our field.”
Panagiotis Pentaris, incoming Co-Editor
We would like to thank outgoing Editor Elaine Sharland for her hard work and dedication to the journal. As one of the Founding Editors Elaine has been pivotal in all ESWR’s successes to date.
https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/welcome-to-the-new-co-editor-of-european-social-work-research
|2026-01-28|3|0|§436|ECSWR 2026 SIG Call for contributions | Disciplines and Cultures: Indigenous Knowledge|Bridging Disciplines and Cultures: Indigenous Knowledge as a Resource in Social Work Practice SIG
Theme: Indigenous Knowledge as a Resource in Social Work Practice
Indigenous knowledge represents accumulated wisdom, relational ethics, and community-based practices that sustain social and ecological well-being. This Special Interest Group (SIG) explores how Indigenous knowledge can inspire transformative approaches to social work theory, practice, and education—bridging disciplinary, cultural, and geographical boundaries.
Indigenous knowledge systems embody holistic understandings of life, rooted in reciprocity, respect, and interconnectedness between humans, land, and nature. In many contexts, these systems challenge Western epistemologies by emphasizing collective responsibility, oral traditions, and lived experience as valid sources of knowledge. For social work, engaging with Indigenous epistemologies offers opportunities to rethink practice ethics, promote decolonization, and strengthen community resilience in the face of social and ecological crises.
The workshop invites contributions that reflect on how Indigenous knowledge informs social work across diverse regions, including collaborations between the Global South and the Global North, and between academia and Indigenous communities. It aims to create a dialogical space where practitioners, researchers, and Indigenous knowledge holders can co-produce knowledge grounded in respect, reciprocity, and relational accountability.
Topics for Discussion
- How can Indigenous knowledge systems inform and transform social work theory, ethics, and education?
- In what ways can Indigenous knowledge bridge disciplines such as anthropology, education, environmental studies, and psychology?
- How can land-based and community-based methodologies enrich social work research and practice?
- What are the challenges and possibilities of decolonizing social work through Indigenous perspectives?
- How can Indigenous worldviews contribute to solidarity, healing, and sustainable community development?
- What international or intercultural collaborations illustrate the integration of Indigenous epistemologies into social work?
Submission Guidelines
- Proposals may not exceed 250 words, including:
Title of presentation - Abstract of the paper
- Short biography (up to 100 words)
- Contact details (email, phone, and institutional affiliation)
Please indicate clearly whether your proposal is theoretical, empirical, or practice oriented.
Deadline for submission: 1 December 2025 Notification of acceptance: 1 January 2026
Submission and Contact: Prof. Dr. Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail, Sapir Academic College, Israel nuzha6@gmail.com; nuzhaa@mail.sapir.ac.il
Dr. Koustab Majumdar – Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, India & York University, Canada, Koustab Majumdar koustabm@ranchi.rkmvu.ac.in
SIG Convenors
Prof. Dr. Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail. Sapir Academic College, National Centre for Knowledge, Policy and Research on Bedouin Society in the Negev and Social Work School. Nuzha6@gmail.com
Dr. Koustab Majumdar, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, Morabadi, Ranchi-834008, Jharkhand, India & York University, ON, Canada koustabm@ranchi.rkmvu.ac.in
Dr. Lily Makalanga, Dodoma University, Tanzania lilybogohe@gmail.com
Dr. Poppy Masinga, South Africa College of Applied Psychology poppy@sacap.edu.za
Call for Contributions: Social Work Research on Digitalization and Technology (SIG)
European Conference for Social Work Research (ECSWR) 2026
Aberdeen, Scotland | 15–17 April 2026
Submission deadline: November 25th, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
We warmly invite contributions to the first meeting of the Social Work Research on Digitalization and Technology SIG at ECSWR 2026. This SIG brings together researchers interested in how digitalization and technological change are reshaping social work. The meeting will take place before the main conference, on April 15th.
We welcome short abstracts that introduce your research topic, describe how it approaches digitalization or technology, and explain its relevance to social work today. Why is this research needed now? What questions or challenges does it address?
This inaugural SIG meeting will be an opportunity to:
- Share and discuss current research on digitalization and social work
- Map emerging themes and approaches in the field
- Explore possibilities for future collaboration
- Co-develop ideas for the SIG’s future activities
We are especially interested in contributions that reflect on the ethical, relational, and structural implications of digital technologies in social work practice, education, and policy.
We also warmly encourage colleagues who may not wish to submit a research abstract but are interested in contributing to the SIG in other ways, or who would like to suggest additional topics for discussion, to reach out to us. We welcome diverse forms of engagement and collaboration to help shape the future direction of this SIG.
Submit your abstract (approx. 200 words) by November 25th, 2025 to:
Judit Castellvi Majo judit.castellvi@udl.cat
Jana Verplancke jana.verplancke@arteveldehs.be
Samuel Salovaara samuel.salovaara@ulapland.fi
Jana, Samuel and Judit
|2025-10-21|1|0|§425|New SIG Adult Protection and Safeguarding SIG|We are excited to announce the formation of a new Adult Protection and Safeguarding SIG. Adult protection (which is also known as adult safeguarding) can be understood as a set of activities through which adults who are unable to protect themselves, due to a care or support need, are supported to receive protection, in line with human rights imperatives. Adults with a range of support needs may require assistance or protection from abuse and neglect. Such support needs include, but are not limited to, dementia, a mental health problem, a learning disability or advanced old age. The types of harm or abuse which adults may experience include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, modern slavery and neglect. Adult protection has become a key concern of social workers in many jurisdictions. However, state policies vary significantly with state responses being well developed in some countries but underdeveloped or absent in others. The degree to which governments subscribe to and apply international human rights conventions and treaties is also variable.
This SIG emerges from a symposium which was held at the ESWRA conference in 2025, entitled, “Social Work and Adult Protection – Policy, Research and Practice Across National Boundaries”, where the presenters and attendees expressed a wish to work together in the future. The aim of the SIG is to provide a forum for international social work scholars to network with one another on matters relating to adult protection/adult safeguarding. We hope to hold our first event in Aberdeen and will also be organising online events with other SIGs. If you are interested in becoming part of the SIG then please email Jeremy Dixon at Dixonj7@cardiff.ac.uk or Lorna Montgomery at l.montgomery@qub.ac.uk'.
|2025-09-15|2|0|§411|ECSWR 2025 Munich Poster Competition winners|It was wonderful to see so many poster at ECSWR 2025 in Munich, As usual ECSWR attracted many high quality posters translating innovative, compelling research and complex ideas into visually engaging and intellectually stimulating posters.
We are pleased to announce the winning poster at ECSWR 2025 Poster Competition for the poster entitled: Introducing Professional Supervision into Social Services of Local Authorities in Italy: A Qualitive Study. The authors are
- Valentina Calcaterra, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano - Italy
- Maddalena Floriana Grassi, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro - Italy
- Mara Sanfelici, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Italy
CONGRATULATIONS!
Download the PDF version here
We are delighted to announce that the winners of this year's Award for Outstanding Publication in European Social work Research based on a Doctoral Thesis are Dr. Jonathan Berg and Dr. Diletta Mauri
Jonathan Berg, Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, The Netherlands
Berg J, Oldenhof L, Putters K, van Wijngaarden J. Which client is worthy of using discretion? Analysing storytelling practices of Dutch street-level bureaucrats in inter-departmental settings. Journal of Social Policy. Published online 2024:1-20. doi:10.1017/S0047279424000199
Jonathan says: I’m truly honoured to receive this prestigious award for our paper on how social workers use collective storytelling to determine who ‘deserves’ responsiveness when resources are scarce. The award means a lot to me, as it acknowledges our contribution to the field of Social Work (research), which I care about deeply. We owe the quality of our paper to the amazing efforts and contributions of social workers in Rotterdam, along with the inspiration we've drawn from both the Social Work Research community and the Narratology community. I firmly believe in the merit of interpretive research to support social workers in their roles as both policy practitioners and agents of change, and will continue to contribute to the field in the best of my ability.
Dr. Diletta Mauri, Trento University, Italy
Constructing the ‘zero family’: Breaking the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment from the perspective of care-experienced parents, Child Abuse & Neglect, Volume 153, 2024, 106855, ISSN 0145-2134, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106855, www.sciencedirect.com
Diletta says: When I received the award, I expressed my deep gratitude for this recognition from such an important organization as ESWRA. I thanked the committee for their trust in my work and everyone who has supported me throughout my research and PhD journey. In particular, I acknowledged my supervisor, Silvia Fargion, for her invaluable guidance, passion, and wisdom.
I also thanked my community of social work researchers, both in Italy and abroad, who make me feel part of a professional network that is a constant source of inspiration and encouragement.
Finally, I expressed my gratitude to the parents who participated in the research. Their stories of struggle, but above all, of courage and care for themselves and their children, have been the most meaningful and engaging part of my work. I also shared my hope that this comes through in the article that has received this important recognition.
Dear ESWRA members
A very quick reminder, post conference, that the society has its very own journal, European Social Work Research, and book series, Research in Social Work, both published by Policy Press on our behalf.
European Social Work Research journal
All members have free access to the journal via the My ESWRA Login.
If you are enjoying the journal, please help us to build up its readership by recommending to your librarian. Policy Press can offer them a free three month trial.
Do remember to submit your abstracts by 30th April 2025 for the conference special issue, ‘Embracing Democracy in Social Work Practice and Research'. The issue will be guest edited by Carolin Auner, Florian Spensberger and Lars Uggerhoj.
If you are interested in reviewing for the journal please contact eswr-journal@bristol.ac.uk.
Books
We hope you enjoyed browsing Policy Press's most recent publications at the book stand. As a reminder, all of their social work books are available at 50% discount until 30th April 2025 when purchasing direct from the Policy Press website. Please enter CNF25 at checkout to claim your discount.
If you are interested in writing a book for the Research in Social Work series please get in touch with
John Gal - johngal30@gmail.com Anna Gupta - anna.gupta@rhul.ac.uk Isobel Bainton (Commissioning Editor) - isobel.bainton@bristol.ac.uk
With best wishes,
Karen Winter
ESWRA Chair
|2025-04-01|6|0|§404|Potential New Special Interest Group on Linguistic Diversity|Linguistic Diversity
I am Dr Sarah Pollock, a social work academic based at Manchester Metropolitan University, England, UK. I would like to hear from anyone who would like to join a SIG focusing on linguistic diversity, initially to meet as a group online and develop the SIG proposal for ESWRA.
My research interest is how linguistic diversity impacts all aspects of social work. I am using linguistic diversity to refer to interactions and situations where social workers, or social care providers, and recipients or potential recipients of services do not share a spoken language, usually the language of the host country. I would like to start an ESWRA Special Interest Group to share and develop research and best practice in this area.
The SIG could include research interests including but not limited to:
- work with interpreters
- language brokerage
- language policy
- linguistic diversity as a form of discrimination
- comparative approaches to linguistic diversity
- Linguistic theory in application to social work
- Linguistic diversity and coloniality, history and the global movement of people
Do please contact me via email and share this information with any social work colleagues that may be interested. I look forward to hearing from you, I’d be happy to answer any queries from interested parties– my email is S.Pollock@mmu.ac.uk
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