Social work with adults: Supporting individuals, families, and communities

Social Work Scotland held its first conference focused on adult social work on 12 June in Glasgow, welcoming around 170 delegates for a dynamic day of profiling the interconnected nature of social work with adults across all professional operational fields, whilst examining opportunities and challenges of working in complex integrated systems.

Adults social work practice is inherently multifaceted, touching every aspect of society. Working with adults is a universal component – whether supporting people with disabilities, working in mental health, safeguarding vulnerable adults, navigating justice interventions, or guiding transitions into older adulthood, adults social work is at the heart of ethical and person-centred practice.

Social Work Scotland Vice-Convenor, Leigh Jolly, gave a warm welcome to delegates, introducing the theme and expectations. Diane Fraser, Chair of Social Work Scotland Adults Standing Committee addressed the audience, acknowledging the complex context of adults social work; setting the scene for the day, and intentions for the delegates to indulge themselves in connecting and sharing.

Our keynote speaker, Eddie Fraser, Chief Executive, East-Ayrshire Council, delivered a powerfully personable keynote on navigating the life course, noting the importance of relationships, inclusivity, sustainability, and the need for the workforce to have a safe space for themselves – their ‘home team’.

Following the keynote, we welcomed award-winning author and independent educator, Dr Neil Thompson for his presentation on ‘revisiting systems theory’; a truly insightful presentation on the limitations and implications of systems thinking followed by questions from the audience on implementing a new way of thinking organisationally, as well as in community orientated practice.

We finished off the morning with a dynamic discussion on power – the people, potential, and practicalities – touching on power imbalance, the importance of relationships, navigating financial constraints, and reminder to celebrate and share inspirational wins of the workforce.

The audience questions demonstrated what we, the panelists, and the workforce, already understand in terms of the challenging systems and particularly financial constraints. Key themes reiterated throughout were values, human rights, relationships, and systems, with reference to power in complex integrated environments, bridging the gap between service providers and recipients, issues and solutions often being rooted in individual’s own communities, and the privilege of social workers being a part of sensitive and lifechanging journeys. Delegates were encouraged to continue harnessing their collective voice, and power, as social work now has a new seat at the table in the form of a national voice, the National Social Work Agency, and the Scottish Social Work Partnership alongside COSLA and Social Work Scotland, and there is a national responsibility to further support a sustainable sector. Huge thanks to our panelists for sharing their expertise, perspectives, and passion:

• James Docherty, Project Manager, SVRU, and Advisor, Community Justice Scotland
• Anne-Marie Monaghan, Project Lead, Community Brokerage Scotland
• Suzanne Swinton, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Independent Advocacy Association
• Alison White, Chief Officer, West Lothian Integration Joint Board

After lunch, we delved into a variety of workshops and presentations:

• Why we shouldn’t be applying theory to practice, Neil Thompson
• Recovery in substance use using love, rights, and respect, University of Dundee & Later life accounts of drug use, University of Strathclyde presentations
• Sharing practice knowledge of adult safeguarding, University of Stirling
• Preventative social work and hard to reach populations, University of Strathclyde & Meeting needs in children and families when transitioning to adult services, CELCIS presentations
• The Digital Shift: Supporting individuals, families, and communities in a changing world, Social Work Scotland & COSLA
• What does relationship-based practice mean to you? SDS Project, Social Work Scotland

The buzz around the workshops was palpable! We were honoured to offer a broad range of cross-cutting topics and are grateful to our presenters and facilitators for taking the time to share insights and learning with our delegates.

We closed the day with Councillor Kelly, COSLA Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, pledging support for “a resilient, adaptable workforce,” thanking Social Work Scotland members for contributing to the Care Reform Bill, and expressing hope for the Scottish Social Work Partnership encompassing Social Work Scotland, COSLA, and Scottish Government.

Leigh Jolly, our impressive Chair for the day and Vice-Convenor, Social Work Scotland, wrapped up the conference eloquently, drawing links between all sessions to highlight the key themes discussed including relationships, power, collaboration, and reminding delegates to celebrate their wins, and find their all-important ‘home team’.

Our Annual Conference and Exhibition 2025 programme has been announced. We hope you will join us in October to explore relationships as catalyst for change, where will take a deep dive into how empowering connections can drive positive change for us as leaders of the profession, as well as for the individuals, families, and communities we work with.