Educational Alternatives, Volume 22, 2024

Аннотация: For decades there has been a recognition of the need for social workers in England to practice from a Relationship-based approach. This need has changed in response to socio-economic and political shifts over time. The concept of a social work Relationship-based pedagogy was introduced to be congruent with practice. Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic restricted face-to-face contact, resulting in new challenges to Relationship-based Practice. Simultaneously, critical inequalities experienced by people in poverty and from ethnic minority backgrounds were highlighted. There was also widespread misuse of do-not-resuscitate forms placed on vulnerable older people and those with disabilities. These communities of people often require social work intervention; the systemic injustice they face could be better understood and advocated for from a Human Rights perspective. This paper presents evidence of these issues with the recommendation of a Relationship-based Human Rights Approach in social work education. Proposals are provided for specific elements that should be included in this relational teaching of social work in England.