Empowering social workers with a focus on strengthening their virtues

Impact summary

Delivering quality services to people and communities is the main motto of any profession. The ARC funded Discovery project entitled ‘Virtuous Practitioners: Empowering Social Workers’ (2014-2019) looked at core virtues of professional social workers and how their qualities/character (virtues) can be strengthened in their professional socialisation so as to ensure better outcomes from the profession for its clients and communities. The increasing demand for sound judgement and appropriate decision making, often in the unpredictable and uncertain contexts, necessitates a focus on virtue-led social workers' action. The interdisciplinary and mixed method analysis demonstrated the largely neglected role of virtues and/or character dispositions in facilitating improved social services and in building stronger communities. The research has contributed to both theoretical and practical aspects of virtue-led social work practice that in turn has facilitated communities living healthy, productive and fulfilling lives.
In particular, the process of research has impacted social work practitioners, who voluntarily engaged in the research project, reflected on their professional practice experiences and shared their practice insights with researchers. Select leading social workers’ virtue focused biographical stories have transformative impact on practitioners, and certainly, they did have on me as a lead researcher of the project. The process and outputs of research have helped to: 1) appreciate the significance of virtue-led-social work practice; 2) provide resources for training social work practitioners; and 3) contribute to enhanced commitment by social workers to delivering to quality services to people and communities, and organisations.

Research and engagement activities leading to impact

Research engagement activities included the following three phases:
Phase I
1. Approaching and seeking feedback from multidisciplinary colleagues on the draft research proposal and accordingly improving the research proposal.
2. Prof. Pawar as the lead researcher of the project, first began research engagement by forming a multi-disciplinary team consisting of colleagues from the University of New South Wales (prof. Richard Hugman) and the University of Melbourne (Mr. Andrew Alexandra) and an early career researcher and a senior practitioner, A/Prof. Bill Anscombe from Charles Sturt University.
3. Series of meeting with the research project team to finalise research participants and their recruitment process and the systematic implementation of the whole project.
4. Completing ten biographic interviews with leading social work practitioners by collaborating with additional six researchers from social work and philosophy backgrounds. Analysing the biographic data and drafting chapters.
5. Organising and conducting a workshop to discuss the ten biographies. The workshop included four additional experts from social work and philosophy backgrounds and all those who engaged in data collection and drafting chapters. Altogether 15 workshop participants from nine universities, including a Charles Sturt PhD student from Indonesia.
6. Preparing the book proposal and approaching several publishers and liaising with Springer, which published the first book of the project.
Phase II
7. Interviewing and collecting data from social work practitioners and supervisors from all states and territories in Australia and analysing the data.
Phase III
8. Completing a survey of social work ethics educators and social work ethics curriculum taught to social work students both in undergraduate and postgraduate programs, and analysing these data sets.
9. Writing for publication and presenting in relevant conferences and seminars.

Research outputs associated with the impact

Books
Pawar, M. and Anscombe, A. W. (Bill) (2022). Enlightening Professional Supervision in Social Work: Voices and virtues of social workers, Springer.
Hugman, R., Pawar, M., Alexandra, A., Anscombe, A.W. (Bill) & Wheeler, A. (2021) Virtue ethics in social work practice. London. Routledge.

Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. & Anscombe, A.W.B. (Eds) (2017) Empowering Social workers. Virtuous practitioners. Springer

Monograph
Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. & Anscombe, A. W. (2020) A search for virtue ethics: Social work ethics curriculum and educators’ survey. ILWS report 128 Monograph. Charles Sturt University: Wagga Wagga.

Articles in referred journals

Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Anscombe, A.W. & Alexandra, A. (2019) Searching for Virtue Ethics: A survey of social work ethics curriculum and educators. The British Journal of Social Work. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcz106 https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/bjsw/bcz106/5576173
Book chapters
Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. & Anscombe, A.W. (2018) Virtue-led social work practice. In Pawar, M., Bowles, W. and Bell, K. (2018) Social Work: Innovations and insights (Ed.). Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing.

Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. & Anscombe, A. W. (2017). Introduction -- the role of virtues in social work practice. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. & Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_1

Fernandes, C. & Hugman, R. (2017). Voice to the Voiceless — Sue Ash, AO. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. & Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_2
Pawar, M. (2017). But you can push and push and push — Diana Batzias. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_3

Andrew, A. & Pawar, M. (2017). Empower people to take control of their own lives — Tom Calma, AO. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_4

Anscombe. A. W. & Rush. E. (2017). Respect and Integrity — John Gavaghan. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_5

Rush. E. & Anscombe. A. W. (2017). Respect and Integrity — John Gavaghan. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_6

Pawar, M. & Wendy B. (2017). A people world, rather than a paper world — Bronwyn Hyde. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_7

Pawar, M. & Briskman, L. (2017). I cannot give up, I cannot give up on the children — Bernadette McMenamin, AO. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_8

Pawar, M. & Nipperess, S. (2017). You roll up your sleeves and help people — Robyn Miller. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W. Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_9
Pawar, M. and King, S. (2017). Hunger for movement and action — Sue Vardon, AO. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_10

Anscombe. A. W. (2017). What You Know Plays Out in Action — Jill Wilson, AO. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_11

Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. & Anscombe, A. W. (2017). Virtue-led social work practice. In Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, A. W., Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Ed). Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9_12

Researcher involvement

Prof. Pawar was involved as the lead chief investigators of the project, who had conceptualised the project and was responsible for planning and implementing the project by coordinating with co-chief investigators, Prof. Richard Hugman, Mr. Andrew Alexandra and A/Prof. Bill Anscombe. He also recruited and engaged ten other researchers in the project in the first phase of the project. Of the ten, I conducted six biographic interviews in coordination with specially recruited researchers and analysed the data and drafted chapters. Bill conducted three along with another colleague and Richard was responsible for one in Perth.
I conducted social work practitioners’ interviews in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Norther Territory. A/Prof. Bill Anscombe was responsible for interviews in New South Wales, ACT and Queensland.
I conducted the survey of social work ethics educators and analysis of social work ethics curriculum and drafted the report and an article for publication.
Prof. Richard Hugman assumed the lead role for analysing the interviews of social work practitioners with the help of research assistants, and leading the second book, Virtue ethics in social work practice, published by Routledge.
I took the lead role in analysing the supervisors’ interviews and drafting the third book, Enlightening professional supervision in social work, published by Springer.
I was also responsible for preparing ethics applications to Charles Sturt University and the Australian Association of Social Workers.
I also presented the details of the research project at 12 national and international platforms, conferences, seminars and guest lectures.

Outcomes of research leading to impact

The outcomes of the project have led to:
• the conceptual development of virtues in social work practice that integrates values/principles and qualities/attributes, and roles and functions;
• the documentation of ten biographies of leading social workers as exemplars for other practitioners and the identification of virtues in their practice;
• the identification of core virtues in social work practice; and
• the analysis of social work ethics curriculum and educators suggesting that attention to virtues is largely absent in terms of consciously developing certain qualities and character.

Some of the engagement and impact activities were as follows:
• Virtuous practitioners: Empowering social workers: the proposal was presented at the Australian Council of the Heads of Schools of Social Work meeting, 6-7 February 2014, Western Sydney University, to engage with the Council and seek feedback.
• Virtuous practitioners: Empowering social workers. Grant writing experience was presented at the social work and human services research seminar for staff members, seminar room, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, 11 March 2014, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga.
• Virtuous practitioners: Empowering social workers. The research design was presented at the Humanities and Social Sciences - Higher Research Degree Seminar, Friday 29th - Saturday 30 August 2014, Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga.
• Virtuous practitioners: Empowering social workers. Introduction to the project at the ARC workshop, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, 10-11, December 2014.
• What makes a social development worker? A plenary speech delivered at the 19th International Consortium for Social Development international symposium on Transforming Society: Trends and models in community leadership and social development (7-10 July 2015, Singapore). Drawing on their ARC Discovery project, 'Virtuous Practitioners and Empowering Social Workers', initial findings that focused on core virtues/qualities needed for social work and social development practice were presented.
• Virtue-led social work practice, joint presentation by Pawar, M., Hugman, R., Alexandra, A. and Anscombe, B., Charles Sturt University’s colloquium, ‘Social Work Education and Practice : insights and innovations’, celebrating 25 years of Social Work education delivered by Charles Sturt, held on Wagga Wagga Campus, 2 – 3 November 2016.
• Use of qualities in social work practice. A special lecture delivered for social work students at the Department of Social Work, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous), Kalamassery, Kochi, India, 13 November 2017.
• Searching for virtue ethics: A survey of social work ethics curriculum and educators, Based on ARC Discovery project, this paper was presented at the Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development 2018 (SWSD 2018), Dublin, Ireland, 4-7 July 2018.
• Invited to deliver a special guest lecture at University of Mysore, Mysore, India Addressing students and staff members of the psychology and social work departments of the university, Prof. Pawar presented some of the findings of the ARC Discovery project, ‘virtuous practitioners: empowering social workers, 8 January 2018.
• I am a social worker. Drawing from the project findings a special lecture was delivered at the social work intensive (residential) school, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, 27 August 2018.
• Personal and professional being. Drawing from the project findings a special lecture was delivered at the social work intensive (residential) school, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, 20 August 2018.
• Insights from social work leaders and practitioners. Drawing from the project findings a special lecture was delivered at the social work intensive (residential) school, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, 9 April 2019.

Beneficiaries of the impact

The following beneficiaries have gained from the outputs, outcomes and impact of the project.
• Social work and human services practitioners working in a range of settings, including government and nongovernment organisations.
• Social work and human services students being trained for a career in the helping profession.
• Social work and human services educators and trainers, who can use these resources for training and developing virtues.
• People and communities have indirectly benefited from the impact as the project increases commitment of social workers and similar professions to delivering high quality services.

Details of the impact achieved

Details of the impact achieved
Although specific impact measurement methods were not employed, my observation suggests that the research process and its outputs and outcomes had significant impact on:
•Research participants.
•Social work and human services students who attended my lectures related to this topic.
•Conference/seminar/workshop participants who attended my presentations.
•Social work and human service educators interested in a virtue-led social work education and practice.
•Social work practitioners and supervisors in a range of settings.

While interviewing, a few practitioners become emotional and commented that no one has come and asked about their practice and this is the first time someone has shown interest in what they do.
After the interview, an interviewee, social work practitioner, texted as follows:
“… Just wanted to say thank you, that I really appreciated the fabulous experience of being interview. I experienced it as powerful & transformative – thank you. …”
The book, Empowering social workers: Virtuous practitioners (Springer, 2017), has received the following comments.
"In an age where the virtues of truth, cooperation and “doing the right thing” are increasingly being eroded in public life, this book serves as both an inspiration and invaluable resource to all social work practitioners seeking to reflect on, and improve their practice" - Dr. Martin Ryan, Social Worker, Counsellor/Community Educator, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne.

“The editors are to be commended for examining the virtuous characters of these ten professional social workers. The use of detailed biographies is an innovative and important approach which helps us to appreciate just what a tremendous impact the virtues can have." - Dr. Christian B. Miller, A. C. Reid Professor of Philosophy, Director, The Character Project, Wake Forest University, USA.

“Pawar, Hugman, Alexandra and Anscombe have found a novel and creative way to explore virtues in social work by examining the career contributions of a group of social work practitioners engaged in ‘virtuous action’. Their stories are inspiring and they provide much-needed role models for students and practitioners embarking on empowering practice” – Dr. Mel Gray, Professor of Social Work, The University of Newcastle. New South Wales, Australia.

As recorded on the Springer website, the book has been accessed by more than 7000 times. See https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-10-3809-9
A chapter, ‘But you can push and push and push — Diana Batzias’, authored by me was used by NGOs, Brotherhood of St Laurence and EMC, to communicate about the passing away of the practitioner and her achievements as recorded in the biography to their communities. (An email is attached in the evidence section).

A reviewer (Short, 2021, p. 283-284) of the second book, ‘Virtue Ethics in Social Work Practice’, (Routledge, 2021) stated:
“This book helps make virtue ethics more intelligible for practitioners and researchers. … Helpful to students, new graduates, and experienced professionals—this quick read is beneficial for those experiencing ethical dissidence between practice and values; workers critically reflecting on what is ethical within their field of practice; and managers and researchers reviewing policy and practice causing professional discomfort. …” (Australian Social Work, 76 (2)).

Impact date	2014 → 2021
Category of impact	Social Impact
Impact level	International