New book tells stories from survivors and social workers with experience of disasters
Published by Professional Social Work magazine, 13 April, 2022
A new book gives powerful and moving testimony to people who have survived disasters in the UK and the social workers who supported them.
Called Out of the Shadows: The role of social workers in disasters, it includes accounts from the Grenfell fire, the Manchester Arena bombings, Hillsborough, the Covid pandemic and other traumatic events.
The book aims to highlight social work’s role in a world that is increasingly likely to see disasters occurring, many as result of climate change.
Contributors recount in vivid detail their experiences, including the sights, sounds and emotions of being caught up in disastrous events.
The book includes an account from a social worker and Grenfell Tower resident who narrowly escaped with his life after fire ripped through the building in 2017.
A social work manager who responded to the 2017 terrorist bombing of the Manchester Arena, says the experience "changed my life forever".
Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, who lost her son James in the football stadium disaster, also provides a powerful contribution to the book.
It’s been edited by three social workers with experience of disaster work abroad – Angie Bartoli, currently a social work educator at Nottingham Trent University, BASW England national director Maris Stratulis and BASW England professional officer Rebekah Pierre.
Bartoli said: “One of the reasons we created the book is while there are things written about social work with disasters in other parts of the world, there is nothing within a UK context.
“It was filling a gap and shining a light on practice that goes unnoticed. When I talk to students they have no idea of the role we play.
“Our emergency service colleagues have a vital role in the immediate aftermath whereas as social workers ours is longer term.
“Some of the contributors talk about still working with children from Grenfell who lost their best friend, their home and their neighbourhood.”
Bartoli describes as “gifts” the personal experiences retold in the book.
“They are really authentic. It was important that it was ethical and that we weren’t robbing people of their stories – it was our responsibility to make sure their words were heard."
The editors were also aware that recounting such experiences could be retraumatising for those involved.
“We had a one-to-one relationship with our contributors and made sure they had our phone numbers so they could contact us and do things at their own pace” said Bartoli. “Our publisher, Critical Publishing, were also very flexible, patient and understanding.”
As well as highlighting the role of social workers in disasters, it’s hoped the book will influence policy and practice in the future.
Use code SW2022 to get a 20 per cent discount off the book by ordering it here