Celebrating Rural Social Work

Together with IRISS and other organisations, SASW was involved in the planning and organisation of the Celebrating Rural Social Work Conference held in Dumfries on 11th March this year.

A Message from Iriss:

It’s been six months since we last met on 11 March 2020 not long before lockdown for the Celebrating Rural Social Work Conference in Dumfries. Since then we have all experienced significant changes and challenges as a result of COVID-19.

 We have put together this Celebrating Rural Social Work Conference Report– highlighting key messages from the day about what it means to be a rural social worker and what supports and conditions we need to flourish. Since then we have also developed the Exploring Rural Social Work blog  to show and highlight rural social work responses to COVID 19. We hope that you find these useful, and a way to stay connected.

 Staying connected

We would like to build on the relationships, network and knowledge we have generated collectively as a community of rural social workers. However, to do so, and do so well, we need your help.

 Please fill in this short survey - to help shape future plans. The survey asks:

 1.     Are you interested in attending online seminars with time for dialogue with other rural social workers?

2.     What topics would be of most value for rural social workers? (This might bring together practitioners and academics/researchers in this field on a common topic.)

3.     Ideas for potential contributors/presenters (including yourself)?– if you have ideas, please share them.

4.     Any further reflections on how we stay connected and networked as a community of rural social workers going forward?

 Future plans- and how you can help

We have plans to re-run some of the sessions from our Conference in March 2020 as online sessions - so people who couldn’t attend first time, get the chance to do so.

As mentioned, however, we are interested in planning future sessions that are of value to you. You can help us do this by completing the short survey above.

 You might also want to join our planning group? This will plan help plan 2-3 sessions in the new year. If you are interested, please contact kerry.musselbrook@iriss.org.uk  by 23 October. The next planning group meeting is on 4 November, 3-4.30pm via Microsoft Teams.

 Strength and solidarity in these difficult times.