The relevance and resurgence of community practice in social work - Kingston and Sussex Joint Departmental Conference

Kingston and Sussex Joint Departmental Social Work Conference 2025

Organisers:

Department of Social Work and Social Care, Kingston University London

and

Centre for Social Work Innovation and Research (CSWIR), Department of Social Work and Social Care, University of Sussex

Community work is a longstanding tradition within social work, encompassing the early Settlement movements, radical community organisation and activism, rural development, and urban planning and renewal. In this online conference, jointly organised by the social work departments of Kingston University and the University of Sussex, we bring together a range of UK and international speakers to discuss the relevance and resurgence of community-based practice in contemporary social work.

The conference is free to attend for registered participants.

Conference programme

10:00 – 10:10   Welcome and introduction (Prof Malcolm Payne)

Session 1

10:10 – 10:30  Asst. Prof. Chan Siu Ming, City University Hong Kong, ‘Response to Housing Crisis: Community Social Work and Transitional Housing in Hong Kong’

10:30– 10:50   Prof Ariadna Munté and Dr Ane López-de-Aguileta, University of Barcelona, ‘Working with Roma communities in Spain’.

10:50 – 11:10   Dr Komalsingh Rambaree, University of Gavle, ‘Restorative justice in eco-social community work’.

11:10 – 11:25   Q&A for Session 1 speakers

11:25 - 11:35    Comfort break

11.35 – 11.40   Community engagement with families and young people affected by abusive relationships: acknowledging the work of the Cassandra Centre and Jennifer MacDermott.

Session 2

11:40 - 12:00   Ms Jordanne Edwards, PhD Candidate, University of Luxembourg, ‘Community activism and community work in marginalised communities’

12:00– 12:20   Mr Fergal O’Brien, University of Ulster (presenter, on behalf of authors: Pascoe, K.M., University of Otago, New Zealand; Hawthorne-Steele, I. Ulster University, Northern Ireland;  O’Brien, F. Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland; Moreland, R. Ulster University, Northern Ireland), ‘Bridging the gap between social work and community work in Northern Ireland’

12:20 – 12:40  Ms Thérèse James, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, ‘Experiential community engagement: learning from a Memory Cafe project.

12:40 – 12:55   Q&A for Session 2 speakers

12:55 – 13:00   Closing words (Prof Malcolm Payne)