Continuing Professional Development in Social Work

Continuing professional development (CPD) has become a defining issue in twenty-first century social work. There is widespread consensus in favour of CPD. But what is it? Are there discernible international trends? What are the barriers to participating in CPD? What do social workers think about and want from CPD? This book seeks to answer these questions.

Based on a survey and interviews with social work practitioners, CPD in social work offers a unique insight into the possibilities and challenges of CPD and the issues it presents for newly qualified and experienced social workers in practice. Combining the perspectives of social workers and their managers with international research, assures its global appeal. It offers possible directions for the future of post qualifying social work education, making it essential reading for practitioners, educators, managers and policy-makers.

Fred Powell served as Professor of Social Policy and founding Head of the School of Applied Social Studies at UCC for 25 years, Dean of Social Science and latterly Student Ombudsman. He received the Richard Titmuss Book Award in 2018.

Margaret Scanlon is Research Coordinator for the Institute of Social Science in the 21st Century at University College Cork.