Qualifying social work education and the collective identity of social work in England

This critical review examines seven peer-reviewed papers reporting research related to aspects of social work education in England, carried out against the backdrop of reforms following the work of the Social Work Task Force. The review takes a reflexive approach to the task of demonstrating the doctoral qualities and credentials of the portfolio, that is, the papers and commentary together, drawing on ideas from critical realism to support this process. It discusses the papers individually, considering their limitations; their originality and impact at the time they were produced; and the contribution they make as a body of work. Acknowledging the challenges of retrospectively connecting the papers, the review identifies links between them in their relevance to professional identity. It suggests that attention should be given to the notion of collective professional identity, conceived of as a shared occupational social identity, but including the capacity for action in the face of threats or challenges, and in contributing to the development of the profession. The review argues that qualifying social work education in England located in the universities but connecting with practice via placements, provides an important space for the shaping, maintenance and articulation of a collective identity for social work