The Social Work Collection
Collection Editor:
Dr Kate Parkinson
Kate's Vision for the Collection
The social work collection focuses on the lived experiences of individuals, families and communities who have been involved with social work services across the globe, with a particular emphasis on the United States and the UK. The collection recognises that whilst social work services may be structured and delivered differently between countries and regions, it is a global profession addressing global need, as defined by the International Federation of Social Work in 2014. Therefore, we seek titles that are applicable to social work in a global context and where knowledge can be applied to a range of different service structures, approaches to delivery and cultural contexts. The collection places a special emphasis on titles that address people’s experiences of identity in place or context as supported by social work writ large, and social workers.
Some of the key challenges and needs facing social work in the 21st century include (although this is not an exhaustive list): online abuse and harm, child sexual exploitation, human trafficking and slavery, the impact of climate crisis, the increase of people diagnosed with dementia and the impact of growing poverty and inequality. I welcome titles that explore these and other contemporary issues and challenges that face social workers, with a focus on approaches and interventions that keep individuals, families, and communities, and their identity and lived experience at the heart of decision-making approaches and service delivery.
My role as collection editor will vary depending on the experience and needs of each author. For new authors, I will be available for idea development, coaching, support, and orientation to the process of academic writing for course curriculum; for more experienced writers, my role will be more hands-off, and I will check progress and review drafts as needed. The goal of this collection is to privilege the voice of those that have traditionally been excluded from academic writing, including social work practitioners with a wealth of experience and practice wisdom and those with lived experience of social work services.
More about Lived Places Publishing:
About the Collection Editor:
Dr Kate Parkinson is Head of Social Work at the University of Salford, England. Kate is a qualified social worker, with a practice background in safeguarding children, in a range of frontline and managerial positions. She has worked within the an academic environment since 2013, firstly as a lecturer in social work.
Kate has a research interest in Family Group Conferences and other Family-led Approaches to Decision Making. Kate has several publications in this field of practice. She is an internationally recognised researcher in her field and has presented her research at several international academic conferences.
Being passionate about social justice, Kate is a member of the board of directors for a Manchester based charity, Wood Street Mission, which has the aim of reducing the impact of poverty for local families.
Call for Proposals:
Ready to get started? Please fill out this form to contact Kate with any questions, or download our proposal guidelines to begin the process immediately.