World Social Work Day 2026

Blog series Social science

Author Ben Hadley, Social Sciences Subject Librarian

The theme for this year's World Social Work Day is ‘Co-building hope and harmony: a harambee call to unite a divided society.’ It is derived from an African philosophy which calls for unity and shared responsibility and it highlights the vital role of social work in improving social cohesion and sustainable practices.

Social work research can incorporate a wide field of subject areas which makes The British Library the ideal place to complete literature reviews and locate course content. Key topics include social policy, development studies, education, law, psychology, politics and anthropology and can include cultural studies topics such as media studies and communication.

We collect content that is published in the UK and globally across all formats, disciplines, subjects and languages. In recent years subject specialists have selected new books, journals and online databases to complement course curriculums and improve research outputs in social work and other subject areas.

Practical handbooks and guides are available in the Social Sciences Reading Room and social studies from the 19th and 20th centuries can be ordered to any of our Reading Rooms. Official publications are accessible in print and digital formats and our electronic resources include reports, briefings and grey literature on the health and social care sector.

Human behaviour and social systems are necessary for social workers to understand as they need to combine practical knowledge with theory to complete professional training throughout their career. They also need to navigate complex systems of governance and legal procedures to help vulnerable adults and children in their care.

‘Professional decision making in social work practice’ (Brian J Taylor, Learning Matters) is one of a series of titles that provide post-qualifying guidance for professionals. It gives a thorough overview of collaborative practice, decision making and the organisational aspects of management. It provides useful case studies on safeguarding judgements and predicting harm and introduces assessment tools that help social workers to make informed decisions on individual cases.

‘Mental Health and Social Problems: a social work perspective’ (Nina Rovinelli Heller, Routledge) is a textbook that explores the complicated relationship between neurodiversity and societal issues. It identifies specific social problems such as poverty, homelessness, oppression, racism, war and presents empirical findings about diagnosis and intervention options for a range of common mental health problems.

Social work encompasses a variety of topics and alternative approaches that intersect with a profession that is constantly adapting to societal changes. We have a cross-section of case studies from the UK and a selection of examples from Europe and the US.

‘Beyond Multiculturalism in Social Work Practice’ (Kui-Hee Song, University Press of America) reveals how theories of postmodernism and multiculturalism can be applied when working with Korean immigrant families. It shows how alternative methods can be applied to community settings and it reveals why social workers should remain open to innovative practices when working with specific cultural groups.

Social workers are limited by time constraints so find it difficult to carry out vocational research but it is possible for them to access research papers online. Our subject librarians continue to select new content for social policy researchers and registered readers can access a wide range of essays, encyclopedias and historical material via our electronic resources webpage.

‘Social Work Online’ provides access to documentaries, textbooks, articles, interviews and practical exercises. It is based around twelve of the most important topics in the curriculum and contains significant research on transgender children, living with dementia, trauma informed care and the politics of social housing. This resource also includes research on counselling, eco feminism and affirmative practice with LGBTQ clients.

Readers can also access the ‘Social Sciences Citation Index’ from home. This lists two thousand journals and spans fifty disciplines. It provides information on recent research some of which is available for free online. ‘Policy Commons Global Think Tanks’ has reports, policy papers, and data sources from international organisations and is useful for understanding social work practices around the world.

Social work encyclopedias, dictionaries and recently published monographs are available in the Social Sciences Reading Room. Some articles from key social work journals are free to view on publisher’s websites as are a wide range of open access monographs. Readers can find links to these publications via our catalogue. Print journals and monographs from the past ten years can be viewed in the St. Pancras Reading Rooms.