In both the US and UK, social workers can heal society's deep divisions | Anna Scheyett

On both sides of the Atlantic, dedicated social workers strive to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities, and fight against social injustice. Social workers in the UK and the US face many similar challenges, and some that are completely different. We can learn much from each other, but first we need to connect and communicate.

There are four major areas of challenge in the US that social work must address: an ageing population, social and racial disparities in access to healthcare, criminal justice and incarceration, and responses to immigrants and refugees. While these are longstanding issues, the implications of each have been transformed as a result of policy changes following Donald Trump’s unexpected presidential victory. If social work is to make a difference on these issues, we must enhance training, improve interventions and increase advocacy.

In addition, the US has two new and dramatic challenges for social work: healing the deep social fractures revealed by the recent election, and challenging the idea of a “post-truth” society. These are perhaps the more difficult tasks. The election revealed that many of us were unaware of the levels of anger, frustration and even hatred felt by different groups of people. Hate crimes have increased and tensions are high. Social work must engage with this. We must hone our communication skills and help communities move towards a place of mutual understanding and respect.

Similarly, social workers must ourselves learn, and help others to learn, how to think critically and evaluate presented facts. Distinguishing facts from fake news is an essential skill. Social work research is more important than ever; we need to generate and disseminate evidence that informs how we approach and resolve the most pressing social problems of our times. Sharing this effectively involves the art of persuasion, using a range of communication strategies and social media. Social work must embrace it all.

Listening to my UK colleagues during a recent panel discussion at the University of Bath’s 50th anniversary Celebrating Social Work event, I was struck by our similar commitment to service for the purpose of promoting social wellbeing and social justice. I also saw great similarities in our challenges: tensions regarding immigrants and refugees, and whether or how to care for them; ensuring equal access to healthcare and other services; working in an angry and volatile political environment.

There are differences too. Perhaps most notable is the difference in our healthcare systems: privatised in the US, governmental in the UK. Social workers in the US also more frequently specialise in clinical and counselling services, which is much less common in the UK, while child welfare services are more the realm of professional social work in the UK than in the US. And, of course, the structure of our safety net systems differ greatly.

But in many ways the conversations we have within those systems are the same: Who is worthy of help? How do we build the best system to help them? Most importantly, social workers in both the US and the UK are asking how as a society we can overcome our fear and anger, and work together for the good of all.

Being effective in fulfilling our mission of promoting social wellbeing and social justice requires that social workers be engaged in advocacy and action. It will require the best of our existing skills, the acquisition of new skills, a fierce dedication to change, and the opportunity to learn from each other. I am confident we are up to the challenge. Social work has a long history of fighting injustice and social problems. We can do this.

Prof Anna Scheyett is dean of the University of Georgia School of Social Work.

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