Online Case Studies

Recently I have been required to undertake an additional training or an aptitude test in order to register as a Qualified Social Worker in the UK.  At first I thought that the additional training would be the best option for me but after looking for work placement, volunteering and/or shadowing opportunities without success I have finally decided to take the test  (which is professionally rather than academically focused).

Although I am still waiting for the General Social Care Council (GSCC) to give me advice on preparation materials for the test , I have come across a series of different websites providing access to online case studies for social work practice that I would like to point out.

At the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCiE) website, you can find a “Good Practice Framework” section where you can search for or add an example of good practice.

Another website that has developed an online information tool is the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS) with the creation of The Learning Exchange Project which is a digital library of a wide range of resources for social services and social work education and training. Before starting to use the Open Search browser it is worth to have a look at the video introduction, download the Getting Started guide, and view the screencasts on Searching and More Features. You can also access directly to  the available online case studies by entering the words “case studies” in the Open Search browser.

Community Care Inform is yet another online information source for professionals working with children, young people  and their families that among other materials contains case studies and expert articles. It is essential to subscribe if you want to access its information, nonetheless it is possible to view an online demo at how Community Care Inform works and/or to request a free trial if you are a student or a social care practitioner working with children and families.