The importance of research skills in social work and how you’re already doing it

Amelia Curtis, social worker and researcher discusses the skills that social workers already have that makes them great researchers and why this matters.

Through whatever route we entered social work, we all learnt during our training about the importance of research in practice. We start our careers thinking about theories, approaches and evidence, but in the rush of frontline work, and the endless administrative tasks that come with it, the research foundations of our practice can sometimes blend into the background. But we know that research is what helps us improve practice and achieve better outcomes for the communities we work with.

Social workers are often described as practitioners, advocates and problem‑solvers, but by nature, we’re also researchers. In everyday practice we gather information, make sense of complex social problems, weigh up evidence, justify decisions and reflect critically on our practice. These are the very skills that underpin high‑quality research with people.

In a profession that deals with some of the most complex social issues, rapidly changing social conditions and organisational pressures, research is a core part of ethical, reflective and knowledge‑based social work practice and social workers have the skills to undertake research that will help us shape our own practice.Here are some ways that social workers can make excellent researchers, with skills they practice every day:

Relationship building

A big part of research is data collection, which can involve surveys, focus groups, interviews and many other methods and, in many cases, good data depends on people feeling able to open-up and share their experiences. Social workers have a lot of skills in building rapport quickly, talking about sensitive topics and creating none-judgemental spaces.

Understanding complexity

Research is often trying to solve complex problems that don’t have a linear solution and often aim to understand nuance in a situation. Social workers have to be curious. We are often gathering information from multiple perspectives, while understanding systemic issues that are at play, and are working from a place of uncertainty. This equips social workers to design and interpret research that reflects the real complex world around us.

Ethically grounded

An important part of research is gaining informed consent, respecting people’s autonomy, safeguarding and confidentiality, all of which are embedded in social work practice. The social work standards set this out and this is something all social workers abide by. We can bring a strong ethical compass to research being completed with vulnerable groups particularly.

Communication skills

Research isn’t just about generating new knowledge, it is about sharing it too, especially if the aim is for it to impact practice or people’s lives. Social workers have skills in breaking down complex information into understandable language and communicating with a diverse audience. This helps in making information available to everybody.

Reflexive practice

The ability to challenge your own thoughts, biases and influences is very important in research. Social workers already practice this through reflexive supervisions, keeping reflective logs and being used to justifying their decision making. Being reflexive helps with certain types of research, which is focused on understanding people’s feelings or experiences.

Advocacy

An ongoing problem in research is that some groups voices are more heard than others. Often, minority groups views are not as well presented. Social work is strongly linked with social justice and will advocate for all people to be heard and represented. This resulting is research which reflects all of society, meaning better results for everybody.

There are many different routes social workers can explore to develop their research skills, learn more about research in practice, or stay connected to studies being carried out across the sector. A good starting point is attending conferences, some are free, and many offer reduced rates for frontline practitioners. These events range from broad social work conferences to more specialist, focused on areas such as asylum and immigration, homelessness, children and families, or social work education.

There are also funded training and scholarship opportunities available through programmes such as NHS Research and Development North West or the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). These initiatives support social workers to build confidence in research, develop practical skills, and take on research roles alongside or within practice.

Social workers already possess the curiosity, empathy, analytical skills and ethical grounding that make excellent researchers. When these skills are channelled into formal research, the profession becomes stronger, more confident, and more capable of driving meaningful change. Research is not separate from social work, it is an important part of social work.

This blog was written while I was an awardee of the NIHR Pre‑doctoral Local Authority Fellowship (PLAF).

Print this page