Institute for the Study and Development of Social Work as a Profession

The Institute for the Study and Development of Social Work as a Profession researches social work practice and contributes to its further development.

Our institute takes exploring professional practice as a starting point for developing social work. We research professional action and its organisational, social, and political conditions in diverse fields of action.

The questions and concerns at the forefront of our research into professional development include

designing developmental processes in association with practice
developing methods for professional support processes
exploring the possibilities for researching the impacts and the related processes of professional solutions.

Our projects are application-oriented and theory-related. They aim to advance social work as a profession and to contribute to developing social work as a science.

Professions research

Our focus on 'Professions research' investigates professional action and its embeddedness in socio-political frameworks and the organisational contexts of social work. It contributes to theory development in the field of social work and establishes the foundations for developing practice.

Cooperative practice development

Social workers, social educators, clients and addressees, and researchers all possess specific bodies of knowledge and competencies. Cooperative practice development aims to interrelate this knowledge and these skills with a view to co-developing innovative and effective solutions to practical challenges.

Diagnostics and process design

Our work in the area of 'Diagnostics and process design' concentrates on the ability to methodologise professional action. We explore the various phases of support processes, paying particular attention to 'social diagnostics'. Research is accompanied by a regular discursive forum of the same name.

Methods of impact research

Our focus on the 'Methods of impact research' investigates how the impacts of various social work methods, procedures, and programmes can be examined and understood. We explore the possibilities and the challenges of impact research both from the perspective of research and from the perspective of social work professionals and organisations. Our focus on the 'Methods of impact research 'investigates how the impacts of various social work methods, procedures, and programmes can be examined and understood. We explore the possibilities and the challenges of impact research both from the perspective of research and from the perspective of social work professionals and organisations.

The FHNW School of Social Work attaches great importance to research and development. Our institute undertakes commissioned and self-initiated research and development projects in the following areas:

Professionalism and professions development
Social and organisational conditions of professionalism
Designing cooperative developmental processes in association with practice
Diagnostics in social work
Integration and ways of life
Cooperative process design
Functional health
Measuring participation and participation-oriented process design
Impacts of social work services and offerings
Activation policies and labour-market integration
Occupational social work

The Institute for the Study and Development of Social Work as a Profession offers the following services:

Inhouse training
Consultancy
Expert reports and scientific diagnoses in complex cases
Developing and implementing process design, diagnostics, and evaluation methods
Evaluating programmes and interventions

Contact us! — Our priority is to tailor projects to your specific needs. We take the greatest care to establish your needs, in order to help you achieve your objectives.