Training and transformation needs in social work: A systemic and cooperative approach in disability services

Abstract

The complexity of social work today requires approaches capable of recognizing the connections, tensions, antagonisms, and forces working in a particular context, shaping social needs. If lifelong learning for social workers is an essential action to face this challenge, the analysis of training and transformation needs in services requires an approach that goes beyond linear logic. This paper describes an inquiry that explored the training needs of professionals working in disability services in Lombardy, using a systems approach. The application of a cooperative methodology and of a systemic reflexivity allowed questions to emerge. They interrogated the assumptions that guide professional practices and gave voice to a possible emergent capable of directing in the disorientation future-oriented paths of learning, knowledge and action.