Relational practice, a critical component for successful social work

Abstract

Relational practice describes the value and development of relationships or connections with others and is a key concept across the different systems of health, education, criminal justice, and social work. Lamph et al. (2023) undertook a scoping review of the literature to support a shared understanding of ‘relational practice’ in organisational and systemic contexts, noting impacts and benefits reported. They identified that relational practice may be beneficial to both the service users and the workforce across different sectors. The review authors also found that variations exist in the terminology used for ‘relational practice.’ This commentary describes the importance of relational practice for social work, building on the review by Lamph et al. (2023) and the implications of the findings for social work practice and research. Relational practice is pivotal to social work and is vital for meaningful intervention, yet there is a need for more scientific effectiveness studies, if relational practice is to receive the recognition it deserves, and for it to become fully embedded within different sectors.