Editorial: Special issue on social work teams

We are delighted to introduce two inter-linked special issues on social work teams. This is the first of two special issues. Special Issue One contains five articles and focuses on the relationship between the team and sensemaking in social work. It examines how discussions between colleagues shape social work assessment and decision-making. Special Issue Two focuses on the role of teams in shaping social worker wellbeing and retention.

These special issues chart a new course for the study of social work teams. The contributors are drawn from a range of countries, such as Sweden, Romania, Scotland and England. Their research spans different areas of practice, including older adults, young people in care settings, mental health and children’s social work. However, they share a common interest – the often-unseen influence of the team in shaping social work practice. The articles in these two special issues offer new and innovative ways to conceptualise teams alongside the latest empirical research. The contributions draw on a range of methods, including ethnographic team studies, quantitative measures of team functioning and reflective accounts of team membership. All contain important messages for everyday social work practice and offer fresh insight into how social work teams can be strengthened and supported.