PANDA pandemic social work

Focus and aims of the project

The objective of the PANDA research team and the project The Challenges of a Pandemic Outbreak and Social Work Solutions in Complex Glocal Settings is to provide an overview of the status of social welfare institutions, social work professionals and social work clients during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Specific attention is paid to the status of the most vulnerable and marginalised client groups within social work.

The overall aims of the project are to mitigate the impact of the viral pandemic on the lives of social work clients in the “new normal” and rapidly changing socio-ecological fabric, strengthen social resilience and the performance of professional social and health care workers, as well as improve the adaptive, sustainable and cross-scalar governance of social care and welfare institutions. The project supports the global ethical principles of social work—recognition of the inherent dignity of humanity, promoting human rights and social justice as well as the right to self-determination and participation.

Four intertwined research questions will be set in the project:

1. What changes and challenges do different social work client groups and other people in vulnerable positions face in glocal pandemic settings?

2. What types of personal thoughts, feelings, and emotions do social workers encounter in glocal pandemic settings, during and after a pandemic?

3. What challenges does professional social work face in glocal pandemic settings? What types of solutions are developed and innovated in social care organisations to meet these challenges?

4. How is social work positioned in the public debate and how should it be taken into account in societal measures related to the pandemic?

 

The objectives of the project will be implemented by 1) analysing six types of research data on social work clients, professional operations, methods applied and performance of social care and welfare institutions during and after the coronavirus pandemic. On the basis of these analyses, 2) qualified and effective social work policies, methods and practical tools will be developed together with the project’s national and international partners in order to prepare for future pandemics. Based on the research results and joint development work with stakeholders, 3) recommendations will be compiled for the improvement and development of the operation of social work during and after the pandemic and as lines of action for future plans.

In collecting, analysing, preserving and publishing research data the project is committed to the ethical guidelines and responsible science manifested by The Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity.

Research Team

Dr. Timo Harrikari, Professor of Social work. PI and project leader.

Ms. Soc. Sc. Vera Fiorentino, Junior Research Fellow.

Dr. Sanna Ovaskainen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow.

Dr. Marjo Romakkaniemi, Senior Research Fellow.

Dr. Laura Tiitinen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow (funded by SILE-consortium)

COVID-19 Social Work Research Forum

The network consists of 50 social work researchers from 30 different countries. The purpose of the forum is to promote research on social work in pandemic settings during and after the pandemic, to provide opportunities for international research cooperation and to coordinate the activities of the network. The PANDA research team organises COVID-19 Social Work Research Forum activities through MS Teams platform.

If you are interested in to join the Forum, please, send your request to Professor Timo Harrikari (timo.harrikari@ulapland.fi)

Read more and join to the research forum. 

International Collaboration and Research Infrastructure

University of Tallinn, Estonia

University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

University of Ljubjana, Slovenia

University of Alicante, Spain

University of Lund, Sweden

University of London, Royal Holloway, the United Kingdom

University College of Dublin, Ireland

University of Turin, Italy

Hogeschool PXL, Belgium

Metropolitan University Tokyo, Japan

Publications

2021

Harrikari, Timo, Romakkaniemi, Marjo, Tiitinen Laura and Ovaskainen, Sanna (2021) Pandemic and Social Work: Exploring Finnish Social Workers’ Experiences through a SWOT-analysis. British Journal of Social Work, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcab052  


2020

Tiitinen, Laura, Ovaskainen, Sanna, Harrikari, Timo and Romakkaniemi, Marjo (2020) The case of Finland. In Lena Dominelli, Timo Harrikari, Joseph Mooney, Vesna Leskosek, and Erin Kennedy Tsunoda, (2020, eds.) COVID-19 and Social Work: A Collection of Country Reports, July 2020, available online at COVID-19-and-Social-Work-Country-Reports 

Dominelli, Lena, Harrikari, Timo, Mooney, Joseph., Leskosek, Vesna and Kennedy Tsunoda, Erin (2020, eds.) COVID-19 and Social Work: A Collection of Country Reports, July 2020, available online at IASSW-COVID-19-and-Social-Work-Country-Reports

Funding

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, 453 000 euros (1.1.2021–31.12.2022)

Media Coverage

Presentations in workshops and other public speeches

Reflections on the international and Nordic social work practice and research in the pandemic settings. Open international webinar “Social Work and pandemic”, World Social Work Day, 16 March, 2021.

Pandemia, hyvinvointi ja sosiaalityö (Pandemic, welfare and social work), Huoltaja Foundation Webinar, 11 December, 2020.

Koronaviruspandemia, sosiaalityö ja sen asiakkaat – haasteita ja ratkaisuja (Coronavirus pandemic, Social Work and its Clients _ Challenges and Solutions), SOCCA-webinar 16 September, 2020

Viruspandemiat ja sosiaalityön haasteet tiivistyneen modernin aikakaudella (Pandemics and the Challenges of Social Work in an Era of Compressed Modernity), Webinar of Central Union of Child Welfare (Lastensuojelun keskusliiton Webinaari), 27 May, 2020.

Timo Harrikari

Professor
University of Lapland
Faculty of Social Sciences, Social Work
Rovaniemi, Finland
Tel: +358 (0)44 474 4340
forename.surname@ulapland.fi

Sanna Ovaskainen

PhD, University lecturer
University of Lapland
Faculty of Social Sciences, Social Work
Rovaniemi, Finland
Tel: +358 (0)44 4744305
forename.surname@ulapland.fi

Marjo Romakkaniemi

PhD, University lecturer
University of Lapland
Faculty of Social Sciences, Social Work
Rovaniemi, Finland
Tel: +358 (0) 40 484 4184
forename.surname@ulapland.fi

Laura Tiitinen

PhD, University lecturer
University of Lapland
Faculty of Social Sciences, Social Work
Rovaniemi, Finland
Tel: +358 (0) 40 659 8003
forename.surname@ulapland.fi