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Social Work during the COVID-19 Crisis: Responding to Urgent Social Needs

Author

Listed:
  • Gisela Redondo-Sama

    (Centre for Applied Ethics, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbao, Spain)

  • Virginia Matulic

    (Social Work Training and Research Section, Faculty of Education, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Ariadna Munté-Pascual

    (Social Work Training and Research Section, Faculty of Education, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Irene de Vicente

    (Social Work Training and Research Section, Faculty of Education, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

Social work during the COVID-19 crisis has faced one of the most challenging times to cover urgent social needs in an uncertain scenario. This study analyzes the immediate responses in social work to vulnerable groups in the first 15 days of the pandemic in Barcelona, one of the most affected areas worldwide by COVID-19. The sample for this qualitative study includes 23 semi-structured interviews with social workers from different fields of intervention, from general approaches (primary care) to specific ones (health, ageing, homeless, and justice). The data analysis followed the communicative methodology, including transformative and exclusionary dimensions, and the analytical categories focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social services users, the organizational responses of social workers, and the impact of the interventions to cover urgent social needs of attendees. The interventions have been accompanied by an improvement in communication channels with vulnerable groups, ensuring an understanding of the situation of families and individuals, and covering the most urgent social needs. The study shows the key role of social workers from diverse social attention tools and their contribution to the sustainability of social services with a long-term impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Gisela Redondo-Sama & Virginia Matulic & Ariadna Munté-Pascual & Irene de Vicente, 2020. "Social Work during the COVID-19 Crisis: Responding to Urgent Social Needs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8595-:d:430225
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maiko Sakamoto & Salma Begum & Tofayel Ahmed, 2020. "Vulnerabilities to COVID-19 in Bangladesh and a Reconsideration of Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Platt, Lucinda & Warwick, Ross, 2020. "COVID-19 and ethnic Inequalities in England and Wales," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 105576, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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    2. Karmen Erjavec & Marjan Janžekovič & Milena Kovač & Mojca Simčič & Andrej Mergeduš & Dušan Terčič & Marija Klopčič, 2021. "Changes in Use of Communication Channels by Livestock Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-14, September.
    3. Ahmad Zainuri & Miftachul Huda, 2023. "Empowering Cooperative Teamwork for Community Service Sustainability: Insights from Service Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, March.
    4. Takahiro Nakashima & Shoko Ishikawa, 2022. "Exploring Farmers’ Expectation toward Farm-Gate Price of Rice in Japan by Positive Mathematical Programming," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Yasuhiro Kotera & Freya Tsuda-McCaie & Ann-Marie Edwards & Divya Bhandari & Geraldine Maughan, 2021. "Self-Compassion in Irish Social Work Students: Relationships between Resilience, Engagement and Motivation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-13, August.
    6. Ane López de Aguileta, 2024. "Contributions from Research with (and Not without) Roma Women to Social Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-11, January.
    7. Ladislav Štěpánek & Magdaléna Janošíková & Marie Nakládalová & Kateřina Ivanová & Jakub Macík & Alena Boriková & Helena Vildová, 2021. "Motivation for COVID-19 Vaccination in Priority Occupational Groups: A Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-8, November.

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