Fiona Dyer, Strategic Manager with the Centre for Youth & Criminal Justice (CYCJ), spoke at the first open conference of the Erasmus Criminal Justice Social Work (CJSW) project, held at Avans University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.
The CJSW project is aimed at improving the higher education of Europe’s criminal justice social workers. It has been funded for three years by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Union. The project’s long-term goal is to establish a Europe-wide platform for probation work in the field of education, training and knowledge exchange.
Fiona and Dr Beth Weaver, of the Centre for Law, Crime and Justice (CLCJ) at the University of Strathclyde’s department of social work and social policy, presented on social capital, its definitions and the detrimental impact that criminalisation can have on social networks. Their presentation also considered the need to understand how to promote and support the social participation of those leaving prison, and how practices such as family focused therapy can play an important part in this.
Fiona said: “It was a privilege to talk at this conference, and exciting to meet the various representatives from across Europe. The CJSW project has been developed by leading scholars utilising cutting-edge research and practice innovations. The associated European-wide, virtual community of practice further provides exciting opportunities for criminal justice social work students and practitioners to collaborate, innovate and share good practice. Both CYCJ and the CLCJ are pleased to be part of this important and unique educational programme.”
To view the conference online, go to http://www.cjsw.eu.