Dr Hannah Cootes

From its inception, the social work profession evolved in tandem with public health, and has historically contributed to public health efforts to restore, protect and promote public health principles. In recent times, however, the most prominent role for health-related social work is in hospital-based, multidisciplinary teams. Curiously, scant attention has been paid to the place of social workers' knowledge - their 'epistemic contribution' - within this medical context. This article reports the findings of a scoping review that examined the role and function of social work knowledge in healthcare teams. Thematic analysis of the literature revealed four key themes: (i) a lack of clarity and visibility - 'Ok, what is my role?'; (ii) knowledge Hierarchies - 'Jack of all trades and master of none'?; (iii) mediator and educator - 'Social work is the glue' and (iv) public health principles - 'We think big'. Findings show that despite social work's epistemic confidence, and alliance with broader public health principles and aims, its knowledge can be marginalised and excluded within the multidisciplinary team context. The article introduces Fricker's theory of 'Epistemic Injustice' as a novel framework for inquiry into health care teams, and the mobilisation of social work knowledge within them.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, courts around the world have introduced a range of technologies to cope with social distancing requirements. Jury trials have been largely delayed, although some jurisdictions moved to remote jury approaches and video conferencing was used extensively for bail applications. While videoconferencing has been used to a more limited extent in the area of sentencing, many were appalled by the news that two people were sentenced to death via Zoom. This article uses actor-network theory (ANT) to explore the role of technology in reshaping the experience of those involved in the sentencing of Punithan Genasan in Singapore.

The Creating Meaningful Connections project is a longitudinal study that resulted from a partnership between social work academics at the University of Newcastle and educators at a regional secondary school in NSW, Australia. It seeks to better understand the relationship between school connectedness and youth mental health. In stage 1, focus groups were conducted with 99 students 9¿months after their transition to secondary school. The shift to secondary school created a range of social and academic challenges for young people. It often resulted in limited¿or no¿contact with friends from primary school, requiring the negotiation of new friendships. While this process was relatively trouble-free for many students, others described it as risky and challenging. Positive peer relationships appeared to increase happiness, feelings of safety, offer support during difficult periods and facilitate secondary school adjustment. This paper offers a unique perspective by capturing student voice and commentary about the nature and importance of peer relationships during transition. It also highlights the potential for social work and education to work collaboratively to enhance peer relationships, mental health and school connectedness during transition.