The Social Work Research Centre, University of Stirling

SWRC was established in 1986 and receives core funding from the Scottish Executive and the University of Stirling. Its objectives include carrying out high-quality social science research relating to social work, undertaking studies of direct relevance to the analysis or evaluation of policy and practice in the provision of social work services and communicating its research findings to varied audiences.

SWRC was originally established to study the effectiveness of social work services. SWRC's work now addresses the wider context of social work and social welfare services. The current programme of research supported by the Executive focuses on social workers' management of uncertainty and risk in inter-agency and inter-professional contexts.

In keeping with existing community care and child care legislation, the Social Work (Scotland) Act, and with international developments in social work, 'social work' is defined broadly to include residential and community-based services which seek to promote health and welfare, services for courts, offenders and victims, and significant aspects of the social context in which social work support is provided.

Web site: http://www.stir.ac.uk/Departments/HumanSciences/AppSocSci/SWRC/