March/April 2004
People

USA Social Workers visit Bradford

Student social workers from one of the USA's strongest multicultural cities visited the University to learn how their type of work is carried out here.

Seven students from Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta stayed in Bradford for a week-long visit.

University of Bradford Lecturer John Slater, left, with Georgia State University's Professor Peter Lyons and students from Georgia State University

The city of Atlanta is 70% African-American, and 80% of the children who live there are black. The surrounding suburbs are predominantly white.

Assistant Professor of Social Work at GSU Peter Lyons, who also made the trip, said: "Atlanta and Bradford have several things in common. We wanted the students to have the opportunity to look at the broader context of social work in the UK and the multicultural nature of the city of Bradford."

All of the students are either current employees of the state agency responsible for protecting children from abuse and neglect (Child Protection Service), or have committed to work for the agency after graduation.

Professor Lyons said the students were interested in learning about the structure of child protection in the UK and the practice of child protection social work in a multicultural context. University of Bradford Lecturer John Slater, who hosted the group, said the students attended lectures, seminars and visited a Magistrates Court to see how child protection issues were dealt with.

He said: "Atlanta is a very multicultural city, just like Bradford. Much of the visit was about an exchange of ideas and good practice."

Both Professor Lyons and Mr Slater, who previously worked together as social workers in Liverpool, hope to develop a regular exchange programme between the two universities.

16 April 2004

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