Faculty of Social Work (University of Ljubljana) is the only social work higher education establishment in Slovenia. By its education process and the practice of social work, the Faculty of Social Work aims for the development and dissemination of theoretical concepts, models and methods of social work which would contribute to the establishment and maintenance of fundamental social values and goals such as: provision of the quality of life for individuals, families and groups of the population; social justice, human dignity and equal opportunities; promotion of solidarity and social integration, prevention of poverty and social exclusion. Since its establishment in 1955, the Faculty has represented a pillar (in some periods the only one) of the development of the Slovenian social work, and the field of social care in general. It has developed a high level of teaching, mainly based on its own scientific and research activities (over 70 projects) as well as good knowledge of international trends. The Faculty has been the carrier and initiator of a large number of innovations, without which it would be hard to imagine social work in Slovenia. It has developed forms and methods of work that represent the basis of contemporary social work in our country: counseling, group work, community work, street work, and work with families etc. It has established the foundations of voluntary work, action research and qualitative research which has not only influenced the social work field but also played an important role in Slovenian social sciences more generally. It has developed special fields such as working with youth, the elderly, women, people in mental distress or with a physical handicap, ethnic minorities etc. It has also made a great contribution to the development of concepts and innovative solutions in the field of social care (for instance, social first aid, home help, group homes, safe houses etc.). Faculty already have experiences with inclusion of users in education processes and planning, especially on the field of community mental health (which is one of the specialised fields of studies). With its activities - practical teaching, training, research and development projects, and publishing - the Faculty co-operates with numerous associations and non-governmental organisations. Their members, experts and users are included in Faculty’s programmes as co-teachers, and the Faculty staff participates in the work of these associations as researchers, consultants and councillors, lecturers etc. Some societies use Faculty’s premises and other facilities for some of their activities.

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Education and research in the field of social work are two core tasks undertaken by the Faculty of Social Work: - Education and further training of qualified social workers for professional tasks and services in the field of social care are provided within undergraduate and postgraduate studies; - As a higher education research institution the Faculty is concerned with the development of the profession and science of social work, and conducts basic, applied and development research in the fields of social work and social care, and wider in social policy, applying research achievements to practice. In the past 20 years, the Faculty has carried out over 70 basic and applied research projects and participated in numerous developmental projects. Beside the social work theory and concepts, the main research themes included voluntary work, community work, group work, evaluation methods and actual evaluations of social work procedures and programs, and administration in social work. Specific themes included drugs, mental health, handicap, housing problems and domestic violence. The Faculty participated in the planning of community services carried out by non-governmental organisations in the field of social care, especially in the field of women’s problems (residential groups, safe houses) in development of intermediate structures (group homes, safe houses, camps), work with family, street work, youth centres, learning of social skills, individual planning and financing and other communtiy approaches. Alongside the use of all main methodological approaches, the main methods of research were action research, qualitative research and evaluation research. The Faculty is internationally recognized and has a network of contacts across the world. It co-ordinates many international projects (for instance, introducing mental health postgraduate studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina), and currently co-operates in developing social work in some Central and Eastern European countries, including former Yugoslavia. The Faculty publishes the periodical Socialno delo (Social Work), which is recognized both in Slovenia and abroad (it is summarized in 6 databases). The Faculty publishes a whole array of textbooks, monographs and reference books from the field of social work.

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User Partner Organisations