ABSTRACT
In the early 1990s, Michael Sheridan and colleagues proposed that as many as one-third of all service users in the United States presented to social workers with issues in which religion or spirituality was potentially an issue. Establishing the legitimacy of religion and spirituality in social work practice cannot be left solely to individual social workers. Organisations can legitimise the place of religion and spirituality for service users by recognising these factors in their policies and procedures. By way of contrast, John Swinton suggested that much of the UK research around religion and spirituality was concerned with concepts, the meaning of the care provided for service users and practice issues. Religious groups contribute to the spiritual and social wealth of the nation. However, social work educators in many countries face questions about what adaptations are possible in order to meet the needs of students of particular religions and not compromise professional requirements.
