ABSTRACT
Social work as a practice-based discipline has espoused a commitment to the integration of theory and practice. However, whether its realisation is the responsibility of academics, of practitioners, or a combination of the two in either formal or informal partnership, has been a matter of contention. This chapter presents a brief account of partnership as a concept with wide currency in British social work. This is followed by contextual information about the organisation of social work training in the UK which explains the move to formal partnership. In 1990, when the DipSW programme was introduced, Southampton already had well established and effective working arrangements with local agencies. In this context, the move to formal partnership appeared as an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary development. Finally, the chapter summarises the key challenges for partnership in social work education and indicates potential strategies for future development.
