Prompted by the introduction of statutory social work registration into the Republic of Ireland, the authors consider the assumptions that attach to regulation, including the promise of greater public protection vis-à -vis the management of misconduct issues by social work regulators. They ponder the paradoxical implications for the future of social work if, notwithstanding the arguments in favour of registration, social work fails to theorise and critically reflect on the prevention, interpretation and management of professional misconduct.

This article reflects upon the work of the National Practice Teaching in Social Work Initiative (NPTSWI), established following collaboration between the six universities in Ireland that deliver social work education. Working in partnership with social work employers and practitioners, NPTSWI aims to enhance the profile of Practice Teaching within the Social Work profession in Ireland, provide ongoing supports for practice teaches and potentially increase the supply of placements. As a multi-stakeholder collaboration and in the context of the Irish Government’s commitment to increase the number of Social Work graduates, NPTSWI represents a significant innovation in the development of social work practice education in Ireland. This paper reflects on the achievements of the initiative and barriers to building a culture and context for practice teaching and learning within social work services are considered and strategies to address these challenges explored.

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The purpose of this article is to share how an Irish drugs advocacy organisation, UISCE conducted a consultation with ‘People Who Use Drugs’ (PWUD) to inform the development of Ireland’s National Drugs Strategy: Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery. People who use drugs are considered a ‘hard to reach’ or ‘hidden’ population’ who, because of their marginal status, are often absent from research and drug policy. Indeed, there is a lack of published data on how to engage with PWUD to inform policy development. The paper aims to extend the literature by highlighting how UISCE, employing a ‘peer-led street outreach’ approach, included 51 PWUD in the consultation to inform the Irish national drug strategy. Central to the paper is a description of the steps taken to conduct the consultation with a review of the challenges and benefits of using a ‘street based recruitment’ strategy to engage with hard to reach people who use drugs.Keywords: hard to reach; people who use drugs; peer led; drug use; drug policy