This paper draws on research conducted in New Zealand from 2009 to 2011 with overseas-qualified social workers as members of a global profession experiencing both great international demand for their skills and unparalleled flows of professional transnationalism. In line with the international social work literature, this cohort of migrant professionals offers a range of needed skill and expertise as well as unique challenges to local employers, client communities, and the social work profession as a whole. With a specific focus on mixed-methods data dealing with participants' induction experiences and engagement with professional bodies, this paper argues that migrant social workers have created in New Zealand a transnational professional space that demands a response from local social work stakeholders.

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The current forces of globalisation facilitate the migration of people around the world. The purpose of this article is to explore the roles of ethnic-based groups and organisations in the Korean community in New Zealand. A qualitative approach was employed to collect data from in-depth interviews of Korean adults within the ethnic community. Fourteen participants served as key informants in this study. The data collected were analysed mainly using a concept-mapping technique in a bilingual context.Findings: There was a range of community groups in the Korean community in New Zealand. Those ethnic-based groups played important roles in not only enabling migrants to meet their needs but also connecting them with local communities. Some groups or organisations often served as 'transnational' bridges, promoting a range of interactions and exchanges between the host society and the homeland. The information and resources necessary for their survival were likely to be obtained Downloaded from from both the societies, which made the community becoming 'double-empowered' in the transnational context.Applications: This study highlights the claim that ethnic-based groups have vital functions, providing contact places for migrants and local people, and creating social and transnational influences in the context of modern migration. It is suggested that a community-empowerment approach would help social work practitioners work effectively with migrants and their community groups.

An article in this journal in 2007 outlined an innovative programme in progress in Auckland at that time. Growing Research in Practice (GRIP) involved groups of social service practitioners who carried out small and manageable research projects on topics that piqued their interest within the workplace. The main aim of the GRIP programme was to nurture a culture of practitioner enquiry in social service agencies in Auckland, in an attempt at facilitating meaningful change and service improvement in the longer term. This article reports on the findings from the second phase of the evaluation of the programme where seven participants were interviewed about their reflections on GRIP and the outcomes of the programme. The article offers recommendations for social service practitioners in this regard.