Dominic Watters

I am a single dad. I live in a deprived council estate block with my amazing daughter. Before starting to study social work, I was reliant on Job Seekers Allowance and Housing Benefit to survive. To be eligible for a course bursary I was required to move to the housing element of Universal Credit. Due to failures of the system, I incurred rent arrears of over two thousand pounds which resulted in continuous communication containing threats of eviction and court proceedings. This looming uncertainty seems to be exclusively awarded to the have-nots in society.

The COVID crisis made everyone aware of keeping their distance from other people because of health concerns, but Dominic was reflecting on the distance between people due to poverty, culture, class, and other factors. Social Distance in Social Work: COVID Capsule One is both an action in the face of destitution, and a collection of notes from the crisis. A collection of pieces that he has curated to tell a story and capture a moment in time.

Book endorsements

‘A stunning book right from the heart of exciting, newly emerging social work practitioners. At its core is a genuine commitment to the application of rights-based practice made possible by the authors personal, deep understanding of social justice and the impact of structural oppression of poverty.’

Rob Mitchell, Principal Social Worker, Co-Author of Social Work, Cats & Rocket Science’

‘We are a human rights profession. But it can be hard to embed this into everyday practice. This book is a precious and creative contribution to understanding how we can do that.’

Ruth Allen, chief executive of the British Association of Social Work