A message of hope: the challenges of relationship-based practice in a time of social distancing, but why it is more important than ever to come together

ABSTRACT This article was written during June 2020, during the first Covid-19 national lockdown, with the aim of exploring fundamental changes within our profession as a result. It is written in a reflective and pensive style, with the intention of questioning how, as social workers, we can continue to work in a relationship-based way, at a time of social distancing when this has seemed impossible. This article argues that, despite ways of working having changed, it is more important than ever to strengthen human connections and relationships, despite the challenges and complexities we now face.