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Prof Sarah Banks, MA, MSW, PhD

(email at s.j.banks@durham.ac.uk)

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Social sciences: Community and youth work: Community development work; community engagement/participation/empowerment
• Social sciences: Professional ethics, particularly in social work, youth work and community work.

Biography

Sarah Banks has a background in community development and worked in the voluntary sector and local authority social services before joining Durham University. Her degrees are in philosophy, social history and social work. Her research interests include professional ethics, community development, community-based participatory research and work with young people.

She initiated the European Social Ethics Project - a group of academics from various countries who have undertaken research and curriculum development work on the theme of teaching practical ethics for the social professions. She has been involved in developing and revising codes of ethics for several national and international bodies, including The National Youth Agency, International Federation of Social Workers and the British Association of Social Workers.

Sarah supervises PhD students who are exploring aspects of community development work, faith-based practice with young people and communities, teaching and learning about values in youth and community work, asylum seekers and refugees, family resilience and sustainable livelihoods. She welcomes applications from intending PhD students in the fields of professional ethics, practitioner values and motivations, community development and youth work. She is also keen to encourage postgraduate research projects that take a participatory action research approach.

Sarah is co-director of the Centre for Social Justice and Community Action at Durham University. She is founding co-editor of the journal, Ethics and Social Welfare.

Her most recently published books are the fourth edition of Ethics and Values in Social Work: the edited collection Ethical Issues in Youth Work (2nd edition); Ethics in Professional Life: Virtues for Health and Social Care (co-authored with Ann Gallagher) and the edited collection: Practising Social Work Ethics around the World: Cases and Commentaries (co-edited with Kirsten Nøhr). Recent research projects include work on co-inquiry action research, ethical challenges in community-based participatory research, household debt, community organising and faith and bioethics.

Research Interests

• Professional ethics, community development, work with young people and community-based participatory research.

Selected Publications

Books: authored

• Banks, S. (2012). Ethics and Values in Social Work. (fourth edition). Basingstoke & New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Banks, S. & Gallagher, A. (2009). Ethics in professional life: virtues for health and social care. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Butcher, H., Banks, S., Henderson, P. & Robertson, J. (2007). Critical Community Practice. Bristol: The Policy Press.
• Banks, S. (2004). Ethics, Accountability and the Social Professions. Basingstoke New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Books: edited

• Banks, S., Butcher, H., Orton, A. & Robertson, J. (2013). Managing Community Practice (Second Edition). Policy Press.
• Banks. S. & Armstrong, A. (2012). Ethics in community-based participatory research: Case studies, case examples and commentaries. National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, Bristol.
• Banks, S. & Nohr, K. (2012). Practising Social Work Ethics Around the World: Cases and Commentaries. London: Routledge.
• Banks, S. (2010). Ethical Issues in Youth Work. London: Routledge.
• Banks, S. , Butcher,H., Henderson, P. & Robertson, J. (2003). Managing Community Practice: Principles, Policies and Programmes. Bristol: The Policy Press.
• Banks, S. & Nohr, K. (2003). Teaching Practical Ethics for the Social Professions. Copenhagen: FESET.

Books: sections

• Banks, S. (2011). 'Re-gilding the ghetto: community work and community development in 21st-century Britain.'. In Radical Social Work Today: Social Work at the Crossroads. Lavalette, M. Policy Press. 165-185.
• Banks, S. (2010). From Professional Ethics to Ethics in Professional Life: Reflections on Learning and Teaching in Social Work. In Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work: International Perspectives. Zavirsek, D. Rommelspacher, B. & Staub-Bernasconi, S. Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana. 119-132.

Journal papers: academic

• Banks, S. et al (2013). Everyday ethics in community-based participatory research' in Contemporary Social Science. Journal of the Academy of Social Sciences
• Carter, K., Banks, S., Armstrong, A., Kindon. S. & Burkitt, I. (2013). Issues of Disclosure and Intrusion: Ethical Challenges for a Community Researcher. Ethics and Social Welfare 7(1): 92-100.
• Banks, S. (2012). Negotiating personal engagement and professional accountability: professional wisdom and ethics work. European Journal of Social Work
• Banks, S. (2011). Ethics in an age of austerity: Social work and the evolving New Public Management. Journal of Social Intervention 20(2): 5-23.
• Banks, S. (2010). Integrity in professional life: issues of conduct, commitment and capacity. British Journal of Social Work 40(7): 2168-2184.
• Banks, S. (2010). Interprofessional Ethics: A Developing Field? Notes from the Ethics & Social Welfare Conference. Ethics and Social Welfare 4(3): 280-294.
• Banks,S. (2009). From Professional Ethics to Ethics in Professional Life: Implications for Learning, Teaching and Study. Ethics and Social Welfare 3(1): 55-63.
• Banks, S. (2008). Critical commentary: social work ethics. British Journal of Social Work 38(6): 1238-1249.
• Banks, S. (2008). Ethics and Social Welfare: The State of Play. Ethics and Social Welfare 2(1): 1-9.
• Banks, S. (2008). Ethics that Work? A Critical Review of Ethics and Values in Teaching and Practice—Papers from the Ethics & Social Welfare Conference, London. Ethics and Social Welfare 3(1): 54-76.
• Banks, S., Hugman, R., Healy, L., Bozalek, V. & Orme, J. (2008). Global Ethics for Social Work: Problems and Possibilities - Papers from the Ethics & Social Welfare Symposium, Durban, July 2008. Ethics and Social Welfare 2(3): 276-290.
• Banks, S. (2007). Between equity and empathy: social professions and the new accountability. Social Work and Society 5.
• Banks, S. & Orton, A. (2007). The grit in the oyster: community development workers in a modernizing local authority. Community Development Journal 42(1): 97-113.
• Scully, J.L., Banks, S. & Shakespeare, T. (2006). Chance, choice and control: Lay debate on prenatal social sex selection. Social Science and Medicine 63(1): 21-31.
• Banks, S. & Vickers, T. (2006). Empowering communities through active learning: challenges and contradictions. Journal of Community Work and Development 8: 83-104.
• Scully, J., Shakespeare, T. & Banks, S. (2006). Gift not commodity? Lay people deliberating social sex selection. Sociology of Health and Illness 28(6): 749-767.
• Banks, S. & Bartlett, D. (2006). Innovation in Youth Work? Young People and Mental Well-being. Youth and Policy (90): 19-31.
• Banks, S., Scully, J.L. & Shakespeare, T. (2006). Ordinary ethics: lay people's deliberations on social sex selection. New Genetics and Society 25(3): 289-303.
• Banks, S. & Williams, R. (2005). Accounting for Ethical Difficulties in Social Welfare Work: Issues, Problems and Dilemmas. British Journal of Social Work 35(7): 1005-1022.
• Banks, S. (2005). The ethical practitioner in formation: issues of courage, competence and commitment. Social Work Education 24(7): 737-753.
• Banks.S. (2004). Ethical Challenges for Social Work. Intervencao Social (29): 11-24.
• Banks.S. (2004). Professional integrity, social work and the ethics of distrust. Social Work and Social Sciences Review 11(2): 20-35.
• Banks, S. (2003). From oaths to rulebooks: a critical examination of codes of ethics for the social professions. European Journal of Social Work 6(2): 133-144.
• Banks, S. , Burlison, P. & Shakespeare, T. (2002). Youth work and biomedicine: an exploratory study. Youth and Policy 74(Winter 2001/2): 18-39.
• Banks, S. & Shenton, F. (2001). Regenerating neighbourhoods: a critical look at the role of community capacity building. Local Economy 16(4): 286-298.
• Banks, S. & Immam, U. (2000). Principles, Rules and Qualities: An Ethical Framework for Youth Work. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth 9(1): 65-82.
• Banks, S. (1999). The social professions and social policy: proactive or reactive. European Journal of Social Work 2(3): 327-339.
• Banks.S. (1998). Codes of Ethics and Ethical Conduct: A Veiw from the Caring Professions. Public Money and Management 18(1): 27-30.
• Banks.S. (1998). Professional Ethics in Social Work - What Future? British Journal of Social Work 28: 213-231.

Journal papers: online

• Banks, S. (2011). 'Ethics in an age of austerity: Social work and the evolving New Public Management. Journal of Social Intervention: Theory and Practice 20(2): 5-23.

Reports: official

• Banks, S. (2013). Doing research together: How to make sure things are fair and no one is harmed (an EasyRead version of the ethics guide). National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, Bristol.
• Banks, S. (2013). What is doing research together? (an EasyRead introduction to CBPR). National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, Bristol.
• Banks, S. (2012). Community-based participatory research: A guide to ethical principles and practice. National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, Bristol.
• Banks, S. (2011). Community-based participatory research: ethical challenges. Durham Community Research Team.

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