The integration of community development values, skills and strategies within rural social work practice in Victoria, Australia

In the rural context, community development is considered to be a primary component of effective and sustainable social work practice. Yet there is little research into how rural social workers integrate community development values, skills and strategies into their practice. This exploratory qualitative study of rural social workers in Victoria, Australia, found that they utilized community development approaches in a diverse range of ways. However, they were constrained by the limited and inconsistent formal support to place community development within the continuum of social work practice.