Hello and welcome to The Therapist Diaries,
Today’s post is a little different. It’s a personal one.
Eighteen years ago today, my hometown of Bacup lost Sophie Lancaster, a young woman who was murdered for no other reason than looking different from her peers. Sophie’s death is something that cast a long shadow over my childhood. It wasn’t just an act of cruelty, it was a wound to the whole community. Growing up in the aftermath of such a tragedy shaped me deeply, not only as a person but as a future social worker.
But out of that darkness came something powerful. The community didn’t turn away. Instead, people came together to fight back against hate, and from that, the Sophie Lancaster Foundation was born. It wasn’t just about remembering Sophie, it was about making sure that people in our town, and beyond, could feel safe to be individuals. That spirit of standing up for each other, of creating safer and more inclusive spaces, was my first real encounter with the power of community action.
And this is where macro social work comes in.
What Is Macro Social Work?
When people think of social work, they often imagine one-on-one sessions: helping families in crisis, supporting children through school transitions, guiding individuals through mental health struggles. That’s what we call micro practice.
But social work is much bigger than that. Macro social work looks at the systems, policies, and communities that shape people’s lives. It’s about building safer neighbourhoods, strengthening resources, challenging inequality, and sometimes even influencing national law. From small-town initiatives to the big political stage, macro practice has the power to shift culture and create long-lasting change.
It isn’t easy. Macro work is often slow, and progress can feel frustrating. You may work for years before you see results, and sometimes you’ll face resistance from the very structures you’re trying to change. But when it does work, the impact is huge, whole communities can feel the benefit.
Looking at my own community in my home of Rossendale Valley, I’ve seen macro social work at play in inspiring ways.
Youth and Community Safety Projects - Local initiatives have focused on giving teenagers safe spaces, addressing anti-social behaviour not with punishment but with opportunity and belonging.
Mental Health and Substance Use Services - Campaigns have pushed for more accessible local services, recognising how rural areas are often underserved compared to big cities.
Food and Fuel Poverty Work - Grassroots organisations have worked to support families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, influencing local councils to prioritise funding for essentials.
Arts and Inclusion - Projects strive to ensure that creative expression and individuality are protected and celebrated, showing how culture itself can be a tool for community healing.
These efforts don’t happen overnight. They are the result of years of advocacy, meetings, funding bids, community conversations, and relentless effort from people who believe in better. That’s macro social work in action.
A Note to Future Social Workers
To those of you stepping into this field: don’t dismiss macro social work. It may feel less personal, less immediate than sitting with a client in crisis, but your communities need you. Change doesn’t only happen in therapy rooms or case conferences. Sometimes it happens in council chambers, in schools, in grassroots organisations, and in town halls.
If Sophie’s story and its aftermath taught me anything, it’s that communities can come together to create safety and change. And as social workers, we have a responsibility to help lead that charge because when individuals feel safe, valued, and accepted in their communities, the ripple effects can last for generations.
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