Professional social work originated in 19th century England, and had its roots in the social and economic upheaval wrought by the Industrial Revolution, in particular the societal struggle to deal with the resultant mass urban - based poverty and its related problems. Because poverty was the main focus of early social work, it was intricately linked with the idea of charity work. (Today, it is common for social workers to find themselves dealing with consequences arising from other social problems such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and discrimination based on age or on physical or mental disability.)
when did social work start in the uk
19th century