Martínez Herrero, María InésLorenzo Gilsanz, Francisco JavierBarciela Fernández, Sergio2024-12-112024-12-112024-10-23María Inés Martínez-Herrero, Francisco Javier Lorenzo Gilsanz y Sergio Barciela Fernández. Seeking to fulfil the human rights promise: practitioner perspectives and an assessment tool for realising human rights based social work education and practice. Social Work Education. 1 - 18. 20241470-1227https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2024.2416571https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14468/24835The registered version of this article, first published in Social Work Education, is available online at the publisher's website: Taylor and Francis Group, Routledge, https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2024.2416571La versión registrada de este artículo, publicado por primera vez en Social Work Education, está disponible en línea en el sitio web del editor: Taylor and Francis Group, Routledge, https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2024.2416571International social work organizations emphasize human rights (HR) as a main social work principle. However, a focus on HR is often lacking in social work education. This often results in an inspirational, rather than deep and meaningful application of HR commitments in social work practice, with kindness and respect being conflated with a realization of HR. Nevertheless, without a critical HR awareness, social workers may inadvertently neglect or hinder service users’ rights. This article presents the findings of an exploratory study which examined, through in-depth interviews with six practitioners working in HR sensitive contexts in Spain, how the experience (or lack thereof) of HR education influences practitioners’ engagement with HR. Findings indicate that, for social workers to overcome inspirational approaches and achieve an HR based social work practice, training and support mechanisms need to be developed at different contexts: 1. In social work education, importantly including social work placements and a practice orientation of teaching 2. At social work services’ organizations and 3. At the broader social work professional organizations and political-institutional contexts. Drawing on the findings, the researchers developed a Human Rights Practice Assessment Tool to support lecturers, students and practitioners in applying HR principles meaningfully in social work.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess53 Ciencias Económicas::5309 Organización de la industrial y política económica pública56 Ciencias Jurídicas y Derechoartículohuman rightssocial work educationSpainassessment toolsocial work practice