Their stories, our history: Ken Daniels

INTRODUCTION: This article forms part of the “Their stories, our history” series which provides information regarding some of the major contributors to the profession of social work in Aotearoa New Zealand. Ken Daniels is featured in this article. METHODS: A life history methodology is used to document some of the contributions made by Ken Daniels. Life history is a qualitative methodology where various forms of data are used to piece together a narrative. Interviews, documents, articles and other historical artifacts have all contributed to the development of this article. FINDINGS: Ken Daniels has pioneered a number of social work advances in the areas of mental health, social work education and the professionalisation of social work. He has also made outstanding contributions nationally and internationally in the field of assisted human reproduction through a time of rapid change. Using a calm, compassionate and determined approach, Ken has been able to navigate through the complexities of practice, policy and education. CONCLUSIONS: Ken Daniels has exemplified a practice which has centred a generalist social work approach, working in different ways and at different systems levels to achieve desired outcomes.