The power dynamics are slightly different in a non-statutory setting like I was working in. & Herrman, H., 2012. Toseland and Rivas (2008) define group work as a goal directed activity aimed at accomplishing tasks. We continuously evaluate our impact and benefit to service users. Parry, I., 2013. Beresford, P. & Wilson, A., 2002. Social Work Perspectives on Human Behaviour. The number of professions and agencies involved with this single client illustrates the multiple points of contact and potential challenges that operating in this contemporary inter-agency environment presents. She played a client Nolan, D. & Quinn, N., 2012. Forenza, B. The Learning Centre - UNSW, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License, Identify weaknesses in your understanding, Gain a deeper understanding of course content. Suter et al (2009) have found that a willingness to communicate is a key characteristic needed for effective collaboration, and after the other professionals were not active in engaging with me, I lost this willingness, potentially to the detriment of my work with JK. Two subjects outlined in the undergraduate social work curriculum could help to increase confidence and the ability to advocate on behalf of clients and ones own capabilities: the strengths perspective and self-reflection. Social Work Reflective Essay Although I noted some areas I could have improved on in my interactions with JK, what was most apparent in my work with him was that my willingness to explore his paradigm and perspectives opened him up to engaging with me on a range of issues, that otherwise may have remained hidden. Field Placement Disruptions: The CIA Approach, Social Work Field Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review of the Literature, Closing the Mental Health Treatment Gap Through Field Education: A Call to Action, Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Work Field Placements: A Students Perspective. JK had clearly been the subject of this stigma throughout his life. Often I lose confidence in what I am doing. *You can also browse our support articles here >. How we Think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the education process. For example, I utilize my time effectively. Ixer, G. (1999) Theres no such thing as reflection British Journal of Social Work,29, 513-527. Healing Eucharist Mass | Teleradyo (30 April 2023) - Facebook Critical Reflection to Identify Gaps between Espoused Theory and Theory-in-Use. If your specific country is not listed, please select the UK version of the site, as this is best suited to international visitors. Risk, Advanced Liberalism and Child Welfare: The Need to Rediscover Uncertainty and Ambiguity. The Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct, An Introduction to Applying Social Work Theories and Methods, Practicing Social Work: Meeting the Professional Challenge. Did I view her mood swings and depression as simply emanating from her diagnosis of schizophrenia? The Six Cornered Addictions Rescue System (SCARS) was useful in that it took into account a person who was dealing with an addictions situation holistically, rather than just focusing on the addiction in isolation (McCarthy and Galvani, 2004). New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 39(2), pp. & Burke, B., 2006. Throughout my social work education, the difference between the medical model and the social model of experiencing mental illness has been stressed to me, and I clearly saw this when working with JK. Reflective tool I am currently on placement in a Supported Housing Hostel for adults in Cambridgeshire. S$QFOH5{H_>\*_PCM i{xRO+ba.u_ ? endstream endobj 148 0 obj <>stream Trevithick, P. (2012) Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook, Maidenhead: Open University Press. Ixer (1999) recognises that focusing too much on assessing reflection can lead to a prescriptive approach to reflection that is uncompromising. The Student Work Reflection is a set of simple repeating questions to consider how they approach each task in school. WebIn this webinar we explore reflective writing in social work, providing hints and tips. Reflection forms a central part of social work practice and education, and it is particularly important for social workers in placement settings or newly qualified social workers (Dcruz et al, 2007; Parker, 2010). Therefore, I found it important to not just reflect on my work and the working environment, but also the process of reflection itself. Registered office: Creative Tower, Fujairah, PO Box 4422, UAE. Whilst there is not universal agreement (Ixer, 2016), the central importance of critical reflection to the profession of social work is widely accepted (Thompson, 2010, p. 183). I recognized what I was good at and pushed myself in that direction. Social Work, 57(2), pp. Tangenburg, K. M. & Kemp, S., 2002. Reflection leads students to be curious about the human condition, and to challenge their existing assumptions. Locating Emotional Intelligence at the Heart of Social Work Practice. Gibbs Model of Reflection (1988) and Atkin and Murphys Model of Reflection (1994) both promote a cyclical approach to reflection, whereby reflection is ongoing and not a linear process. An effective way to protect clients and practitioners alike is to avoid any suggestion that the ethical issue is Reflections British Journal of Social Work, Volume 47, pp. (2010) Effective Practice Learning in Social Work, Exeter: Learning Matters. The intersection of Alices gender, her adverse experiences both as a child and as an adult, her diagnosis of schizophrenia and the fact that she has experienced poverty for the entirety of her life has led to oppression and discrimination at multiple levels. reflection Bywaters, P., 2015. 96-103. 1st ed. Example Dedicated to your worth and value as a human being! This case study has demonstrated the complexity and breadth of contemporary social work. Teater, B., 2014. 1st ed. 6-23. Reflection (1999) Critical reflectivity in education and practice in B. Pears and J. Fook (eds) Transforming Social Work Practice: Postmodern Critical Perspectives, St Leonards: Allen and Unwin, 195-208. 553-573. Yip, K. (2006)Self-reflection in reflective practice: A note of caution British Journal of Social Work, 36(5), 777-788. Tannebaum, R. P., Hall, A. H. & Deaton, C. M., 2013. The social worker talked through the steps that needed to be taken by Alice and the support that she would need in order to achieve this goal, a process referred to as the amplification of personal agency (Parton & OByrne, 2000, p.60). It would also be remiss to discount the influence of gender and class on the assumptions I may have held. In social work, reflection has strongly encouraged students and practitioners to increase awareness of the self in working with clients in practice. (Brookfield, 1998, p. 197). Reflections WebReflection involves thinking about what needs to be changed to improve future outcomes. British Journal of Social Work, Volume 43, pp. (2010) Getting Started in C. Knott and T. Scragg (eds.) Social Work Education, 35(7), pp. Social workers must have leadership skills to help promote social change. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46(9), pp. Fook, J., 2012. The two-stage reflective model developed by Fook & Gardner (2007) seeks to examine power relations and structures of domination, which in turn intrinsically challenges oppressive and discriminatory thought processes and practice (Graham, 2017, p.49; Fook, 2012, p.47). 1st ed. 191-198. British Journal of Social Work, 30(1), pp. I discussed how I engaged with different models of reflection, experienced power dynamics, and explored different interpretations of mental distress. Please contact the publisher for permission to reproduce or reprint any materials on this site. This article aims to demonstrate being reflexive and doing reflexivity through reflection where, within the research, for example, the first author addressed the difference between meanings of research participants perceptions of their experiences and her own interpretations of the meanings. The case study will explore core social work tenets including relevant knowledge and skills, critical reflection, processes of oppression and discrimination, communication and partnership working. Finally, I used this reflection to look at things that I could have done differently, including a decreased focus on theory and engaging more with other services. This gave me a sense of pride and accomplishment. In this essay I will explore my experience of reflection during my practice placement, and in particular in relation to a specific case study. How social workers reflect in action Reflective: Knowing when to say sorry and learning from your mistakes Motivated to care for them: [to] navigate difficult paths [in my life] and make time for me. Points and Questions to aid critical reflection: Social worker 6 - Critical reflection and analysis Why knowing your "subject" is so important. The whole thrust of the conversations, whilst acknowledging the trauma of the past and the difficulties of the present, were very much focused on the aim of Alice moving-on in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Parrish, M., 2014. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Milner, J. and OByrne P. (2002) Assessment in Social Work Basingstoke: Palgrave. Revisiting the assumptions that I outlined above has helped me to explore how I experienced the initial incident. It has been noted that the theory base of social work is dominated by euro-centric discourse, meaning that certain paradigms or perspectives may be excluded unintentionally (Trevethick, 2012). Many of the service users that we worked with had a dual diagnosis (problems with mental health and addiction). The Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 5(1), pp. To some extent this is an area that I found reflection lacking in. 3rd ed. The Essay Writing ExpertsUK Essay Experts. My work with Alice has taught me many things, most notably the impact of personal and structural processes of oppression and discrimination. It has to be noted that reflection is not always recognised as a self-evidently positive mechanism. Firstly, I now believe that I saw and understood the situation in simplistic, binary terms. The Social Work ASYE: Guidance for NQSWs completeing the ASYE in adults and child settings. Findings. Furthermore, a social worker uses self-reflection to analyze personal and emotional feelings about a case or situation. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. British Journal of Social Work, 45(1), pp. Schon advocated 2 types of reflective practice. Embodied Practice: Claiming the Bodys Experience, Agency, and Knowledge for Social Work. Inequalities in Child Welfare: Towards a New Policy, Research and Action Agenda. 3rd ed. WebWhen selecting the CI it needs to be something concrete that actually happened and you were involved with or observed not abstract. What was challenging? Social Worker's document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/doc/194419/0052192.pdf, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/411957/KSS.pdf, www.parliament.uk/documents/fair-society-healthy-lives-full-report. Being from Nigeria originally, and coming from a different cultural background than myself, meant that I had to be particularly careful in applying theory to the work that I did with JK.However, it is also clear that practice cannot just be based on routine or habit, with no basis in evidence (Thompson, 2009). Nerdrum, P., 1997. However, appropriate use of this type of reflection should inform future practice, and encourage appropriate reflection-in-action when presented with a similar situation again. Taking a postmodern perspective that conceptualises the body as the site of power relations (Foucalt, 1977) leads to an understanding that the body is fundamentally implicated in mechanisms of domination and control. (Tangenburg & Kemp, 2002). 5-27. 1174-1191. Example of Critical Reflective Log | Values and WebStudents reflected on each of these as being a part of their growth from social work studentto professional social worker. 207-216. Ixer, G., 2016. A reliance on members of staff who are experienced as oppressive reinforces feelings of hopelessness, stigma, discrimination and disempowerment (Williams, et al., 2015). Working with Substance Misusers: A Guide to Theory and Practice, London: Routledge. This essay was written by Adrian Bloxham and was the winning social work entry in this years Critical Writing Prize 2019. I found this to be the case, as I did not move through stages of refection one after the other, but moved between them, often returning to my conceptual starting point multiple times before settling on a holistic understanding of an event or situation that incorporates all systems influencing that scenario. Personal Reflection Of Social Work Piat, M., Sabetti, J. The reflector makes sense of what has been learnt from the experience and what future action might need to take place. Critical Thinking and Professional Judgment for Social Work. Kemshall, H., Wilkinson, B. Thompson, N., 2010. Like this article? Working with Risk. Excellent article, Tarrell! It has been recognised in literature around theory in practice that overly focusing on theory when working with service users can actually hinder the work being done, as the service user can feel depersonalised (Parker, 2010). Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. Tarrell Clark, BSW, is a May 2020 graduate of Stockton University and works with adults with developmental disabilities. As I enter my MSW field placement, this is very important to keep in mind. Schn, D., 1987. Risk assessments are an integral aspect of work with vulnerable people (Parry, 2013). Risk management can be seen as a continuum (Nolan & Quinn, 2012), so whilst service user vulnerabilities must be taken into account when assessing risks there is also a balance to be struck. Moss, B., 2017. 1st ed. I recognised that where unequal power dynamics exist in a relationship, it is usually the partner with the most power that benefits most from the interaction (Milner and OByrne, 2002). (Eds.) Housing, Care And Support, 18(2), pp. The assessment stage typically involves: Collecting, organizing, and interpreting data. [Online] Available at: www.skillsforcare.org.uk. The Practice Competency Framework (PCF) domains provide some direction about what areas social workers are expected to emphasise in practice, and what needs to be evidenced in order to successfully complete a placement. Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman Limited. Although I engage with and explored multiple models of reflection during my placement, the model of reflection that I found most useful was Schons theory of reflection (Schon, 1983; 2002). Finally take a critical look at my practice, and suggest things that I could have done differently. Alice has been exploited by fellow residents who target her on the days when she receives benefits, this form of oppression takes place at a personal level and is often experienced by adults with serious mental illnesses in the forced intimacy of supportive housing. (Forenza & Bermea, 2017).