Boud and Knight (1996) equally describe how reflection has come to be seen as self-evidently worthwhile without significant critique (p.32). Typical triggers include poverty, adverse childhood experiences, rape and physical or psychological violence (Read, 2010; Burns, et al., 2014). Did my upbringing, that instilled and encouraged a deference to authority and professional figures, blunt my critical faculties in relation to the care and support offered by individual staff members? For example, part of an encounter with a client/service user that you were involved with; a meeting you were part of as a participant or observer; an activity you were part of for example a group activity or assisting a client in 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). It is essential that social workers have the confidence to question their own practice, the organisation that they work in, and dominant power structures in society at large (Fook, 1999). a{Yk@p}r5h|yiPV8Gzc 4g@&S*/NNVw1{@F:db{1iQl9b:iA::~tTUkKGR?# !)oSb=\wI/#%tAJ The family had a lot of questions about the rehabilitation process and wanted to know what was going to happen for James. In social work, reflection has strongly encouraged students and practitioners to increase awareness of the self in working with clients in practice. WebStudents reflected on each of these as being a part of their growth from social work studentto professional social worker. Therefore, social workers need to look at their own underlying assumptions, as well as dominant social narratives, in order to shape their holistic understanding and experience of a given incident. I was able to address issues that I saw and to offer interventions. Fook J. and Gardner F. (2007) Practising Critical Reflection: A Resource Handbook, Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill. Dewey (1993) recognised the importance of discovering new information in reflection. He was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, and dealt with significant anxiety and depression. Both of her parents committed suicide, she was raped and endured physically abusive relationships with two consecutive partners. I noted the way that Alices social worker handled difficult or emotionally salient passages during interviews (Goss, 2011), particularly the use of silence and the importance of being patient rather than asking superfluous questions to fill uncomfortable pauses (Trevithick, 2012). (LogOut/ It can help students to analyze and integrate past and current knowledge into their practice. I found these to be very helpful in working with JK. Reflections 1st ed. Schn, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner, New York: Basic Books. 1st ed. Tannebaum, R. P., Hall, A. H. & Deaton, C. M., 2013. Although JK had a lead key-worker at my agency who was a permanent member of staff, I was responsible for the majority of the key working sessions with JK during my time on this placement. The opportunity to work with Alice has provided much to reflect on and learn from. Please contact the publisher for permission to reproduce or reprint any materials on this site. Biosemiotics, 4(3), pp. I continued to learn more about Alices life over the following weeks. Trevithick, P., 2012. However, a judgment will ultimately need to be made as to whether the rights and needs of a vulnerable service user are best served by advocating for Alices wishes or actively encouraging another course of action that is safer for Alice (Kemshall, et al., 2013). Stressful Encounters with Social Work Clients: A Descriptive Account Based on Critical Incidents. Identifying assumptions and binary thinking, regardless of how uncomfortable this may be for the practitioner, is crucial and demonstrates reflexivity (Fook, 2012, p.107). WebSocial workers also understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and recognize the extent to which a cultures structures and values, including social, economic, political, and cultural exclusions, may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create privilege and power. Child and Family Social Work, 10(2), pp. Ixer, G., 2016. 55K views, 2.4K likes, 2.7K loves, 2.5K comments, 240 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from ABS-CBN News: Healing Eucharist Mass | Teleradyo (30 April 2023) Collingwood, P., Emond, R. and Woodward, R. (2008) The theory circle: A tool for learning and for practice Social Work Education, 27(1), 70-83. Am I going to be any good at this? JK had clearly been the subject of this stigma throughout his life. I will then explore my experience of reflection, and how reflective practice supported me to apply theory to practice. Moss, B., 2017. 241-259. 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. 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 important part of reflection in social work is the application and consideration of theories in practice (Trevethick, 2012). Handbook for Practice Learning in Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory, London: 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. British Journal of Social Work, 45(1), pp. This assignment is based on my work with one particular resident who I will refer to using the pseudonym Alice. Parton, N. & OByrne, P., 2000. Schn (1999) introduced the concepts of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action in his book The Reflective Practitioner. Dalrymple, J. We acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and acknowledge Traditional Owners of the lands where our staff and students, live, learn and work. Content from this Guide should be attributed to James Cook University Library. People diagnosed with schizophrenia are often stigmatized by a discourse of otherness which portrays people with mental health challenges as a problem who must be controlled by bio-medical, biogenetic models (Beresford & Wilson, 2002). Due to the limits of the current medium, I will be focusing mostly on reflection-on-action. British Journal of Psychiatry, 176(2), pp. Furthermore, a social worker uses self-reflection to analyze personal and emotional feelings about a case or situation. London: SAGE. Planned risk-taking can and should promote a good quality of life, develop new skills and expand life experiences (Barry, 2007). Brookfield, S. (1998). Fook, J. The Learning Centre - UNSW. Cambridge: Polity Press. Handbook for Practice Learning in Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory. 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: Whilst the idea of partnership suggests equality and collaboration, practitioners should still manage power relations with service users carefully, especially where a lack of confidence inhibits the service user from taking on the responsibility of partnership (Dalrymple & Burke, 2006). REFLECTION The Essay Writing ExpertsUK Essay Experts. Unequal power dynamics, concerns around oppression and issues with stigma are all societal problems that social workers need to engage with not just on a micro-level, but also a macro-level. In addition to this, Alice also has contact with a psychiatrist and regular medical reviews with her GP. 2nd ed. WebWhen selecting the CI it needs to be something concrete that actually happened and you were involved with or observed not abstract. Developing and building self-awareness is important so you can recognise areas for improvement and identify your learning needs to make positive changes. Macmillan.Parker, J. Leung, T., 2011. 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). So I stay in the background. Practice: Social Work in Action, 24(3), pp. {^X@|%JcN" &3g8KY9p+a6D1 sJ,hp( FYjF Oj,+*[ZA9X"82I0N$#Re7+TNQxsn$;Kb^ x7677i7)UnS\KHNrd?H{n'_{n)>:;d-(nG$$,z>/`J|RyKg:3PxoI3znYqok\\^_[5GE6N.Ig9iE^>BQ^Z*,q[X&?N;|(q0]K$B:3ObE2X1=dO'. WebAccountable: [the] social worker shouldnt be scared to ask for guidance and support. Reflection is a process of people exploring their understanding of what they are doing, why they are doing it, and the impact it has on themselves and others (Boud, 1999, p. 123). Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. 1st ed. The Case for Keeping COVID Modifications: Community Care: A Field Education-Based Model For Police Social Work in Rural Communities, Gatekeeping in Social Work Field Education, The Conversation: The ASWB Licensing Exam Pass Rates and Bias. As well as this, having someone essentially assessing my reflection made this even more difficult, as I was not able to reflect in a way that was personal for me. (2010) Getting Started in C. Knott and T. Scragg (eds.) reflective model, Gibbs reflective cycle and Kolb reflective model. Thompson, N., 2010. 207-216. 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. Milner, J. and OByrne P. (2002) Assessment in Social Work Basingstoke: Palgrave. During the course of this exchange Alice disclosed to me that she felt trapped, bullied by a member of staff and other residents, and that she was feeling utterly powerless with no hope of moving on from the hostel. Kemshall, H., Wilkinson, B. As noted above, people experiencing problems with addiction tend to have other issues in other areas of their lives (Tober and Raistrick, 2004).I was able incorporate specific applications of systems theory for the service user group I was working throughout my placement, and in particular with JK. Transforming Social Work Practice: Postmodern Critical Perspectives. Parrish, M., 2014. East Brunswick, NJ: Nichols Press. Living in supportive housing for people with serious mental illness: A paradoxical everyday life. 51-55. WebSocial workers critically reflect on their practice, use analysis, apply professional judgement and reasoned discernment. After having many struggles in my field setting, I began to reflect more and more on myself and my performance. JK clearly appreciated my anti-oppressive approach, where I tried to work with him in partnership, and he was always keen to know when we would meet next. (Brookfield, 1998, p. 197). Healing Eucharist Mass | Teleradyo (30 April 2023) - Facebook Supported housing is often regarded as a positive environment that promotes recovery-oriented practice (Harvey, et al., 2012), but it can also be experienced as an oppressive and hostile setting where staff are at best indifferent to the needs of service users or can actively act as the oppressor (Bengtsson-Tops, et al., 2014). 116-120. Although usually this would mean either in our office or in his room, sometimes we went for a walk and I accompanied him to appointments at times also. (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. In more recent times reflective practice has been developed further into a concept of critical reflection (Payne, 2014). Munro, E., 2011. I exceeded the expectations of my supervisor, and she began assigning me more tasks. I would meet JK in a location of his choosing. Source: Reflective Writing. Macdonald, G. & Macdonald, K., 2010. WebIn this webinar we explore reflective writing in social work, providing hints and tips. Clement, J., Williams, E. and Waters, C. (1993) The client with substance abuse/mental illness: Mandate for Collaboration Achieves of Psychiatric Nursing, 7(4), 189-196. Maintenance of the Effect of Training in Communication Skills: A Controlled Follow-Up Study of Level of Communicated Empathy. Fook, J., 2012. Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman Limited. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. It also involves considering how and why you think the way you do. Journal of Integrated Care, 23(2), pp. Parker, J. Your subscription could not be saved. Developing a Health Inequalities Approach for Mental Health Social Work. Example of Critical Reflective Log | Values and & Baker, K., 2013. Social Work (1987) The Mentally Ill in Contemporary Society, Oxford: Blackwell. Challenging perspectives: Reflexivity as a critical approach to & Burke, B., 2006. Task: The Assessment Process Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. Critically reflective practice. Finally, as reflective practice encourages students to stay in touch with their own responses and personal needs, it is a vital component of self-care and professional development. Looking for a flexible role? Applying the Strengths Perspective to Your Self-Reflection. I have discussed my work with JK, and reflected on specific incidents and issues with him. All work is written to order. Mental Health, Resilience and Inequalities, Copenhagen: World Health Organisation. Karban, K., 2017. More time could have been spent on listening to JK and his perspective, rather than trying to fit him into a theory or model for the sake of evidencing my own case notes or reflective journals. Many of the service users that we worked with had a dual diagnosis (problems with mental health and addiction). 5-27. Change). Ingram, R., 2013. I found this to be the case at times, when I was expected to write my reflections at a certain time, and have reflective supervision in a certain way. JK is a man in his 50s who was born in Nigeria but moved to the UK at a young age. Supported housing for adults with psychiatric disabilities: How tenants confront the problem of loneliness. HCPC, 2017. As a social worker, I hope to have a profession that involves helping children; being a school guidance counselor, a therapist, or possibly even being a social worker in the pediatric ward of a hospital. Joe Farrell This type of critical reflection should be ongoing for social workers in practice, and to some extent it would be difficult to work in a complex setting like I was without being reflective. Theorizing Social Work Practice. Fook, J. Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers: Focusing on Service Users Needs. Understanding the communication process requires an acknowledgement of the complexity and meaning of language itself. [Online] Available at: www.parliament.uk/documents/fair-society-healthy-lives-full-report. 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. Alice showed me a scar on her right wrist and stated that she had tried to commit suicide in the past and was now experiencing suicidal ideation once again. The examination of your beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions forms the foundation of your understanding. Social Work Reflective Essay This reminded me that I was more than capable of being an effective social worker. Health Soc Care Community, Volume 26, pp. Reflection on Development of Professionalism for Social Work There are several reflective models such as Rolfe et al. The group members develop feelings of mutual interdependence and a sense of belonging. After identifying these strengths, the social worker will then work with the client to utilize these strengths to help them in their current situations. It would also be remiss to discount the influence of gender and class on the assumptions I may have held. 91-105. Banks, S. (2006) Ethics and Values in Social Work, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Effective Practice Learning in Social Work. I observed during my early conversations with Alice that she often seemed subdued and that her mood fluctuated unpredictably. Jessica Eslinger, MSW Examples My inexperience, the fact that Alice has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and the gravity of what she was saying all contributed to a feeling of unease. Alices deteriorating mental health led me to conclude that her social worker needed to be informed of the situation. 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. Social Work Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. British Journal of Social Work, 30(1), pp. No plagiarism, guaranteed! more than 1 year ago, The fear of being rejected and incorrect has been with me as long as I can remember. Social work will be a good fit for me as a helping profession because I believe I have a passion for seeing and helping people improve. 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. Cameron, A., Lart, R., Bostock, L. and Coomber, C. (2012) Factors that promote and hinder joint and integrated working between health and social care services, London: SCIE. 191-198. Self-reflection is an important part of figuring it out. The difficulties Alice experienced at the hostel which culminated in such a troubled state of mind calls into question the place of adult safeguarding both within the organisation and in the wider context. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! Care and Support Statutory Guidance. The worker expressed a great deal of frustration at the lack of inter-agency communication, written or otherwise, and a failure to disclose key pieces of information. 9-18. Peer reflection Tober, G. and Raistrick, D. (2004) Organisation of Services Putting it all Together in T. Peterson and A. McBride (Eds.) Others time? Although I met his CPN and his drug worker, at no stage was a multi-agency meeting held that I was invited to. Despite the dogged insistence of the dominant medical model discourse, contemporary evidence points to a causal link between social factors and a diagnosis of schizophrenia (Read, 2010). A reliance on members of staff who are experienced as oppressive reinforces feelings of hopelessness, stigma, discrimination and disempowerment (Williams, et al., 2015). Critical Reflection Log Part 1: Beginning New York:Basic Books. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Constructive Social Work. 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). WebExample of reflective writing *In some texts the Analysis and Discussion stages will be fused in one paragraph/section; in longer assignments they might be written as two separate sections. (2010) Effective Practice in Social Work, Exeter: Learning Matters. What qualifies as a critical incident is not rigidly defined but the event should be important or significant in some way to the practitioner and should offer the opportunity for professional learning (Fook & Gardner, 2007, p. 77). 146 0 obj <>stream This more informal working setting was where he felt he could speak most openly to me. I am going back to school for Social Work. Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive Practice. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Observations and Reflections on my My placement was based at a not for profit mental health agency, where we provided psycho-social support for people who have experienced mental health difficulties. I introduced the placement setting and the case study, and then looked at my experience of reflection within this setting. Social Work: National Association of Social Workers, 56(1), pp. The issues that social workers are engaged with, and that I have discussed here, do not only reflect the concerns of the service user, but are a reflection of the issues that are inherent in wider society (Davis, 2007). 1205-1223. WebIt provides a simple but effective model for reflective practice by inviting you to reflect on an event or experience using the following stages: Sunshine: what went well with the event/experience? Find targeted resources for research and referencing, Professional Experience and the Investigative Imagination: The Art of Reflective Writing, Reflective Writing. Some of us are capable of much more than our field supervisors would expect, yet, let our inner negative thoughts overpower the positive ones and prevent us from reaching our true potential. Professional Categorization, Risk Management and InterAgency Communication in Public Inquiries into Disastrous Outcomes. The Analysis & Discussion are the sections where we would typically find critical reflection and evaluation linked to theoretical frameworks or policies. It also involves considering how and why you think the way you do. However, I believe the key lesson that I take from my professional relationship with Alice is to try and show the same level of astonishing resilience and generosity of spirit that Alice has demonstrated throughout her life to the present day. I observed the patience and empathy that Alices social worker demonstrated during the interview process. Atkins, S. and Murphy, K. (1994) Reflective Practice, Nursing Standard8(39) 49-56. By this point, I was able to reflect on my performance, address the negative concerns that needed to be worked on, and highlight my positive attributes and moving toward them. Anti-Oppressive Practice: Emancipation or Appropriation. 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). Yip, K. (2006)Self-reflection in reflective practice: A note of caution British Journal of Social Work, 36(5), 777-788. Jessica Locating Emotional Intelligence at the Heart of Social Work Practice. I would volunteer less and make myself appear less capable and unable to perform the task at hand. Nerdrum, P., 1997. Adrian is studying for an MA at Anglia Ruskin University and he was nominated by his lecturer Dr Wendy Coxshall. White, S. (2001) Auto-ethnography as reflexive enquiry: The research act as self-surveillance, in I. Shaw and N. Gould (eds), Qualitative Research in Social Work, London: Sage. Fook, J. What was challenging? Social workers must have leadership skills to help promote social change. Social Work Education, 18 (2), 121-132. Lam, C. M., Wong, H. & Leung, T. T. F., 2007. 1st ed. This aspect of partnership practice was and is very pertinent in the relationship between Alice and her social worker. After a heavy session with a client who has experienced trauma, social workers should take time to reflect on their own feelings about the situation to ensure that they are working effectively and objectively with the client. Our regional engagement leads (who are registered social workers), shared their views on peer reflection. Critical Reflection to Identify Gaps between Espoused Theory and Theory-in-Use. Champney-Smith, J. Assessing a clients strengths and limitations. Maidenhead: Open University. Three themes are identified: (1) No time for reflection, (2) Fear of reflection, and (3) Too much reflection. However, I do not recall being instructed or advised to use the two collaboratively. [Online] Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/411957/KSS.pdf. 175-188. Reflective practice is an essential skill for those working in health and social care, but why is it so vital and how can it be learned? Within the workplace, after receiving negative comments from a supervisor, the social worker should take the time to carefully consider these comments. You may be required to have a take charge attitude as an advocate for your clients. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.io. Example - Medium reflection Today I spent time with James (client) and his family on the ward. Schon, D. (2002) From technical rationality to reflection-in-action in R. Harrison, F. Reeve, A. Hanson and J. Clarke (eds) Supporting Lifelong Learning: Perspectives on Learning, London: Routledge. Toseland and Rivas (2008) define group work as a goal directed activity aimed at accomplishing tasks. Therefore, I found it important to not just reflect on my work and the working environment, but also the process of reflection itself. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. (2004) Dual Diagnosis in T. Peterson and A. McBride (Eds.) Reflection can help increase students awareness of their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences and therefore build a greater capacity for empathy with clients. Reflection: Turning experience into learning. The power dynamics are slightly different in a non-statutory setting like I was working in. Become an independent learner and problem-solver. Tew (2005) noted that the in the social model of mental distress, core values required include looking at the person and their situation holistically, removing the us and them thinking that tends to dominate mental health services, listening to what people really have to say, and being committed to anti-oppressive practice.