social work reflection examples
Yip (2006) aptly notes that models like those described above are most useful when starting out the reflective process, and I quickly adapted and developed a model of reflection that was most appropriate for me. 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). Munro, E. & Rumgay, J., 2000. 721 Words3 Pages. The examination of your beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions forms the foundation of your understanding. 7-19. 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. {^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'. Healy, K. (2005) Social Work Theories in Context: Creating Frameworks for Practice, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. A degree of scepticism about existing knowledge, beliefs and values. Social Work, 56(1), pp. Example of Critical Reflective Log | Values and The diversity of roles within Alices network highlights the danger that various professions and agencies may assign different levels of priority or even conceptualisations to the arising issues (Hudson, 2015). Due to the limits of the current medium, I will be focusing mostly on reflection-on-action. Social Work Reflective Essay However, I do not recall being instructed or advised to use the two collaboratively. 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. Dewey, J. Department of Health, 2014. Social Work Education, 18 (2), 121-132. During Session A, the fact that I chose to explore JKs mental distress alongside the other issues that were going on in his life allowed me to identify that his physical health, including intense back pain that he has been experiencing, was having a substantial effect on his mental health, and I encouraged him to seek help and support with this. What am I most proud of? Three themes are identified: (1) No time for reflection, (2) Fear of reflection, and (3) Too much reflection. Source: Reflective Writing. London: SAGE. Reflective tool I have, therefore, chosen to discuss one such case, where I engaged in substantial reflection. Reflective Thinking in Social Work: Learning from Student Narratives. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? K.4/=aT!Ji7bQJn2B 4th ed. (2012) Social Work: A Critical Approach to Practice, London: Sage. Oppression and discrimination also takes place at a wider level. Reflective 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) I then moved on to look at how reflection promoted me to engage with theory in practice, in particular in relation to systems theory. & Beresford, P., 2000. Basingstoke: MacMillan Press Ltd. Payne, M., 2014. 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). I am currently on placement in a Supported Housing Hostel for adults in Cambridgeshire. I will seek to examine and reflect on my interactions with Alice, primarily by applying a reflective model to a critical incident. Parton, N. & OByrne, P., 2000. Care and Support Statutory Guidance. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. 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). 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. The role of housing in adult safeguarding. Boud and Knight (1996) equally describe how reflection has come to be seen as self-evidently worthwhile without significant critique (p.32). Goss, J., 2011. Am I doing the right thing? Munro, E., 2011. Boud, D. (1999). WebI feel I have improved my skill of communication and the power of talk which is an important aspect of social work and to develop my practice and knowledge further during my first year as a qualified social worker I would like to attend training in relation to working with involuntary clients including researching further how to engage service Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License. PCF domain 7: Intervention and Skills. An important part of reflection in social work is the application and consideration of theories in practice (Trevethick, 2012). In this essay I will explore my experience of reflection during my practice placement, and in particular in relation to a specific case study. Social workers are provided with some guidance in practice to support this process. Social Work: a forgotten piece of the integration jigsaw?. 409-418. Genes Spell Danger: Mental health service users/ survivors, bioethics and control. Peer reflection [Online] Available at: www.skillsforcare.org.uk. Tew (2005) believes if mental health services were more receptive to the social model of looking at mental distress, then significant amounts of this stigma and the resultant oppression would be removed. Macdonald, G. & Macdonald, K., 2010. Self-reflection is an important part of figuring it out. WebThere is something called reflection and it has value, but it also has limits, which need to be understood if we are to achieve a deeper appreciation of the complex nature of social work practice, the demands the work makes on practitioners and the implications for service users. 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. This often means that residents have little consistency and no control over who they live with, resulting in an enforced togetherness that can lead to feelings of insecurity, anxiety and fear (Bengtsson-Tops, et al., 2014). Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. I have a career, not in social work, but I have an opportunity, at 47, to get free schooling. 116-120. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! As will become apparent, forms of oppression and discrimination are a vital aspect of Alices narrative, and for this reason I propose to apply Fook & Gardners (2007) model to my critical incident and the subject of my case study. An Unfinished Reflexive Journey: Social Work Students Reflection on their Placement Experiences. Others time? I now recognise the ensuing conversation as a critical incident that changed my learning and the way that I thought about the staff and my placement setting. 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. Inequalities in Child Welfare: Towards a New Policy, Research and Action Agenda. I found these to be very helpful in working with JK. Postmodernism rejects overarching general theories, instead adopting an approach that acknowledges individual narratives, social context and recognises multiple identities that may intersect (Graham, 2017; Fook, 2012). The power dynamics are slightly different in a non-statutory setting like I was working in. & Padgett, D., 2017. Of particular importance when working with service users who have a dual diagnosis was systems theory, and I found this theory to be particularly important when reflecting on Session A. Healy (2005) has recognised that systems theory have been highly influential on the knowledge base of social work. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. This does not apply to images, third party material (seek permission from the original owner) or any logos or insignia belonging to JCU or other bodies, which remain All Rights Reserved. October 2011 Maidenhead: Open University Press. This means that each communication is potentially categorised differently and therefore there is a danger that co-agencies conceive of a given situation in completely different ways (Hall & Slembrouck, 2009). Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Miles, A. & Burke, B., 2006. Example of 'Feelings'. Although I met his CPN and his drug worker, at no stage was a multi-agency meeting held that I was invited to. Jessica I continued to learn more about Alices life over the following weeks. London: HMSO. He was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, and dealt with significant anxiety and depression. 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. He had an allocated community psychiatric nurse (CPN) who would visit occasionally, and at times he also met with a psychiatrist. Furthermore, a social worker uses self-reflection to analyze personal and emotional feelings about a case or situation. Schwartz, S., 1982. The family had a lot of questions about the rehabilitation process and wanted to know what was going to happen for James. Eventually Alice became homeless, living on the street and addicted to heroin. 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). Tangenburg, K. M. & Kemp, S., 2002. 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). Healy, K., 2012. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Supported housing for adults with psychiatric disabilities: How tenants confront the problem of loneliness. 1st ed. If you are not used to being reflective it can be hard to know where to start the process. British Journal of Social Work, 47(1), pp. Many of the people that we worked with had been subject to section 2 or 3 orders under the Mental Health Act 1983/2007, and were now experiencing aftercare under section 117. An example could be recognizing that an individual facing housing troubles has a strong support system of family and friends who can help. I was able to address issues that I saw and to offer interventions. Locating Emotional Intelligence at the Heart of Social Work Practice. Social workers must have leadership skills to help promote social change. The Social Work ASYE: Guidance for NQSWs completeing the ASYE in adults and child settings. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. Values and ethics are central to this framework, and comprise domain 2. Holmes, G. and Saleeby, D. (1993) Empowerment, the Medical Model and the Politics of Clienthood, Journal of Progressive Human Services, 4(1), 61-78. Adrian is studying for an MA at Anglia Ruskin University and he was nominated by his lecturer Dr Wendy Coxshall. The strengths perspective allows social workers to assess and identify talents, strengths, and skills within their clients. Language, Bureaucracy & Social Control. reflective model, Gibbs reflective cycle and Kolb reflective model. hWO8WUiU International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 1(23), pp. Your subscription could not be saved. When working with JK, I was made aware of his engagement with mental health services, usually provided through the medical professions. Schn, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner, New York: Basic Books. It allows me to access different points of view, positive feedback, and constructive challenge.. Social work has traditionally been constructed as the professional knowing best, and continues to be practised in a way where the practitioner holds most of the power (Holmes and Saleeby, 1993). 705-722. Reducing the gender pay gap: Could more women in STEM be theanswer? London: SAGE. (2010) Getting Started in C. Knott and T. Scragg (eds.) Placement essay Below are brief outlines of four of the most popular models arranged from easy to more advanced (tip: you can select any of the images to make them larger and easier to read). These questions can guide the student in reflection before, during or after an interview with a client (Boud, Keough & Walker, 1985; Schon, 1987). Maidenhead: SAGE. I recognized what I was good at and pushed myself in that direction. Social Work Perspectives on Human Behaviour. *aaL]5 w{X}qQJsG=8HY3^IwL68/ zRsb@MzzBAA3>8>[o]{z?#wfi a(e@hVqj!q*1N!)m y.DJ Please contact the publisher for permission to reproduce or reprint any materials on this site. 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. In 2021-22, Social Work England changed their requirements for social workers CPD (Continuing Professional Development) following a public consultation. This relationship-based work (Woodcock Ross, 2011) with Alice highlights the importance of partnership working and emphasises the need to avoid top-down structural models (Hudson, 2015, p.102). The asymmetry between the social worker and service user emphasises the need for the practitioner to be cognizant of the inherent power imbalance in the relationship (Leung, 2011). WebStudents reflected on each of these as being a part of their growth from social work studentto professional social worker. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I want to be able to help people who need the help. In Session A this allowed me to see how JKs addiction and mental health problems were also linked to issues with accommodation, physical health, relationships and employment. 5-27. London: SAGE. Schn (1999) introduced the concepts of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action in his book The Reflective Practitioner. Boud (1999) describes how reflection can shape a reflective journal in a field seminar. Social workers in England, London: HCPC. Reflective Practice in Social Work, Exeter: Learning Matters. However, these power dynamics cannot be ignored, and underline all social work practice.I acknowledged the inherent power dynamics from the inception of my interactions with JK. Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Challenging perspectives: Reflexivity as a critical approach to Findings. BASW, 2014. Personal Reflection Of Social Work Reflection Example There are several reflective models such as Rolfe et al. Knott, C. and Spafford, J. Friedli, L., 2009. I introduced the placement setting and the case study, and then looked at my experience of reflection within this setting. British Journal of Social Work, 27(1), pp. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Effective Practice Learning in Social Work. This is why it is important for social workers to listen to the perspectives of the people with whom they work, and be willing to accept different paradigms than their own or the dominant paradigm (Milner and OByrne, 2002). She played a client Handbook for Practice Learning in Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory, London: JK. 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. WebSocial workers often need their own psychiatrist first, in order to be the most efficient in their practice. This culminated in Alice being admitted to various psychiatric institutions in order to treat her schizophrenia and personality disorder. JK had a long history of substance misuse and mental health problems. Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods, Oxford: Oxford University Press. My work with Alice has taught me many things, most notably the impact of personal and structural processes of oppression and discrimination. fTTF*nw^ulVK`493t75AL1[YMTc!A2{2ILk'MX@M~?6K^aFd%YBA k%;VD)\!Rm/WL}(ajSVCisO(?2GX#9jVF_Yh. In relation to Session A, one area that I reflected on was that I may have focused too much on theory when working with JK. The increasing influence of post-modern theory, which does not promote one paradigm over another, but focuses on the subjective nature of truth, has helped to alleviate these issues in social work to some extent (Fook, 2012). Critical Reflection to Identify Gaps between Espoused Theory and Theory-in-Use. 679-687. Tober, G. and Raistrick, D. (2004) Organisation of Services Putting it all Together in T. Peterson and A. McBride (Eds.) Even where social work is undertaken with the best of intentions, for example in anti-oppressive practice, there is a danger that the voice and knowledge of the service user is lost by the intervention of the expert practitioner (Wilson & Beresford, 2000). Both of her parents committed suicide, she was raped and endured physically abusive relationships with two consecutive partners. Factors that promote and hinder joint and integrated working between health and social care services, Working with Substance Misusers: A Guide to Theory and Practice. Reflection: Turning experience into learning. 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. The background to this case study, and my involvement with him, will now be discussed. Our agency worked with some of the most marginalised and vulnerable members of society, and engaging in uninformed work with these types of service users is a dangerous undertaking (Collingwood et al, 2008). Alices deteriorating mental health led me to conclude that her social worker needed to be informed of the situation. Maidenhead: Open University. REFLECTIVE Reflection In Social Work New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 39(2), pp. The reflector makes sense of what has been learnt from the experience and what future action might need to take place. Before we came together and realised we still had a lot of work to do, I was quite happy and thought we had been smart when we divided the work between us. For example, I utilize my time effectively. As noted above, this was particularly important in the case of JK, who was from a different culture than me. What am I still working on? 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). The other type of reflection Schon notes is reflection-in-action, or reflecting on your actions as you are doing them, and considering issues like best practice throughout the process. Tarrell Clark, BSW, is a May 2020 graduate of Stockton University and works with adults with developmental disabilities. Social workers need to be prepared to critically reflect on the theory that they are bringing to practice. I then realized that I was being challenged to do things outside of my comfort zone, and when underperformed, I would lose confidence. Teater, B. 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. 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. & Baker, K., 2013. The very nature of this type of accommodation means that the population is transient. What was challenging? WebAccountable: [the] social worker shouldnt be scared to ask for guidance and support. The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions. 1st ed. Arriving at an understanding of the multiple levels of oppression and discrimination that have shaped and distorted Alices life has not only heightened my awareness in this particular case but it has also changed the way I will approach practice situations in the future. Throughout field education, Brookfields guidelines can encourage the reflective process. These service users particularly challenged me, as I found their intersecting issues usually stretch well beyond their dual diagnosis, to other areas like housing or physical health. I was able to look at my own practice, and my own assumptions and narratives; however, I was unable to determine how best to address wider inequality and societal oppression of people like JK. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46(9), pp. A closer critical analysis of the factors and experiences that have shaped Alices life expose the fundamental flaws and prejudices in my misplaced assumptions. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. *You can also browse our support articles here >. (1987) The Mentally Ill in Contemporary Society, Oxford: Blackwell. 18, 197-295. Parker (2010) has noted that reflection is not something that can be assessed based on traditional reductionist techniques. Adult safeguarding and the role of housing. Looking for a flexible role? British Journal of Social Work, 39(1), pp. Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers: Focusing on Service Users Needs. Norrie, C. et al., 2017. Anti-Oppressive Practice: Emancipation or Appropriation. 145-154. Interventions in social work are often described as having four stages: engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation (Suppes & Wells, 2017). Knowledge and skills for child and family practitioners, London: HMSO. 840-850. Theorizing Social Work Practice. 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. (Brookfield, 1998, p. 197). Essential Guides for Early Career Teachers: Teaching Early Years and ProfessionalBehaviours, Observations and Reflections on my First Year Placement, Personal Value System vs Professional Value System, Understanding Roles and Responsibilities in Education and Training, Actually trying to "observe" children- the third free extract. Reflections British Journal of Social Work, Volume 43, pp. The people with whom we worked usually had a multitude of presenting issues and concerns, and I was aware from the onset that complex settings like this require social workers to be reflective in their practice in order to be able to deal with a variety of situations (Fook and Gardner, 2007). Schizophrenia, Socio-Economic Status and the Case for Primary Prevention. Alices deteriorating mental health led me to conclude that her social worker needed to be informed of the situation. There are several aspects of my being that I can affectively contribute to the social work profession. Reflection 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. 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 hP0Pw/+Q0L)4 Reflection on Group Activities Reflection is equally important in group tasks as in individual tasks. That is to say, communication is not neutral and does not necessarily have a universal meaning to each element of the agency or profession (Hall & Slembrouck, 2009). Fook J. and Gardner F. (2007) Practising Critical Reflection: A Resource Handbook, Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill. 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. 291-307. Cambridge: Polity Press. Poetics in Schizophrenic Language: Speech, Gesture and Biosemiotics. When we realised we couldnt hand in the assignment like it was, I got quite frustrated. From a postmodern perspective, practitioners should not seek to totally eliminate risk by a scientized, calculated approach because this is doomed to failure (Parton, 1998, p. 23). This more informal working setting was where he felt he could speak most openly to me. Challenging perspectives: Reflexivity as a critical approach to
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social work reflection examples