social work reflection examples

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. The Munro Review of Child Protection, Final Report, A child-centerd system, London: The Stationary Office. Social Work Field in the Time of Corona: Moving Forward Professionally From the Unexpected, A Common Experience: MSW Interns and the Fear of Treating Trauma. Schon advocated 2 types of reflective practice. British Journal of Social Work, 30(1), pp. Others time? hVmO0+^%] !v6-D%R_P6s6tHh{9'JJ"Di"U@T0.90|aI9auxiA8hp:: \Ih%T1*r|5M^-S/;q-?xg!Y^4r;Na#:yJWkrN7|O_b/\?QeN-W<>W\ It asks the student to consider: How could I improve? I would meet JK in a location of his choosing. Your autobiography as a learner . The Context of Risk Management in Mental Health Social Work. In social work, reflection has strongly encouraged students and practitioners to increase awareness of the self in working with clients in practice. Task: The Assessment Process Department of Education, 2018. So I stay in the background. I was able to address issues that I saw and to offer interventions. My vague sense of unease and concern about Alice and her general well-being crystalized early one morning as I arrived at work to find Alice upset and in tears in the communal lounge. (LogOut/ Constructive Social Work. 679-687. Findings. The opportunity to work with Alice has provided much to reflect on and learn from. 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. Working closely with JK over a period of several months supported me to be able to identify any issues quickly, and by the time I we were engaged in Session A, we had a good working relationship. Furthermore, a social worker uses self-reflection to analyze personal and emotional feelings about a case or situation. Social Work Please try again. Hall, C. & Slembrouck, S., 2009. Schn (1999) introduced the concepts of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action in his book The Reflective Practitioner. Community Mental Health , Volume 53, pp. %PDF-1.6 % British Journal of Social Work, 39(1), pp. reflective model, Gibbs reflective cycle and Kolb reflective model. However, it soon became clear to me that the fast-paced working environment, where at times paperwork was promoted over practice, meant that reflection could potentially be ignored in favour of bureaucracy and targets (DCruz et al, 2007). Piat, M., Sabetti, J. Knowledge and skills for child and family practitioners, London: HMSO. (1985). Using peer-group reflective practice Yip, K. (2006)Self-reflection in reflective practice: A note of caution British Journal of Social Work, 36(5), 777-788. (2010) Effective Practice in Social Work, Exeter: Learning Matters. 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. 1= A endstream endobj 147 0 obj <>stream 541-553. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? Examples Oppression and discrimination also takes place at a wider level. University of Kentucky, Schn, D., 1987. 96-103. The Analysis & Discussion are the sections where we would typically find critical reflection and evaluation linked to theoretical frameworks or policies. Maidenhead: SAGE. BASW, 2014. 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. The Student Work Reflection is a set of simple repeating questions to consider how they approach each task in school. Many interns and student workers across various disciplines find themselves struggling to be heard in their field placements. Effective Practice Learning in Social Work. Brookfields areas of reflection can be adapted for social workers and implemented in several areas of field education. Social Work Education, 18 (2), 121-132. The background to this case study, and my involvement with him, will now be discussed. 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). JK is a man in his 50s who was born in Nigeria but moved to the UK at a young age. more than 1 year ago, The fear of being rejected and incorrect has been with me as long as I can remember. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. 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? Find targeted resources for research and referencing, Professional Experience and the Investigative Imagination: The Art of Reflective Writing, Reflective Writing. Learn more , 2023 Field Educator | Simmons School of Social Work, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115 | T: 617.521.3970 | F: 617.521.3980 | [emailprotected], The Field Educator: A Scholarly Journal from the Simmons University School of Social Work, $1000 Prize for Excellence in Field Education Research, Experiential Learning in Preparation for Field Placement, Inauguration of Simmons School of Social Work Trauma Training Project, MSW Student Field Readiness: Boot Camp, Students and Field Instructors in Ongoing Supervision Groups, The Reflecting Team in Supervision of Social Work Interns. Department of Health, 2014. 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. Although I will discuss my involvement with JK more broadly,I will focus on one particular key working session that we had, where JK was most descriptive about all his concerns and the issues that were effecting him (session A). The Weather Model East Brunswick, NJ: Nichols Press. Self-reflection is a vital part of evaluation of services and abilities. 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! Dewey (1993) recognised the importance of discovering new information in reflection. 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). New York:Basic Books. I am going back to school for Social Work. Specific guidelines are useful for field educators in encouraging student reflection. Friedli, L., 2009. Thanks for writing this article. McCarthy, T. and Galvani, S. (2004) SCARS: A new model for social work with substance misusePractice, 16(2), 85-97. Lightening: What came as a surprise? White, S. & Featherstone, B., 2005. Adult safeguarding and the role of housing. 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. Peer group reflective models including action learning principles also meet the restorative needs of a demanding profession and consequently learning and mutual support to address the emotional demands of social work, reflection and mutual learning are preferred over managerialist models of supervision (Boahen et al, 2021). Parry, I., 2013. British Journal of Social Work, 28(1), pp. 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). The very nature of this type of accommodation means that the population is transient. Munro, E., 2011. Read, J., 2010. Self-reflection is an important part of figuring it out. This can come from both internal sources (personal reconsideration) and external sources (professional support or research), and this new information can completely re-construct the way that an incident or event is considered, and change the narrative that we are engaged in. & Baker, K., 2013. Department of Health, 2015. Dewey, J. Lishman, J., 2009. 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. 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. Knott, C. and Spafford, J. 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). 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. Study for free with our range of university lectures! Identifying assumptions and binary thinking, regardless of how uncomfortable this may be for the practitioner, is crucial and demonstrates reflexivity (Fook, 2012, p.107). Alices deteriorating mental health led me to conclude that her social worker needed to be informed of the situation. Often Alice would experience what appeared to be moments of psychosis during which she seemed to be transported back in time to a particularly traumatic event which resulted in repetitive phrases and sentences being used to describe what had happened. 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). Developing and building self-awareness is important so you can recognise areas for improvement and identify your learning needs to make positive changes. JK also had a substantial history of criminal activity, which he said became necessary in order to maintain his addiction to certain illicit drugs. Although these moments appeared to be traumatic for Alice she said on many occasions that she wanted to speak about her past. Trevithick, P., 2012. By deconstructing and resisting this binary thinking the practitioner can then go on to address how change might be achieved and what values and assumptions have been challenged (Fook & Gardner, 2007). The assessment stage typically involves: Collecting, organizing, and interpreting data. 146 0 obj <>stream As an undergraduate social work student, I am very familiar with the concepts of self-reflection and the strengths perspective. Social Work Thompson, N., 2010. Knowledge and Skills Statement for Social Workers in Adult Services. Theorizing Social Work Practice. 1174-1191. Social Work: A Critical Approach to Practice. The Learning Centre - UNSW. Reflection 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). I will then explore my experience of reflection, and how reflective practice supported me to apply theory to practice. 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 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. He had an allocated community psychiatric nurse (CPN) who would visit occasionally, and at times he also met with a psychiatrist. Registered office: Creative Tower, Fujairah, PO Box 4422, UAE. However, I could have made more of an effort to engage with them, or at least discuss with JK how much consultation he would like me to have with those other workers. 18, 197-295. & Ehliasson, K., 2014. You may be required to have a take charge attitude as an advocate for your clients. 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. Values and ethics are central to this framework, and comprise domain 2. 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. 721 Words3 Pages. 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. 116-120. Fook, J. Toseland and Rivas (2008) define group work as a goal directed activity aimed at accomplishing tasks. Champney-Smith, J. Thank you Tarrell for this! There are critics of the way reflection is promoted in current practice environments, with some bemoaning the cult following that has developed around reflection in the social work sphere (Ixer, 1999: 513). (2012) Social Work: A Critical Approach to Practice, London: Sage. British Journal of Social Work, 45(1), pp. 51-55. .HLNq 2Avv%%% w T-?(b`n1 British Journal of Social Work, 47(1), pp. Milner, J. and OByrne P. (2002) Assessment in Social Work Basingstoke: Palgrave. All rights reserved. Jessica Social Work Furthermore, a social worker uses self-reflection to analyze personal and emotional feelings about a case or situation. The Learning Centre - UNSW. Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers: Focusing on Service Users Needs. Teater, B. h27U0Pw/ 241-259. I worked with JK very much in isolation. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Gibbs' Reflective Cycle Alices deteriorating mental health led me to conclude that her social worker needed to be informed of the situation. Understanding the communication process requires an acknowledgement of the complexity and meaning of language itself. Modern Social Work Theory. There is a stigma attached to having a mental illness, and even when contact with services has ceased, that stigma usually persists (Miles, 2005). 2; 2nd ed. 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. Supporting Lifelong Learning: Perspectives on Learning. Schwartz, S., 1982. 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. However, I do not recall being instructed or advised to use the two collaboratively. The concept of reflection: is it skill based or values?. 1st ed. Reflection on Development of Professionalism for Social Work Social Work Perspectives on Human Behaviour. To some extent this is an area that I found reflection lacking in. Rutter, L. & Brown, K., 2012. Source: Reflective Writing. WebBrookfields areas of reflection can be adapted for social workers and implemented in several areas of field education. In addition to this, Alice also has contact with a psychiatrist and regular medical reviews with her GP. The importance of recognising multiple perspectives and social contexts in a non-linear, fluid and multifaceted way leads to more bottom up practice that in turn empowers marginalised people by recognising and legitimising their experiences and voice (Fook, 2012; Graham, 2017; Parton & OByrne, 2000). Ixer, G. (1999) Theres no such thing as reflection British Journal of Social Work,29, 513-527. Ingram, R., 2013. Social workers need to be prepared to critically reflect on the theory that they are bringing to practice. In the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) in adult services, Newly Qualified Social Workers are expected to work on a portfolio which includes reflecting on their practice.Critical Reflection Log Part 1: Beginning the ASYEThis example of a critical reflective log is the first of four reflective logs required for the ASYE portfolio.Consider 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: A reliance on members of staff who are experienced as oppressive reinforces feelings of hopelessness, stigma, discrimination and disempowerment (Williams, et al., 2015). Cambridge: Polity Press. How can professionals support children and young peoples mentalhealth? 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. 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). The family had a lot of questions about the rehabilitation process and wanted to know what was going to happen for James. Please contact the publisher for permission to reproduce or reprint any materials on this site. Anti-Oppressive Practice: Emancipation or Appropriation. Social Work, 47(1), pp. Trevithick, P. (2012) Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook, Maidenhead: Open University Press. jK(H&adMl fo@Q~rpjI~~HjEI@ (+ endstream endobj 149 0 obj <>stream Change). 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. You have subscribed successfully. 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). WebIn this webinar we explore reflective writing in social work, providing hints and tips. Often I lose confidence in what I am doing. An example could be recognizing that an individual facing housing troubles has a strong support system of family and friends who can help. REFLECTION 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. 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). Stressful Encounters with Social Work Clients: A Descriptive Account Based on Critical Incidents. This rather simple statement camouflages the multi-layered nature of the exchange which involves an array of subjective attitudes and feelings which are projected onto the communicated information both from the perspective of sender and receiver (Sarangi & Slembrouck, 1996). K.4/=aT!Ji7bQJn2B I know what I need to do, but doing it regularly is tough. Critical reflection: how to develop To some extent, this was the fault of the other professionals, who did not consult me on the work they were doing with JK, and literature has noted that collaboration is particularly difficult when working with dual diagnosis service users, as mental health and addiction services can disagree over the correct course, or who should take the lead (Clement et al, 1993; Champney-Smith, 2004). S$QFOH5{H_>\*_PCM i{xRO+ba.u_ ? endstream endobj 148 0 obj <>stream Jessica Eslinger, MSW Teater, B., 2014. Healing Eucharist Mass | Teleradyo (30 April 2023) - Facebook Therefore, I found it important to not just reflect on my work and the working environment, but also the process of reflection itself. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. WebSocial workers need to be prepared to critically reflect on the theory that they are bringing to practice. 1st ed. 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. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! Ixer (1999) recognises that focusing too much on assessing reflection can lead to a prescriptive approach to reflection that is uncompromising. Observations and Reflections on my 705-722. 1st ed. Reflective tool Alice wishes to live independently and this is the preferred option for the social worker. Child and Family Social Work, 10(2), pp. Am I wasting my time? An Exploratory Analysis of Unhealthy and Abusive Relationships for Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses Living in Supportive Housing. Maidenhead: Open University. 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. Munro, E. & Rumgay, J., 2000. Both of her parents committed suicide, she was raped and endured physically abusive relationships with two consecutive partners. Many of the service users that we worked with had a dual diagnosis (problems with mental health and addiction). fTTF*nw^ulVK`493t75AL1[YMTc!A2{2ILk'MX@M~?6K^aFd%YBA k%;VD)\!Rm/WL}(ajSVCisO(?2GX#9jVF_Yh. A degree of scepticism about existing knowledge, beliefs and values. (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. Stephen Brookfield, a health educator, says: Critically reflective practitioners constantly research [their] assumptions by seeing practice through four complementary lenses; these lenses are: the lens of their own autobiographies, the lens of learners eyes, the lens of colleagues perceptions and the lens of theoretical, philosophical, and research literature. An awareness of the social context, for us and for people who use services. However, it is essential that social workers do not become complacent in their personal reflection, and they cannot fall back on these types of guidance and procedures as a shield against engaging in reflection on complex ethical subjects (Banks, 2006). I continued to learn more about Alices life over the following weeks. Living in supportive housing for people with serious mental illness: A paradoxical everyday life. 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. Challenging perspectives: Reflexivity as a critical approach to 4th ed. Hudson, A., 2015. Tannebaum, R. P., Hall, A. H. & Deaton, C. M., 2013. Maidenhead: Open University Press. 579-626. Contemporary Social Work Practice. Inequalities in Child Welfare: Towards a New Policy, Research and Action Agenda. Reflective (Eds.) Towards a Biopsychosociopolitical Frame for Recovery in the Context of Mental Illness. )Is L@LL X.V? U? 1st ed. y~u <=ZVYIY8[Sr7RtK Reducing the gender pay gap: Could more women in STEM be theanswer? When I worked with him, he lived in a housing project that was specifically meant to house ex-offenders. 91-105. 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 987-1004. 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. British Journal of Social Work, Volume 47, pp. The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions. 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). WebSocial workers often need their own psychiatrist first, in order to be the most efficient in their practice. Excellent article, Tarrell! Embodied Practice: Claiming the Bodys Experience, Agency, and Knowledge for Social Work. (2010) Getting Started in C. Knott and T. Scragg (eds.) Reflections 291-307. a{Yk@p}r5h|yiPV8Gzc 4g@&S*/NNVw1{@F:db{1iQl9b:iA::~tTUkKGR?# !)oSb=\wI/#%tAJ Davis, A, (2007) Structural Approaches to Social Work in J. Lisham (Ed.) 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) Macmillan.Parker, J. Yet risks remain, in essence, unpredictable phenomena that defy reliably accurate outcomes (Munro & Rumgay, 2000). Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Reprinting & reuse, The Field Educator is published by the Simmons University School of Social Work. 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). Reflective Practice in Social Work, Exeter: Learning Matters. She played a client

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