social work reflection examples

I recognized what I was good at and pushed myself in that direction. Hall, C. & Slembrouck, S., 2009. Maidenhead: SAGE. HCPC, 2017. 145-154. S$QFOH5{H_>\*_PCM i{xRO+ba.u_ ? endstream endobj 148 0 obj <>stream 3rd ed. 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 She played a client Effective Approaches to Risk Assessment in Social Work: An International Literature Review. Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. This is especially concerning when one considers that housing staff may be the only service that residents have contact with (Cass, 2015). New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 39(2), pp. 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. hWO8WUiU Referrals to the agency could come from social services, GP surgeries, and other not-for-profit organisations. Poetics in Schizophrenic Language: Speech, Gesture and Biosemiotics. Social Work Methods and Skills: The Essential Foundations of Practice. JK had clearly been the subject of this stigma throughout his life. 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. East Brunswick, NJ: Nichols Press. I discussed how I engaged with different models of reflection, experienced power dynamics, and explored different interpretations of mental distress. 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. In social work, reflection has strongly encouraged students and practitioners to increase awareness of the self in working with clients in practice. In this example of a critical reflective log, I will focus on the social work PCF domain 2: Values and Ethics I will also draw on other domains such as values and ethics, rights, justice and economic well-being, critical reflection and analysis, diversity and knowledge. Maidenhead: Open University Press. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. All work is written to order. Dalrymple, J. 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. 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. It allows me to access different points of view, positive feedback, and constructive challenge.. It also involves considering how and why you think the way you do. I would meet JK in a location of his choosing. British Journal of Social Work, 30(1), pp. Anti-Oppressive Practice: Emancipation or Appropriation. 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. In the case of Alice there are three primary agencies involved. The examination of your beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions forms the foundation of your understanding. Reflection can help increase students awareness of their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences and therefore build a greater capacity for empathy with clients. Theorizing Social Work Practice. If your specific country is not listed, please select the UK version of the site, as this is best suited to international visitors. 987-1004. 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). Cambridge: Polity Press. Social workers in England, London: HCPC. 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 I know what I need to do, but doing it regularly is tough. After having many struggles in my field setting, I began to reflect more and more on myself and my performance. Graham, M. J., 2017. Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Avoiding the traps: Seeking good practice in the use of self assessment and reflection in professional courses. 885-902. Others time? I noted this in my journal and tried to think, to be self-aware and to question as a first step towards reflecting on practice (Rutter & Brown, 2012, p. 30). 116-120. There is a stigma attached to having a mental illness, and even when contact with services has ceased, that stigma usually persists (Miles, 2005). Dewey, J. (1993) How we Think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the education process, Boston: Health Publishing. 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! jK(H&adMl fo@Q~rpjI~~HjEI@ (+ endstream endobj 149 0 obj <>stream 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 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. 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. You may be required to have a take charge attitude as an advocate for your clients. It would also be remiss to discount the influence of gender and class on the assumptions I may have held. 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. 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). hP0Pw/+Q0L)4 Understanding the communication process requires an acknowledgement of the complexity and meaning of language itself. Parton, N. & OByrne, P., 2000. & Padgett, D., 2017. 1st ed. We identify, evaluate and integrate multiple sources of knowledge and evidence. The importance of iatrogenic health, the process whereby possibilities and opportunities are acknowledged and explored, is part of a constructive narrative approach founded on a postmodern perspective (Parton & OByrne, 2000). The role of housing in adult safeguarding. British Journal of Social Work, 27(1), pp. 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. Adopting this process has helped me to identify possible assumptions that I suspect I may have held. Find targeted resources for research and referencing, Professional Experience and the Investigative Imagination: The Art of Reflective Writing, Reflective Writing. 705-722. 4th ed. In this essay I will explore my experience of reflection during my practice placement, and in particular in relation to a specific case study. Harvey, C., Killackey, E., Groves, A. Change). Client Participation in Managing Social Work Service-An Unfinished Quest. The Journal of Adult Protection, 15(1), pp. 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. 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). 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. Marmot, M., 2010. Different models of reflection supported me throughout the reflective process. Thompson, N. (2009) Practicing Social Work: Meeting the Professional Challenge, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Child and Family Social Work, 10(2), pp. The physical scars on Alices body as a result of these experiences can be understood from a postmodern perspective as embodied manifestations of power and oppression (Tangenburg & Kemp, 2002). 579-626. Jessica Eslinger, MSW 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. Goss, J., 2011. Brookfield, S. (1998). 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) Parker, J. Jessica You have subscribed successfully. When we realised we couldnt hand in the assignment like it was, I got quite frustrated. 840-850. Banks, S. (2006) Ethics and Values in Social Work, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Dedicated to your worth and value as a human being! WebAccountable: [the] social worker shouldnt be scared to ask for guidance and support. Interventions in social work are often described as having four stages: engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation (Suppes & Wells, 2017). I understand everything you experience is a teaching moment, good or bad. Rain: What didnt go well? Department of Health, 2014. 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). Tarrell Clark, BSW, is a May 2020 graduate of Stockton University and works with adults with developmental disabilities. 1st ed. Dewey (1993) recognised the importance of discovering new information in reflection. This aspect of partnership practice was and is very pertinent in the relationship between Alice and her social worker. For example, could my knowledge of Alices dysfunctional relationships in the past have resulted in me making assumptions about inherent personality traits? 679-687. 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). KW\Q>RMFV! Piat, M., Sabetti, J. Wilson, A. Reducing the gender pay gap: Could more women in STEM be theanswer? Sarangi, S. & Slembrouck, S., 1996. What am I still working on? Doctoral Student Identifying assumptions and binary thinking, regardless of how uncomfortable this may be for the practitioner, is crucial and demonstrates reflexivity (Fook, 2012, p.107). An awareness of the social context, for us and for people who use services. An example could be recognizing that an individual facing housing troubles has a strong support system of family and friends who can help. 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. 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. I will also attempt to view Alices life, and my professional relationship with her, from a broader social work perspective. After identifying these strengths, the social worker will then work with the client to utilize these strengths to help them in their current situations. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46(9), pp. Due to the limits of the current medium, I will be focusing mostly on reflection-on-action. Values and ethics are central to this framework, and comprise domain 2. Your autobiography as a learner . A degree of scepticism about existing knowledge, beliefs and values. (2010) An Introduction to Applying Social Work Theories and Methods, Maidenhead: Open University Press. Schwartz, S., 1982. Reflection was particularly important when making the transition from university learning to the learning experienced in a placement setting. These questions can also be incorporated into the supervisory conversation, including the process recording, in field placement. Developing a Health Inequalities Approach for Mental Health Social Work. Forenza, B. Skills for Care, 2015. The implementation of The Care Act 2014 introduced new responsibilities and statutory duties on local authorities and partner agencies with an emphasis on moving away from process-driven practice (Cass, 2015). Tangenburg, K. M. & Kemp, S., 2002. He had an allocated community psychiatric nurse (CPN) who would visit occasionally, and at times he also met with a psychiatrist. Schizophrenia, Socio-Economic Status and the Case for Primary Prevention. This is an example of a reflective log to help you think about your own reflective writing. 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. Biosemiotics, 4(3), pp. New York:Basic Books. 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. The background to this case study, and my involvement with him, will now be discussed. 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). Ingram, R., 2013. Inequalities in Child Welfare: Towards a New Policy, Research and Action Agenda. 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). British Journal of Social Work, Volume 43, pp. Living in supportive housing for people with serious mental illness: A paradoxical everyday life. Reflective Thinking in Social Work: Learning from Student Narratives. 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). Handbook for Practice Learning in Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory. 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. It asks the student to consider: How could I improve? 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). The examination of your beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions forms the foundation of your understanding. Housing, Care And Support, 18(2), pp. This aspect is known as the psycho part of the Biospycho-social Spiritual perspective. Kemshall, H., Wilkinson, B. Oppression and discrimination also takes place at a wider level. How we Think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the education process. Lishman, J., 2009. 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). Thank you for sharing! 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. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. This type of difficulty and uncertainty around reflection is common in placement settings and when starting a new role (Knott and Spafford, 2010). 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). 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\ Critical reflection is also part of this framework, making up the entirety of domain 6. The family had a lot of questions about the rehabilitation process and wanted to know what was going to happen for James. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. This more informal working setting was where he felt he could speak most openly to me. Fook, J., 2012. 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). 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. Champney-Smith, J. Department of Education, 2018. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! However, returning to Schon (1983), he notes that reflection takes place within our own understanding and the meaning that we attribute to an event, rather than within the event itself. How can professionals support children and young peoples mentalhealth? Data analysis indicated that critical reflection is not a priority for direct practice social workers in the context of privilege. Fook, J. Luckily there are many models which you can use to guide your 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. 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. Specific guidelines are useful for field educators in encouraging student reflection. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.io. Alices deteriorating mental health led me to conclude that her social worker needed to be informed of the situation. Thank you Tarrell for this! British Journal of Social Work, 45(1), pp. For example, she can help the young clients keep guardianship over their children, continue to help administrations, soften the punishment for young convicts, or free them from imprisonment (Rivera-Ayala, 2021). 241-259. The assessment stage typically involves: Collecting, organizing, and interpreting data. British Journal of Social Work, 1(37), pp. I think that is [an] important [value]. 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). I then moved on to look at how reflection promoted me to engage with theory in practice, in particular in relation to systems theory. 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. Social Work Skills and Knowledge ; A Practice Handbook. Trevithick, P. (2012) Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook, Maidenhead: Open University Press. Web Transparency: Reflective social workers who sense an ethical issue share their concern with supervisors, colleagues, and appropriate administrators.
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