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). WebEssay Writing Service. In this reflective essay, I have explored my practice setting in relation to a particular case study. Rutter, L. & Brown, K., 2012. 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. As I began to work with Alice it became increasingly clear to me that she had experienced discrimination and oppression throughout her life. Although I met his CPN and his drug worker, at no stage was a multi-agency meeting held that I was invited to. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated. Reflective Field Placement Disruptions: The CIA Approach, Social Work Field Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review of the Literature, Closing the Mental Health Treatment Gap Through Field Education: A Call to Action, Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Work Field Placements: A Students Perspective. Furthermore, a social worker uses self-reflection to analyze personal and emotional feelings about a case or situation. Reflection In Social Work Supporting Lifelong Learning: Perspectives on Learning. In virtually all cases the people that live at the project either have an underlying mental health condition or experience drug or alcohol misuse, often there are a combination of these factors. Group work assignment. 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). Reflections It is essential that social workers acknowledge this increasingly influential discourse which suggests that schizophrenia and other forms of mental illness are bio-psycho-social manifestations of social conditions and health inequalities, not an inherent physiological condition (Bywaters, 2015; Karban, 2017; Friedli, 2009; Marmot, 2010; Read 2010). Joe Farrell JK had a long history of substance misuse and mental health problems. This involves revisiting your prior experience and knowledge of the topic you are exploring. 116-120. 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). Boud (1999) describes how reflection can shape a reflective journal in a field seminar. Personal Reflection Of Social Work 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. Oppression and discrimination also takes place at a wider level. 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). Find targeted resources for research and referencing, Professional Experience and the Investigative Imagination: The Art of Reflective Writing, Reflective Writing. JK had clearly been the subject of this stigma throughout his life. Educating The Reflective Practitioner. Doctoral Student Values and Ethics The way in which students articulated their perceptions of values and ethics in the field indicated that this The assessment stage typically involves: Collecting, organizing, and interpreting data. K.4/=aT!Ji7bQJn2B 91-105. 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. The examination of your beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions forms the foundation of your understanding. The opportunity to work with Alice has provided much to reflect on and learn from. 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). Developing a Health Inequalities Approach for Mental Health Social Work. Firstly, reflection-on-action, which involves reflecting on an experience that you have already had, or an action that you have already taken, and considering what could have been done differently, as well as looking at the positives from that interaction. WebReflection In Social Work. 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). Thank you for sharing! Davis, A, (2007) Structural Approaches to Social Work in J. Lisham (Ed.) Become an independent learner and problem-solver. Maidenhead: Open University Press. For example, I utilize my time effectively. Social Work: a forgotten piece of the integration jigsaw?. Can Poverty Drive You Mad? Reflection White, S. & Featherstone, B., 2005. 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. There are several reflective models such as Rolfe et al. 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. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Ameican Educational History Journal, 40(2), pp. Example of 'Feelings'. 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). Reflection can help increase students awareness of their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences and therefore build a greater capacity for empathy with clients. Communication in Social Work. Macdonald, G. & Macdonald, K., 2010. Reprinting & reuse, The Field Educator is published by the Simmons University School of Social Work. A degree of scepticism about existing knowledge, beliefs and values. 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). Critical Thinking and Professional Judgment for Social Work. Health Soc Care Community, Volume 26, pp. 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). British Journal of Social Work, Volume 43, pp. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. Modern Social Work Theory. [Online] Available at: www.skillsforcare.org.uk. Maidenhead: Open University Press. 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: The Weather Model {^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'. Example - Medium reflection Today I spent time with James (client) and his family on the ward. jK(H&adMl fo@Q~rpjI~~HjEI@ (+ endstream endobj 149 0 obj <>stream 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. 1= A endstream endobj 147 0 obj <>stream Inequalities in Child Welfare: Towards a New Policy, Research and Action Agenda. 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. I want to be able to help people who need the help. 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. 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. Self-reflection is an important part of figuring it out. It also involves considering how and why you think the way you do. Am I doing the right thing? Whilst there is not universal agreement (Ixer, 2016), the central importance of critical reflection to the profession of social work is widely accepted (Thompson, 2010, p. 183). I discussed how I engaged with different models of reflection, experienced power dynamics, and explored different interpretations of mental distress. )Is L@LL X.V? U? Thank you Tarrell for this! Is there a schizophrenic language?. Risk, Advanced Liberalism and Child Welfare: The Need to Rediscover Uncertainty and Ambiguity. 145-154. Social Worker's 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. Social Work Methods and Skills: The Essential Foundations of Practice. 1st ed. 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). Social workers must have leadership skills to help promote social change. Social Work Transforming Social Work Practice: Postmodern Critical Perspectives. Although these moments appeared to be traumatic for Alice she said on many occasions that she wanted to speak about her past. Critical Reflection to Identify Gaps between Espoused Theory and Theory-in-Use. 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). Ixer, G. (1999) Theres no such thing as reflection British Journal of Social Work,29, 513-527. hWO8WUiU a{Yk@p}r5h|yiPV8Gzc 4g@&S*/NNVw1{@F:db{1iQl9b:iA::~tTUkKGR?# !)oSb=\wI/#%tAJ This culminated in Alice being admitted to various psychiatric institutions in order to treat her schizophrenia and personality disorder. The application of critical reflection challenges accepted modes of thought, social organisation, dominant discourses and assumptions (Graham, 2017; Savaya & Gardner, 2012; Thompson, 2010). Dewey, J. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Knowledge and Skills Statement for Social Workers in Adult Services. The social worker talked through the steps that needed to be taken by Alice and the support that she would need in order to achieve this goal, a process referred to as the amplification of personal agency (Parton & OByrne, 2000, p.60). Munro, E., 2011. Moss, B., 2017. 1st ed. Reflection was particularly important when making the transition from university learning to the learning experienced in a placement setting. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.io. This type of difficulty and uncertainty around reflection is common in placement settings and when starting a new role (Knott and Spafford, 2010). The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions. It would be interesting to see if student performance could increase if the combination of these two subjects were integrated into student assessments and self-assessments during their experiences. Source: Reflective Writing. Like this article? Ruch, G. (2002) From triangle to spiral: reflective practice in social work education, practice and research, Social Work Education, 21(2), 199-216. Developing and building self-awareness is important so you can recognise areas for improvement and identify your learning needs to make positive changes. 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. Reflective tool Basingstoke: MacMillan Press Ltd. Payne, M., 2014. KW\Q>RMFV! Foucault M. (1967) Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason, London: Tavistock. Communication Skills in Health and Social Care. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. 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). Please contact the publisher for permission to reproduce or reprint any materials on this site. 2; Lam, C. M., Wong, H. & Leung, T. T. F., 2007. Self-reflection is a vital part of evaluation of services and abilities. (2010) Effective Practice in Social Work, Exeter: Learning Matters. *aaL]5 w{X}qQJsG=8HY3^IwL68/ zRsb@MzzBAA3>8>[o]{z?#wfi a(e@hVqj!q*1N!)m y.DJ (Brookfield, 1998, p. 197). The Student Work Reflection is a set of simple repeating questions to consider how they approach each task in school. Community Mental Health , Volume 53, pp. I think that is [an] important [value]. Members of the group have the opportunity to share ideas, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, engage in interactions and also share experiences. For example, could my knowledge of Alices dysfunctional relationships in the past have resulted in me making assumptions about inherent personality traits? Norrie, C. et al., 2017. Social Work, 56(1), pp. I have printed out your article to reread so I can remind myself to self reflect. Savaya, R., Gardner, F. & Stange, D., 2011. Examples 3rd ed. As a plethora of Serious Case Reviews illustrate, clarity of inter-professional and interagency communication is vital for safe practice (Moss, 2017; Hall & Slembrouck, 2009; Flynn, 2010). Safeguarding: A Case for Intelligent Risk Management. Tarrell Clark, BSW, is a May 2020 graduate of Stockton University and works with adults with developmental disabilities. I was able to be more honest with my supervisor about what I thought of my work. The background to this case study, and my involvement with him, will now be discussed. Therefore, I found it important to not just reflect on my work and the working environment, but also the process of reflection itself. Alices deteriorating mental health led me to conclude that her social worker needed to be informed of the situation. Effective Approaches to Risk Assessment in Social Work: An International Literature Review. Often I lose confidence in what I am doing. Handbook for Practice Learning in Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory, London: JK. Ixer (1999) recognises that focusing too much on assessing reflection can lead to a prescriptive approach to reflection that is uncompromising. Schn, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner, New York: Basic Books. Alices deteriorating mental health led me to conclude that her social worker needed to be informed of the situation. Task: The Assessment Process Social worker 6 - Critical reflection and analysis Whatever approach one takes, being critically reflective involves a number of key things (Brookfield, 1998), including: An analysis of our assumptions. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! Abingdon: Routledge. All rights reserved. [Online] Available at: www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/doc/194419/0052192.pdf. An effective way to protect clients and practitioners alike is to avoid any suggestion that the ethical issue is Am I wasting my time? 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) Social Work Education, 18 (2), 121-132. 1st ed. Bywaters, P., 2015. Values and ethics are central to this framework, and comprise domain 2. 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 As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. 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. Holmes, G. and Saleeby, D. (1993) Empowerment, the Medical Model and the Politics of Clienthood, Journal of Progressive Human Services, 4(1), 61-78. Thank you! 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). 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. Reflection, and in particular critical reflective practice, forms a key part of this, as social workers are called on to reconsider and reconstruct the dominant social discourse. Thompson, N. (2009) Practicing Social Work: Meeting the Professional Challenge, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Peer reflection encourages me to develop my reflection skills. Brookfields areas of reflection can be adapted for social workers and implemented in several areas of field education. Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License. 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? Mental Health, Resilience and Inequalities, Copenhagen: World Health Organisation. I observed the patience and empathy that Alices social worker demonstrated during the interview process. WebUnderstanding peer reflection and CPD. Many of us hide behind our shadows in fear that our input will be rejected or outright incorrect. 51-55. 2nd ed. [Online] Available at: www.parliament.uk/documents/fair-society-healthy-lives-full-report. What was successful? This reminded me that I was more than capable of being an effective social worker. 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). Child and Family Social Work, 10(2), pp. WebBrookfields areas of reflection can be adapted for social workers and implemented in several areas of field education. 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. In this social work reflective log, I will focus on the social work. Our regional engagement leads (who are registered social workers), shared their views on peer reflection. Cass, E., 2015. Atkins, S. and Murphy, K. (1994) Reflective Practice, Nursing Standard8(39) 49-56. 1st ed. WebThe value of peer reflection. Eventually, when I noticed an opportunity to do more administrative tasks and things that are more within my comfort zone, I volunteered. Maidenhead: Open University Press. British Journal of Social Work, 40(1), pp. This is significant because reflection is particularly important when a critical incident like this has been experienced, and a less reflective approach could lead to a less holistic or even inadvertently oppressive account of what had transpired (Ruch, 2002). Kemshall, H., Wilkinson, B. It allows me to access different points of view, positive feedback, and constructive challenge.. Adopting this process has helped me to identify possible assumptions that I suspect I may have held. Luckily there are many models which you can use to guide your reflection. 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. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. 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. This type of situation, with all its complexities and difficulties, is described in the seminal work of Schn (1983) as the swampy lowlands of practice (Schon, 1983). (2004) Dual Diagnosis in T. Peterson and A. McBride (Eds.) 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). The new legislation was adopted into Company policy, statutory guidance makes it clear that there is an onus on employers to ensure that staff working in a housing environment are adequately trained in recognising signs of abuse or neglect, which includes self-neglect under the terms of The Care Act 2014 (Department of Health, 2014). Living in supportive housing for people with serious mental illness: A paradoxical everyday life. Hudson, A., 2015. 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. 9-18. Three themes are identified: (1) No time for reflection, (2) Fear of reflection, and (3) Too much reflection. & Baker, K., 2013. As I enter my MSW field placement, this is very important to keep in mind. In its simplest terms, reflection provides us with an opportunity to review our decisions and decision-making processes however, in practice, reflection is a far more complex concept (Trevethick, 2005: 251). Social Work 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. Referrals to the agency could come from social services, GP surgeries, and other not-for-profit organisations. I think that is [an] important [value]. 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). Instead, there should be an acceptance that uncertainty and complexity are inherent in human interaction and therefore consideration should be given not only to negative risk but also to the benefits of positive risk (Macdonald & Macdonald, 2010). Social Workers %PDF-1.6 % Friedli, L., 2009. British Journal of Social Work, 27(1), pp. Boud, D., Keogh, R. &Walker, D. Practice: Social Work in Action, 24(3), pp. Reflection on Development of Professionalism for Social Work 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). The Essay Writing ExpertsUK Essay Experts. & Burke, B., 2006. Change). Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. When working with JK, I was made aware of his engagement with mental health services, usually provided through the medical professions. Findings. This case study has demonstrated the complexity and breadth of contemporary social work. Reflections 885-902. Reducing the gender pay gap: Could more women in STEM be theanswer? 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). 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. Social workers are provided with some guidance in practice to support this process. Social Work Skills and Knowledge ; A Practice Handbook. The Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 5(1), pp. 241-259. 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. Genes Spell Danger: Mental health service users/ survivors, bioethics and control. I am going back to school for Social Work. Critical reflection is also part of this framework, making up the entirety of domain 6. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. I exceeded the expectations of my supervisor, and she began assigning me more tasks. Jessica The Context of Risk Management in Mental Health Social Work. Anti-Oppressive Practice Social Care and the Law. Barry, M., 2007. How social workers reflect in action Parrish, M., 2014. These questions can guide the student in reflection before, during or after an interview with a client (Boud, Keough & Walker, 1985; Schon, 1987). 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).
social work reflection examples