Whiting & Birch (E-Journals)
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Engaging with young people: a reflection on groupwork experiences in the light of Wilfred Bion’s early insights into group process.
No full textThis article seeks to explore the work of Wilfred Bion in the early stages of his therapeutic explorations of the group process. Focusing on examples from his work in the 2nd World War, the author draws on 3 key themes which epitomise Bion’s thinking; striving for the leaderless group, relinquishing the leadership role and studying the group itself. These themes are then used to inform a reflection of the author’s experiences working with groups of young people who for a variety of reasons are reluctant to engage. Conclusions are drawn regarding the enduring relevance of Bion’s insights and the value that may be gleaned by stepping back from the leadership role and from ensuring that evaluation of group activity includes engaging with not just the ‘what‘, but also the ‘how‘ and ‘why‘ of the experience
Contemporary dilemmas in social work: The social work degree in England and its implications for practice
Get PDFAbstract: The social work degree was established in 2002 to improve the status and competency of social workers. However, since then social work education continues to be subject to a series of significant changes. The aim of this study is to identify how the degree can illuminate the dilemmas of contemporary social work practice. A qualitative case study of a social work degree programme in England was undertaken after obtaining ethical approval. Data were collected at two different points in time by means of interviews and focus groups. Interviews were conducted with academics (10), practice educators (8) and academics involved in practice learning (2). Two focus groups were undertaken with service users (11) and three focus groups with students (17). A total of 48 participants were involved in the data collection. A thematic analysis approach using versus coding was adopted. The findings indicated that the social work degree contained inherent contradictions which were reflected in social work practice. The contribution of this study lies in the identification of dichotomies in social work education and practice. Any successful and lasting reform of social work education would have to adopt a critical framework able to address contemporary dilemmas.Keywords: social work degree; social work education; reform; dilemma
Interprofessional interactions study
Get PDFAbstract: This small scale study explored the interprofessional interactions that occur in practice between students and other professionals. The students completed a one week structured diary of their contact with other professionals, using these two proximity categories: Proximity 1 – within speaking distance but no interaction with the other professional or Proximity 2 – having direct interaction with the other professional. Eight students participated in the study and 31 different professionals were listed. The results varied between students from different year groups and on different courses. Each student recorded different experiences and there was a large variety in the interprofessional interactions that were recorded. The data collected will allow real experiences from practice to be used in interprofessional learning sessions and the results of this study can be used to illustrate to students which professional groups they are likely to encounter in practice.Keywords: Interprofessional education; Health and social care education; Communication; Interaction
Exploring Social Work Students’ Attitudes and Experiences at a Free Clinic
No full textThis paper addresses the experiences of social work students who offered social work services to clients at a clinic offering free medical care to those who are indigent and lack health insurance in a community in the United States. The study found that students’ attitudes toward poverty were challenged from the micro to the macro level. Utilizing the structural explanation of poverty, structural social work and Freire’s pedagogy of oppression, the study explored how students’ attitudes toward poverty were affected as they provided services to clients who are hovering at or below poverty level
‘The voice of the street’: Using peer led outreach with people who use drugs to inform the development of Ireland’s National Drug Strategy
Get PDF The purpose of this article is to share how an Irish drugs advocacy organisation, UISCE conducted a consultation with ‘People Who Use Drugs’ (PWUD) to inform the development of Ireland’s National Drugs Strategy: Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery. People who use drugs are considered a ‘hard to reach’ or ‘hidden’ population’ who, because of their marginal status, are often absent from research and drug policy. Indeed, there is a lack of published data on how to engage with PWUD to inform policy development. The paper aims to extend the literature by highlighting how UISCE, employing a ‘peer-led street outreach’ approach, included 51 PWUD in the consultation to inform the Irish national drug strategy. Central to the paper is a description of the steps taken to conduct the consultation with a review of the challenges and benefits of using a ‘street based recruitment’ strategy to engage with hard to reach people who use drugs.Keywords: hard to reach; people who use drugs; peer led; drug use; drug polic
Touch, click and be informed: Making a series of multi-touch ebooks to support social work placement
Get PDFhis innovative project set out to develop a series of seven ‘wraparound’ multi-touch electronic ebooks to support pre-placement training within a professional social work course. The aim and main focus concentrated on developing and presenting the wisdom of practice teachers, social work students and tutors in a multimedia content, encompassing aural and visual podcasts. This was further enhanced by including expert topic based opinion, theory and supportive slide presentations. The concept of making the ebooks was to change the delivery of the fieldwork pre-placement module, refocusing it from a didactic lecture based delivery to a more modern technology enhanced relevant method of improving the pre-placement knowledge, skills and values of social work students.Keywords: e-learning; podcasting; social work; fieldwork practicum; practice teachers
Flash Groups/Group Work in Practice Members at Local “Y”
No full textOver the past five years, I have been attending the local YMCA (Y) where I swim five mornings a week. Two years ago, I wrote a paper entitled the Ladies Water Aerobics Swim Group. This group had a profound impact upon me. Indeed, at the recent IASWG symposium in New York, I was approached by one participant who had read the paper which had been published in Groupwork and attended the presentation I gave at the symposium in North Carolina in 2015. Based on this and many other positive responses I had received regarding the first paper, I decided to write a second paper, which discussed the two groups I belonged to at the (Y). Both these groups have had numerous social and therapeutic benefits for myself. Although, they are not “formal groups,” the group work literature, talks about the unique qualities, forces of healing, social interdependence, “we-ness,” affiliative bonds, importance in our lives, and bringing about individual and social change in our lives. These two groups have had numerous positive outcomes for me personally and other members of the groups.Keywords: Social Interdependence, Importance of groups, informal groups, social groups, forces of healing, therapeutic benefits of groups, “we-ness.
Understanding homelessness through poetic inquiry: Looking into the shadows
Get PDFHomeless people often have multiple and complex needs resulting in deep social exclusion. Homelessness research represents a contested arena and one in which it is important to place the human experience of homelessness at the heart of the process. This paper reports on the Seldom Heard Voices project which used poetic inquiry as a qualitative research tool to examine the experience of homelessness. A performance poet, a group of homeless people attending a homeless hostel, and academics from social science backgrounds worked together to explore the lived experience of homelessness creating insights into wellbeing, identity, and belonging. This paper presents an overview of the project and considers how ‘poetic’ writing can engage seldom heard voices, providing a context for understanding the lived experience of homelessness through the words of participants, alongside the reflective narrative of the poet working with them. The project methodology is considered and the themes arising from two poems and the poet’s narrative is discussed.Keywords: homelessness; social services; poetic inquiry; arts-based researc