Whiting & Birch (E-Journals)
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‘I hope to find myself’ Social work students’ initial encounter with practice explored in the context of professional identity
Get PDFAbstract: This paper is based on a small scale research study which explores the perceptions and understandings of Master’s level students on the same professional career path but from different national backgrounds; England and the United States. In particular, this study identifies and discusses issues raised by students prior to their first experience of practice education, and explores their evolving understanding of what it means to be, or to become, a professional social worker. In order to provide a theoretical framework for our discussion we adapt and use the work of Eliot Freidson, widely regarded as one of the first theorists to consider the evolution of professions and the acquisition of professionalism.Keywords: social work; practice placements; fieldwork education; professional development; professionalis
Linking students and professional associations: A curricular strategy
Get PDFStudents in professional social work programs in the United States traditionally receive little direct information about or contact with professional associations. What exposure they do get is haphazard and primarily through extracurricular means. This article describes and evaluates a curricular module to enhance student awareness of and connection to professional associations. The group work classes at a Midwestern United States university were adapted to include a course module addressing the role of professional associations. Components of the module include readings, discussions, presentations and attendance at a professional association meeting. Pre- and post-tests were administered to assess the initial impact of this module. The module appears to have had an impact upon students’ knowledge of and appreciation for professional associations. The authors advocate for increased curricular attention to facilitating this connection.Keywords: professional associations; social work curricula; professional education; NASW; MSW education; professional developmen
Practice Note: Supporting Social Work Students with Additional Needs when on Field Placement
No full textThis practice note focuses on work undertaken at a UK university to support social work students with additional needs when on their field placement. Following a brief introduction, it will provide an overview of social work field placements, illustrate some of the complexities surrounding field placements when social work students have additional needs, and highlight some of the work undertaken. It will conclude with some areas for further development and recommendations. It is hoped that the Practice Note will generate discussions about the importance of supporting social work students with additional needs when on placement and share good practice.
‘I have a story to tell’: Researching migrant women’s experiences of female genital mutilation and gender-based violence in Ireland and Europe
Get PDFThis article presents insights and practical lessons learned from multiple studies the author has undertaken and participated in as principal or co-researcher and/or provided expert guidance to in Ireland and Europe. These studies primarily focus on gender-based violence (GBV) and female genital mutilation (FGM) and given their foci, have an implicit need for cognisance of child protection, legislation and onward referral procedures. The research issues of interest are often considered taboo, private, not to be discussed outside immediate family and shameful. There are multiple practical and logistical barriers, as well as language and psycho-social obstacles, to participating in, and undertaking, research on these issues. The article discusses the approaches and routes taken to recruit women affected and impacted by the issues of FGM and GBV for research studies. The responsibility on researchers to present research study findings in a sensitive manner which does not add stigma to marginalised and vulnerable groups, but that enables policy makers to utilise the research for legislative and practical purposes, is also discussed.Keywords: gender-based violence (GBV); female genital mutilation (FGM); migration; ethics; stigma; research desig
Practice makes perfect: Designing Integrated Learning Experiences in Social Work Education using Laurillard’s ‘Conversational Framework’ for Learning
Get PDFProviding an integrated curriculum in social work education is a complex task and the profession has long struggled with how best to link knowledge and practice in qualifying studies. This prompted the author to design a unit of study inspired by Laurillard’s seminal ‘Conversational Framework’ for learning, which suggests that opportunities for questioning and dialogue with an expert provide a pivotal mechanism for integrating learning. In this model discussions need to be hard wired into experiential learning opportunities; both of which must occur simultaneously. Bespoke e-learning curriculum materials were, therefore, developed to be studied alongside an experience of social work and dialogue with practitioners. The unit was located on a Step up to Social Work (child and family) qualifying programme, delivered jointly with partner local authorities, which meant that greater access to practitioners was possible. Realist evaluation analysis of student feedback suggests that being able to synchronously draw on learning from experiencing practice and bespoke academic input, in dialogue with practitioners, can help students to develop more integrated understandings of the skills and knowledge required for social work practice.
Researching unheard voices: Parents caring for their adult children who have learning disabilities
Get PDFThe intention of this article is to convey the importance of research with ‘hard to reach’ populations and utilise the outcomes from a qualitative (Doctor of Philosophy) study completed in 2017. Important issues, which involved both social workers located within an adults’ multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and parents who supported their (adult) children with learning disabilities, are discussed throughout. The White Paper Valuing People (Department of Health, 2001) is briefly discussed in relation to the impetus towards supporting parents and informal carers. Furthermore, the notion of health and social care integration and its progress is also highlighted, with a focus upon how progress (or not) has had an effect upon parents supporting an (adult) child with learning disabilities. Creative methods of parental engagement are revealed, which highlight the complexities of supporting a son or a daughter with learning disabilities. Stanfield’s (2000) Four-level Framework has been utilised as the basis for data generation and the analysis of the findings. The ‘lived experiences’ of parents who received statutory services are presented as five individual case studies, which discuss their sons’ and daughters’ support arrangements. The Mental Capacity Act, 2005 has been referred to in this article as the underpinning legislation which brought about changes for the parents and the circumstances of their children. Consequently, the parents discussed their changing relationships with social workers as a result of using this legislation. All the parents (n=5) illustrated the significance of social workers’ support and how their input had made a positive difference to their lives. The findings from this research study were shared with social workers and allied health professionals located within the learning disabilities service. The purpose was to present ‘new knowledge’ about the lives of parents receiving multi-disciplinary services.Keywords: social workers, multi-disciplinary team, learning disabilities, adults, parents, Mental Capacity Act, 200
Mad studies and social work: Conceptualising the subjectivities of service user/survivors who experience significant mental health problems
Get PDFThis article draws on contemporary and classical psycho–political theorists to conceptualise ‘mental illness’ as a social construct. The research employs a Mad Studies and anti-psychiatry perspective to reframe ‘mental illness’ from an individualised pathological defect to a socially constructed reality (Foucault, 1967; Menzies et al., 2013). The study applies a qualitative biographical methodology to analyse the subjectivities of people with severe mental health problems, their family members and mental health practitioners. In this study, once individuals were conceptualised as pathologically ‘ill’ they were then medicated and often institutionalised as a form of ‘treatment’. The findings present a theoretical analysis of participants’ subjectivities to examine historic and contemporary psychiatric practices. The article will conclude by discussing how Mad Studies can offer social work practice an alternative theoretical standpoint to conceptualise ‘mental illness’ as a social rather than a pathological phenomenon.Keywords: mad studies; anti-psychiatry movement; ‘mental illness’; biographical methodology; institutionalisation; medicalisation; famil
The role of the practice educator in helping students develop critical reflection
No full textThis article offers advice to practice educators about the teaching of reflective and critically reflective practice to social work students on placement. It explains what is meant by critical reflection, it offers different tools and ways of teaching critical reflection to students, and it also strives to problematise the teaching of critical reflection- the meaning of which is itself contested and evolving- and to emphasise the need to subject all teaching tools to theoretical scrutiny and awareness of socially constructed context and assumptions. A critically reflective practice educator will interrogate the knowledge underpinning the skills and encourage the student to do the same. The article argues that students have different capacity to be reflective. It explores why many students find it difficult, and suggests that effective critical reflection develops only with time and experience
The Importance of the Group in the Field Work Seminar
No full textOver the past 20 years, I have had the wonderful opportunity in three different Universities at both the graduate and undergraduate levels to lead a Field Work Seminar. I intentionally say “lead” because the seminar is like no other course in the program. It is here that the students, I believe, have a place to talk, listen, and reflect upon what one another are saying. I describe it as a “safe zone” in which they can share with and support one another. Indeed, it is the sense of “all being in the same boat” that enables them to become a very close group which helps them succeed in their field work placements and enriches their experience. This cooperative learning through the group work experience is not only beneficial to the students, but also provides them with an array of practical and therapeutic skills which they can utilize in their field work placements
‘If you take it personally you break’ Neglected voices on violence in secure units for adolescentssw
Get PDFTo a large degree, the voices of staff running daily operations in secure units for adolescents, particularly on sensitive issues such as violence and abuse, have been missing. The aim of the present paper is to make these voices heard by investigating what forms of violence staff in secure units encounter in their day-to-day work and to deepen our understanding of how they handle it. The study uses two theoretical starting points. First, the secure unit is understood in terms of Berger and Luckmann’s concept of institutionalisation, emphasising how behaviour and practices develop through well-defined roles. Secondly, inspiration is drawn from Goffman’s notion of frontstage and backstage, highlighting how staff within an institution (i.e. secure unit) enter into different roles. Fifty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff at three different secure units for adolescents in Sweden. The material was organised through a thematic analysis, yielding six themes placed under two headings; ‘A violent scene? A matter of definition’ and ‘Handling violence: strategies employed’. The results show how staff describe youth as the violent party and how they suppress their own emotions. Additionally, staff articulated their own use of violence toward youth and their emotional stance, describing an interpersonal shield that protected them from violence. The results underline the importance of raising questions about the nature of violence in secure units for adolescents and how staff handle such violence in their everyday work.Keywords: Secure units, staff perspective, violence, front and backstage, institutionalisatio