Whiting & Birch (E-Journals)
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How leading a workshop can be a real eye-opener
No full textAbstract: This article describes in narrative form the author’s experience of personal and professional insight as a result of planning and leading a performing arts-based workshop at the 2013 IASWG Group Work Camp. He shows how this insight occurred in a parallel process with the workshop participants as a result of his willingness to take risks, to share power, and to take a stance of uncertainty when appropriate. The article shows what some of the theoretical concepts of groupwork – such as planning, purpose, stages of development, use of authority, use of program and evaluation – look like in action. Throughout the article, the author reveals the internal struggle of a conscientious groupworker trying to balance the exigencies of normal self-doubt with necessary and appropriate self-reflection.Keywords: mistakes; stance of uncertainty; beginner’s mind; total theater; risk; inner monster; middles; haiku; interdependency; group work; groupwor
Professional social work and the defence of children’s and their families’ rights in a period of austerity: A case study
Get PDFThis article explores the implications of austerity for professional child and family social workers. Their ability to offer and provide a range of child and family support services was threatened by proposed clauses in the 2016/17 Children and Social Work Bill, now Act, which would have exempted local authorities from meeting key existing statutory duties. Having established a policy context for progressive social work, the article records the Bill’s passage through Parliament, and details the successful Together for Children campaign against the clauses, in which the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and the Association of Professors of Social Work participated. The authors conclude by identifying some of the ways in which social workers can apply their progressive and professional values and knowledge to defend the social care rights of children and families.Keywords: children; social work; legislation; children’s rights; campaigning; austerit
Practice Education Network for Social Work (PENSW): Evaluation of an online resource
Get PDFThe Practice Education Network for Social Work (PENSW) is an online resource for networking and sharing knowledge and information that is accessed by all the professionals and partner agencies involved in providing social work placements and supervising social work students at the University of Suffolk (UOS) in the United Kingdom (UK). This research explored the ease with which such networks can be set up, and offers an evaluation from network members. Given limited national resources and the need to provide more localised resources; this evaluation demonstrates the importance of providing an easily accessible virtual space for organisations and professionals to access resources, network, and share best practice. The findings suggest that all social work training programmes should consider providing a localised network to support the social work placement process by ensuring that supervisors of social work students have access to necessary documentation, research, and information so that they can effectively fulfil their roles, and stay connected to the programme provider and other professionals involved in social work student practice placements.Keywords: social work placements; supervision; networking; resources; information sharing; practice education
Interpersonal Classroom Model: Learning from diversity in group practice courses
No full textThe Interpersonal Classroom Model (ICM) is a teaching approach designed for group practice courses. The ICM places development of interpersonal communication skills as the central focus of in-class time. Guided by Kolb’s experiential learning theory, this teaching approach posits that students can prepare to work with diverse client populations by first learning to communicate across lines of social identity difference existing within the classroom. This paper presents three examples of social identity dialogues students engaged in during ICM group practice courses. These examples include the topics of race, religion, and sexual orientation. This paper concludes with initial benefits of the ICM approach reported by professors and undergraduate students.Keywords: group work; interpersonal classroom model; race; religion; sexual orientation; groupwor
School social workers in the USA: Using collaboration to maximize service delivery and utilizing evidence based practices for social skills building
No full textAbstract: In the USA, school social workers play a vital role nurturing a child’s social-emotional development in all grade levels. School social workers collaborate with teachers, administrators and parents to provide optimal support for students to remain in school. This paper focuses primarily on how social workers could implement evidence-based social skills programs that maximize the potential of school children’s success and engagement in school. When parents and teachers are involved in these interventions, students are more likely to generalize the skills they have learned to a wide range of settings. Future implications indicate that more research should be conducted regarding how school social workers could continue to work effectively with school administrators and parents to achieve positive outcomes for students
Guest editorial: Professionalism, de-professionalisation and austerity
Get PDFEditorial to the special issu
The Practice Pyramid: A model for integrating social work values, theory and practice
Get PDFThe Practice Pyramid is a learning tool that supports social work students’ ability to integrate their understanding of personal and professional values, theory and practice during field placements. Although it has been used by practice educators in Scotland for over 20 years, it is not well known elsewhere and has yet to be evaluated. This paper, written by a practice educator and a student social worker, describes the Practice Pyramid and provides a case example to illustrate how it contributed to one student’s learning during a practice placement. Four factors that appear to contribute to its success are proposed: its model of pedagogy, the visual and accessible nature of the tool, flexibility and the support it gives to collaborative learning processes. It is suggested that the Practice Pyramid may usefully support learning in a range of social work and non social work contexts, and would benefit from more extensive evaluation of its role in supporting practice - theory integration.Keywords: Practice Pyamid; social work students; field placements; Scotland; collaborative learnin
Safeguarding Adults Reviews: Prompting practice and policy
No full textAbstract: As a whole there was remarkably little controversy in England over the Care Act 2014, once debates over funding caps had been kicked into the long grass. After all, who could oppose the idea of better information, clearer entitlements, and more support for carers? Among the non-contentious areas were specific proposals for Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) to become Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs). In light of the many concerns in children’s services about the dominance of SCRs in policy and practice debates this lack of interest and discussion may seem surprising. In this paper we explore why such reviews concerning adults are largely seen as non-contentious and frame our analysis around four different ‘prompts’; those from Parliament, from earlier SCRs, from practice analysis and from practice development. We draw on our own wider research programme on Adult SCRs and subsequently SARs. This programme of research has explored different facets of the review process and undertaken different thematic analyses by location or user group
Facilitating groupwork in an extended scope placement
No full textAbstract: This article discusses the opportunity of new and emerging roles within the Occupational Therapy profession within a non-traditional setting, including a charity run organisation. The article identifies how the unique skills of an Occupational Therapist, such as activity analysis, grading and adapting environments, enables individuals to regain a missed role in life/skill or acquire a new one. This reflective account draws upon the experiences of two 2nd year Occupational Therapy students facilitating a reminiscent occupation focussed intervention on a scope placement. There is an emphasis on how meaningful occupations can enhance mental health are examined. Analysis of group work is investigated, challenges faced, drawing parallels to Belbin’s team-work roles. Qualitative outcomes are discussed that measure the effectiveness of group work within this elderly localised population and provide a baseline of which future research would be beneficial. To conclude - The outcome of this reflective account highlights the importance of gaining a deeper understanding of group work and the dynamics considered to do this effectively. This applies to collaborative practice amongst teams but also when engaging individuals to be less isolated, as part of an intervention of therapy. Clinical practice, reflections, and relevant literature provide the student with the tools of self-development, enabling better quality service user experience. The experience accounted, shows reflective evidence that Occupational Therapists can encompass all the benefits of group work alongside an therapeutic intervention to bring value to an individuals’ t social and physical wellbeingKeywords: groupwork; group work; occupational therapy,; student; reminiscence; baking; interventio
The place of groupwork practice within the lecture theatre: Promoting self-directed learning, student reflection and orbital communication via the entwined endeavours of teaching, role play and facilitation
No full textAbstract: HE is increasingly encouraging rhetorical notions of student centred learning, where the value of pedagogic content is sited upon the student, who is likely to be the novice. Such circumstances place tension upon the lecturer to fulfil policy directives whilst also promoting their discipline. This paper argues that such a predicament can be addressed via the inclusion of groupwork and role play within the lecture theatre, so as to reconcile the interplay between teaching and facilitation. The paper illustrates its argument via lecturer and student reflections; promoting a beneficial form of pedagogy which provides opportunities for students to share lived experiences so as to encourage reflection upon theory learnt. The pedagogy also allows for students to engage in and thus understand group dynamics and groupwork practices so as to be better placed to evaluate their own learning. Keywords: facilitation; teaching; orbital communication; co-construction of knowledge; self-directed groupwork; large groups; higher education; role pla