Whiting & Birch (E-Journals)
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A standards-based inventory of foundation competencies in social work with groups: An empirical test in Scotland
Get PDFAbstract: This paper describes the application and testing in Scotland of a measure of foundation competencies in groupwork, derived from standards for social work practice with groups. Developed by the International Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (IASWG), the IASWG Standards have not been widely used outside of Canada or the U.S.A. A 70-item inventory based on the Standards was developed to measure two domains, how important each item is for successful groupwork, and how confident the respondent is about demonstrating the skill in practice. The first study, with a mostly North American sample, reported excellent reliability and good validity. This paper reports new findings on the reliability and validity of the inventory from data collected from students and practitioners across Scotland (N = 161), and includes qualitative impressions from participants. The results indicated excellent internal consistency for both the importance and confidence subscales, with low standard errors of measurement. An item analysis revealed high respondent ratings, supporting content validity. Significant correlations between the subscales and validators supported the measure’s concurrent, construct-convergent, and criterion known-groups validity. The findings suggest the cross-national applicability of the inventory (and the Standards represented by the inventory), while also illuminating areas for refinement
Therapeutic factors in expressive art therapy for persons with eating disorders
Get PDFAbstract: Group therapy has been widely discussed in terms of factors that work. Most of the previous work in this field is related to verbal psychotherapy, but it should not be assumed that non-verbal, activity-based groups, as well as combined group forms, have the same operating mechanisms as verbal psychotherapy groups. Thus, there is a need for more knowledge concerning the therapeutic mechanisms that other types of groups rely on. This article describes and discusses the expressive art therapy group at an eating disorders unit in Norway. Particular emphasis is placed on linking specific elements of a case example to a framework for describing therapeutic factors in groups
Community arts exhibitions, as a form of group knowledge production
Get PDFThis piece discusses how a community arts exhibition produced by a group of mental health service users can be a form of knowledge production. With the potential benefits of reduced stigma and emancipation for those involved, whether exhibiting or interacting with the exhibits. I would like to encourage service users and clinicians to jointly explore how “beyond text” media, including art, can be co- produced together as part of group work to inform and supplement more traditional forms of knowledge and research
Using the Native American Talking Circle: Experiential learning on ethnic and cultural diversity of Southern California
Get PDFTalking Circles are a method of group communication used by Native American tribes (such as the Iroquois and Cherokee) to settle disputes, educate, tell stories and make decisions. When considering the practice in the context of social work with groups, there are distinctions that are uniquely Native American in philosophy and culture. Talking circles have gained in popularity as a groupwork method. A talking circle was adapted as teaching tool to help students explore ethnic diversity in a racially and ethnically diverse California university. The exercise was introduced in a MSW Human Behavior (HBSE) course; the session focused on ethnocentrism and racism. Analysis of student reflections indicated participants felt safe to express themselves in the circle. Participants described both emotional and intellectual connections to peers. Through the sharing of personal stories, experiences and challenges, participants had a chance to both teach and learn about each other’s ethnic heritage and struggles
Working together in special needs parenting: An innovative research dissemination project
Get PDFResearch findings are often inaccessible to those who need them and knowledge sharing between researchers, practitioners and community groups can be impeded by organizational, role and priority differences. This paper presents a university-community project designed to make research knowledge available to diverse users, facilitate their input, and build connections between diverse communities impacted by child disability. A team of Canadian researchers, social workers and community partners held workshops to discuss findings of a study on parenting adopted children with special needs and share research knowledge on advocacy for children with disabilities. Parents, service providers, professionals and organizations from disability and adoption communities met together in small mixed role groups to discuss the issues raised and identify priorities. Workshop material was captured to produce practical audio-visual and print documents, which were made available at no cost to all those who could use them. Formative and summative workshop evaluation concluded that project goals were achieved primarily because of ongoing community involvement and a respectful, open climate which encouraged sharing of expertise across roles and disciplines. Reflections of team members and community partners add data on the usefulness and challenges of this type of collaborative project
Recognising and responding to the maltreatment of disabled children: A children’s rights approach
Get PDFResearch has established that disabled young people are at greater risk of experiencing all forms of maltreatment, especially neglect (Jones et al, 2012). Despite increasing awareness of their heightened vulnerability, the maltreatment of disabled children remains under-recognised and is under-reported. Disabled children have the same rights as all children to be protected from maltreatment; to have their concerns listened to; to participate fully in decisions made about them; and to receive help to recover from maltreatment. In this paper Cossar et al’s (2013) framework for understanding the processes of recognition, telling and receiving help following maltreatment from the child’s perspective, is applied to disabled children. The particular barriers that disabled children and those working with them face in recognising and responding to maltreatment are analysed by reviewing what is known about child protection practice with disabled children, mainly in the UK. Suggestions are made about how practice with disabled children could be improved
Mixed methods evaluation of a menu of research learning opportunities for mid‑career social work academics with ‘protected time’
Get PDFAbstract: Knowledge about research methodologies and positive attitudes about research are each essential for academics who teach social worker students to advocate for and to deliver effective, empowering services to vulnerable people. This paper evaluates a menu of learning opportunities offered to fifty-two mid-career social work academics from 30 UK universities given ‘protected time’ to increase their research skills, funded by RDI4-ESRC. Qualitative and quantitative survey data are summarized. All participants attended five of eight conference days on research methodologies; 80% participated in small discussion groups; 49% attended a 3-day writing retreat; 49% signed up to a research mini-placement; 31% presented research at a conference; 21% submitted manuscripts to a journal. The demonstrated commitment of time, expertise, and advanced skills to this project from 32 senior social science/social work researchers came at a time when media was blasting the profession. They modelled enthusiasm and confidence and ‘bridged’ access for the ‘next generation’ of academics. Repeated encounters amongst the participants gradually built ‘bonded’ social capital ‘normed’ positively around the enterprise of research. Participants reported at follow-up increased knowledge and confidence as they teach... In the current economic context, there are benefits of ‘protected time’ combined with structured opportunities for mid-career social work academics
Changing identities, changing realities: Social work research in a cold climate
Get PDFThe potential of a researcher development initiative (RDI) programme to develop capacity within the social work discipline will be explored from my personal perspective as a former participant in one of the earlier RDI programmes. Having undertaken the programme after entering an academic post from practice, I hope to illustrate some of the challenges that new academics face and how such programmes can provide support in the transition from practitioner to academic, both as a lecturer/teacher and a researcher. The strengths and limitations of such programmes will be explored, including measures to address systemic weakness in social science research in the UK. I will argue that, although such programmes cannot change the everyday realities of insufficient time and dwindling research funding, they can provide a genuinely welcoming and supportive introduction to the world of social work research that helps new academics and early career researchers to negotiate these realities with increased knowledge, skills and confidence
Planting the seeds for someone else’s discussion: Experiences of task supervisors supporting social work placements
Get PDFField Education is pivotal to social work education and requires supervision by a qualified social worker. Student placements with external social work supervision are becoming more prominent, but are generally considered outside the norm and have attracted limited research attention. This paper presents the experiences of task supervisors who supported social work placements, a subset of data from a larger research exploring the experiences of key stakeholders in placements with external or off-site social work supervision in Australia. Task supervisors’ perspectives have rarely been considered in research, leaving their contributions to social work education underexplored. The thematic analysis highlighted three dominant themes: the roles between task supervisors and external supervisors were not always clarified; task supervisors were actively engaged in the supervision of students, but did not necessarily have a relationship with the external or off-site supervisor; and task supervisors were not always involved in the student placement assessment. Participants emphasised the positives of placements with external supervision, but also raised a number of challenges