Reflective Social Work Practice

This book provides social workers with a framework for reflecting on their day-to-day practice. Using a social worker's diary as a starting point, it provides valuable insight in to how reflection enhances skills and how factors such as values and emotions can shape social work practice. Social workers often have to make difficult decisions that are affected by their emotions, values and the relationships they have built. The ability to explore and critically analyse your work can help you understand and manage your own emotional needs, as well as support you with improving your social work skills and ensuring anti-oppressive practice. Offering an accessible and innovative guide to reflective practice, this book: • Applies the principles of critical reflection to some of the most challenging aspects of the job; such as building relationships, undertaking assessments and making decisions about risk. • Uses diary extracts, engaging case studies and reflective activities to provide a framework for applying reflection to your everyday practice. Whether you are a student of social work or an experienced practitioner, this book will be your guide to understanding, developing and improving your social work practice. This book provides social workers with a framework for reflecting on their day-to-day practice. Using a social worker's diary as a starting point, it provides valuable insight in to how reflection enhances skills and how factors such as values and emotions can shape social work practice.

Reflective Social Work Practice demonstrates how social workers can creatively and consciously combine 'thinking, doing and being' when working with individuals, families, groups, communities and organisations, and when undertaking research. It discusses conceptual and theoretical aspects of reflective practice and presents a new, cohesive reflective social work practice model. It explores the themes of thinking (theory), doing (practice) and being (virtues). By defining 'being' in terms of virtues, the authors provide new perspectives for improved learning and practice in social work. Each chapter features reflective exercises, examples, review questions and activities to engage and challenge readers. Extended case studies throughout illustrate how a holistic approach to social work can enhance practice and enrich the quality of services delivered to people and communities. Written by authors with extensive professional experience in social work, Reflective Social Work Practice is an invaluable resource for social work, human services and welfare students, educators and practitioners alike.