Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D. (2021). The road to social work and human service practice. (6th ed.). (pp. 301-304). Cengage Learning.
We have used the metaphor of a journey as a way of describing the process you will undergo – acquiring new knowledge, trying new skills, thinking about your values – but the journey certainly does not finish once you graduate. Practitioners should be committed to ongoing learning and continue to reflect on what they do and how it can be improved. There are several ways in which this happens and we have focused on just two ways, recognising that you will also find other means of improving practice from sources such as your field supervisor, employer or mentor. One characteristic of a profession is the commitment to ongoing professional development and the acquisition of new knowledge – social work and human services is also committed to this process.
Professional development
Many codes of ethics require practitioners to subscribe to a set program of continuing professional development, so that you can remain open to new knowledge and ensure that you work within your scope of practice. There are various ways in which this can happen are many and varied; however, the underlying purpose is the same. Similarly, membership of the professional association may require this; to secure ongoing accreditation or membership, the association may ask you to submit documentation of training or workshop attendance. Much of this can now be accessed online, which is a great advantage for workers in rural and remote areas.
Practitioners commit to constantly improving their practice and maintaining their skills and knowledge base over time. Useful methods are attending workshops or seminars, undertaking training in specific practice techniques or approaches, reading professional journals and research publications, and engaging in systematic and planned reflective practice. It can also be useful to volunteer in another organisation by joining a committee of management, or to supervise students on field placement. After working in the field for some time, practitioners may choose to undertake postgraduate education in social work or another related field to sharpen and improve their knowledge and skills. For example, they may become interested and involved in working with families. Postgraduate training in family therapy offers them opportunities to further their skills and expertise. Other practitioners pursue courses in human service management, social policy or social and community development.
We have discussed earlier in this book the developments in digital technology that have provided a host of new ways of working and learning. Below is an account of how podcasts can be used to assist ongoing critical reflection and professional development, through listening to the stories of others.
Practitioner Perspective
The Social Work Stories podcast: a case study in the use of digital technologies in social work practice, education and research
Digital technology in social work practice education and research encompasses the use of any digital medium in either: the engagement in, or interaction of, social work practice; the teaching and learning or scholarship of digital technologies, in the classroom or field placement setting; and the application of digital media, or the investigation of their use or practices, within social work research. The engagement of digital technologies in social work has been a rapid rise in the last ten years and has only recently been recognised and embraced. Concerns surrounding the ethics of digital technologies in social work practice, education and research, and the ownership of social work engagement with vulnerable people are pertinent issues and the subject of crucial debate within the global profession.
In recent years podcasts have gained popularity, with social work students globally accessing social work content podcasts that focus on practice issues, skill development, sites of knowledge and master classes. For social work students to develop professional identity and socialise to a profession that promotes global perspective on social justice the capacity for podcasts to create international virtual community is as yet unrealised. So too is the potential for podcasts as an avenue for critical reflection and reflexive practice. Regardless, social work students around the world are accessing podcasts regularly, and social worker programs across the globe are including podcasts on their subject reading lists. The Social Work Stories podcast is one such podcasts that works to engage social work students and practitioners in life-long learning within a virtual community space.
The Social Work Stories podcast launched in September 2018. It is hosted by myself, Dr Mim Fox, a social work academic from the University of Wollongong, and Lis Murphy, a social work practitioner and educator of 30 years. It is produced by Ben Joseph, a social work educator and doctoral student at the University of Western Sydney, and Justin Stech, a newly graduated social work practitioner. The aim of the Social Work Stories podcast is to provide a forum for social workers to share their practice wisdom and expertise in an in-depth manner that is supported by analysis and debriefing by the hosts. The structure includes a regular segment whereby an anonymous social worker describes a social work story, a case they may have been involved with in practice, with a focus on their practice interventions and their experience of the case, as well as the ethical and personal dilemmas that arise during their social work interventions. As hosts, we engage listeners in an analysis of pivotal moments, themes and concepts that have emerged from the story, highlighting practice issues and dilemmas for the social workers practising in the field described. The Social Work Stories podcast is listened to primarily by social work students and practitioners; however, listeners include other helping disciplines such as nursing and teaching, as well as interested members of the public. We make the Social Work Stories podcast episodes freely available across common podcast platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, Podbean, Castbox and other free podcasting platforms respectively.
Activity 10.2
Think about your own learning style and how you might best engage in professional development in your future practice.
- How might you engage with digital technology to access podcasts, online resources, MOOCs or journals?
- How might you access workshops, conferences or seminars internal to your work or externally?
- How might you develop critical friends, peer supports or other professional development networks?
- What would you want from professional supervision? Would you be prepared to pay for this if not provided by your agency?
Field and professional supervision
Receiving professional supervision is another way that practitioners improve their practice. This is a long-standing tradition in social work and human service practice and many codes of ethics require members to receive professional supervision in a systematic way as an ethical responsibility.
Your first encounter with supervision will probably be during field placement. You will meet with an experienced practitioner to discuss your work and reflect on your practice, as a way to learn. Supervision with your field educator is a crucial part of your education for practice and is usually mandated in social work education around the world.
Many people continue this process of supervision once they graduate. Professional supervision is different from line management. It is less about what you do every day or how you plan your workload and carry out tasks your organisation requires. Instead, it is an opportunity to discuss and reflect in-depth on your practice with a more experienced practitioner or mentor. It is also different from debriefing, which is an organisational responsibility to an employee who has been engaged in a traumatic incident. Many organisations value and support professional supervision; however, resource constraints and increased workloads often mean that it is not prioritised as it should be. Some practitioners see a private professional supervisor and their organisation gives them paid leave or time off to attend the meetings. Some organisations subsidise this cost. In rural or remote areas, where they may be the only practitioner, social workers need to find ways to engage this very important form of professional support. Many experienced private practice workers provide online supervision, as advances in technology make this much more feasible.
In professional supervision sessions, a range of techniques are used to facilitate reflection on practice. You may discuss particular cases or situations and you may use some of the techniques for learning outlined in Chapter 5, such as the critical incident technique or process recordings. The frequency of meetings varies but usually it is advisable to meet monthly. You might meet more frequently if you are dealing with complex and demanding situations or are having difficulties. Particular practice approaches – for example, counselling based on psychosocial models or some types of family therapy – rely heavily on professional supervision to improve practice skills.
As a beginning practitioner, access to professional supervision in the first year or two after graduation is a useful way to consolidate your learning and further develop your skills and confidence. Even if you are employed in an organisation or agency in which this is not provided, we encourage you to secure private supervision so that you continue to meet your professional ethical responsibilities.
Reading
Davys, A. & Beddoe, L. (2010). Best practice in professional supervision: A guide for the helping professions. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Noble, C., Gray, M. & Johnston, L. (2017). Critical supervision for the human services: A social model to promote learning and values-based practice. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
