1. Enabling Reflection in Social Work: Towards A Psycho-Social Model
Stan Houston,
School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work,
Queen’s University Belfast 1

2. ‘The scale of rules and procedures may help achieve a minimum standard of practice, but inhibits the development of professional expertise and alienates the workforce’ (Munro Report, 2010, p.11).
For many social work practitioners, imagination and imaginative practices have been devalued as less important than technical or competency based work, or dismissed as whimsical and not based in the urgent, agency defined ‘reality’.

3. Reflecting on Reflection
Reflect on this scenario:
‘A middle aged, white, male social worker undertakes a piece of life-history work with a young, black, female child from an emotionally insecure and socially deprived background’
How might these very different personal and social characteristics affect their interaction?

4. Global Definition of the Social Work Profession
“Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledge, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing. The above definition may be amplified at national and/or regional levels”. (2014, IFSW website )

5. Practice placements represent an opportunity for students to cultivate both professional and personal skills by developing self-awareness, self-care, empathy, critical inquiry and an increased experience and understanding of power dynamics
This can be overwhelming, particularly when you are faced with challenging situations where tensions and dilemmas between personal and professional values can arise

6. Reflexive practice occurs in social work when a
Reflection: is when an individual has developed the ability to process and evaluate actions previously taken in practice to enhance learning and/or to create change (Dempsey, Murphy, & Halton, 2008; Schon, 1987).
Reflexive practice occurs in social work when a
practitioner has an awareness of situational contexts that include the use of language, power dynamics, and importantly, an awareness of how self (including emotions and cognitions) impacts on any inter/intra-personal process (Fook, 2013; Payne, 2005).
A reflexive act involves one critically locating the history that informs a particular belief or action.
Houston says-reflexivity is ‘A cognitive and emotionally intelligent process involving conscious scrutiny of how our personal, psychosocial characteristics and experience shape the way we view and react to others given their experience may be widely different compared to our own’.
‘Without reflexivity we can succumb to biased or distorted thinking, fail to take account of wider perspectives or privilege our most cherished views-which may not be accurate’.

7. How the Model was Developed
NISCC/ Degree Partnership Conference –
2011
Tender to evaluate the model
Focus group research
Reaching an agreed iteration of the model

8. Overview of the Model The domains shaping the person
The enabling process using the domains
Ethical, sensitive practice
Enabling Process
Domains

9. Applications Practice learning Supervision Coaching Mentoring
Consultation

10. The Domains Relationship Power Power Power Power 7 Psycho- Biography
Culture
Organisation
Power
Power
Politics/ Economy 7

11. The Domain of Psycho- Biography
The life-course
Significant events
Narratives

12. Connections
Throughout the model there are opportunities to reflect on how this particular section could be useful in your work with clients.
So, rather than imagine or try and guess- you will be able to link these aspects of the model to the context that you are practising in- making it much more meaningful and genuinely reflective.

13. The Domain of Relationship
The importance of human relationship
Attachment theory
Identity 10

14. Connections
Throughout the model there are opportunities to reflect on how this particular section could be useful in your work with clients.
So, rather than imagine or try and guess- you will be able to link these aspects of the model to the context that you are practising in- making it much more meaningful and genuinely reflective.

15. The Domain of Culture The material The symbolic Morality
Culture and power

16. Connections

17. The Domain of Organisations
Contact with formal organisations
Key features

18. Connections

19. The Domain of Politics/Economy
Neo-liberalism
Commodification
Inequality

20. Connections

21. Power Power circulates through all of the domains
Power comes from the ‘top-down’ and
‘bottom-up’
Power shapes thinking and emotion
Power affects knowledge and ideology
Power is enabling and constraining
Power leads to the unequal distribution of resources (monetary, status, symbolic, educational) 18

22. To summarise so far…. Psycho- Biography Relationship Culture
Organisations
Politics/Economy 19

23. The Enabling Process Stage One Stage Five Stage Two Stage Four
The Five Domains
Stage Four
Stage Three 20

24. Overview of the Enabling Stages
Stage One – supervisor and supervisee apply the domains to themselves
Stage Two – supervisor and supervisee consider how the domains shape interaction during the enabling process
Stage Three – supervisor and supervisee apply the domains to tune into the service user’s needs and plan the social work process
Stage Four – supervisor and supervisee apply the domains to reflect on the supervisee’s engagement with the service user
Stage Five – supervisor and supervisee review the learning from this process by combining stages one to four 21

25. Potential Outcomes Tackling bias Challenging oppression
Connecting empathically with service
users
Enhancing insights into risk and need
Strengthening supervision
Promoting good governance and best
practice 22

26. Rolling the Model Out Dissemination Use in various enabling contexts
Impact 23

27. Thank you Trisha Kelly Senior Lecturer in Social Work