Professional Leadership for Social Work Practitioners and Educators by Anna Fairtlough

Author:Anna Fairtlough [Fairtlough, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Sociology, General
ISBN: 9781315413754
Google: yW9jDQAAQBAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 30409746
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2016-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

Practice example 6.1 Supporting and assessing newly qualified social workers (NQSWs)

Research indicates that NQSWs need effective induction, support to integrate prior learning in a practice setting, opportunities for critical reflection and good-quality supervision (Berry-Lound and Rowe 2013). Building on predecessor NQSW programmes, the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) was launched in 2012. Employer agency partners and Goldsmiths adapted a module on the post-qualifying for staff acting as PDEs for NQSWs to provide specific information about the scheme and support underpinning skills development. PDEs submitted a critical reflection on their practice development work.

6.1 One PDE applied the GROW (goals, reality now, options, what to do) coaching model (Whitmore 2009) to her work with an NQSW who was at risk of failing her probation period. She agreed goals with the NQSW to respond to the current practice weaknesses highlighted by the line manager. They discussed various options to help the NQSW to improve her assessment skills. After discussing options that were in line with the NQSW’s learning preferences, they agreed that the PDE would provide the NQSW with professional literature and examples of ‘good’ assessment reports. They used the subsequent practice development session to reflect on the NQSW’s learning from these activities before the PDE observed the NQSW conducting an assessment. The PDE gave feedback to the NQSW about ways she could improve her use of questions, which showed considerable improvement in the next observation.

6.2 Another PDE recounts his use of psychodynamic concepts. During his work with the NQSW the PDE moved to another team but continued to provide the ASYE support and assessment, with line management supervision being assumed within the original team. Acknowledging the comfortable but also ‘beguiling’ nature of his relationship with the NQSW, with whom he shared various identities, and the guilt he felt about ‘abandoning’ her, the PDE questioned whether he had joined with the NQSW in a ‘collusive huddle’ in accepting her increasing complaints about the excessive workload and lack of support in her home team (Hughes and Pengelly 1997). Drawing on the victim/persecutor/rescuer drama triangle (Karpman 1968) he suggested that he was playing the role of ‘rescuer’ and paused their supervision to reflect on the dynamics of their interactions. He thought that this was valuable both in supporting the supervisee to develop ‘healthier coping strategies’ (Galpin, Bigmore and Parker 2012) and in modelling how she might understand the dynamics of her relationship with a particular service user. It resulted in a three-way meeting with the line manager to address the issues raised by the NQSW about her workload.

6.3 Solution-focussed coaching (Jackson and Waldman 2011) involves establishing a platform for work between coach and coachee and developing a rich picture of the coachee’s desired future. The coach uses techniques such as scaling questions (asking coachees to rate themselves from 1–10 in terms of the desired future), counters (encouraging the coachee to notice existing strengths and resources) and affirmations (identifying positive qualities) to support movement towards the desired future. One PDE used this in her mentoring work with a

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