Relationship‐based practice and reflective practice: holistic approaches to contemporary child care social work

Abstract

The renewed interest in relationship‐based practice can be understood in the child care social work context as a response to the call to re‐focus practice in this field. Relationship‐based practice challenges the prevailing trends which emphasize reductionist understandings of human behaviour and narrowly conceived bureaucratic responses to complex problems. In so doing practitioners engaged in relationship‐based practice need to be able to cope with the uniqueness of each individual's circumstances and the diverse knowledge sources required to make sense of complex, unpredictable problems. This paper argues that if relationship‐based practice is to become an established and effective approach to practice, practitioners need to develop their reflective capabilities. An outline of contemporary understandings of relationship‐based and reflective practice is offered and findings from doctoral research drawn on to identify how reflective practice complements relationship‐based practice. The product of this complementary relationship is enhanced understandings across four aspects of practice: the client, the professional self, the organizational context and the knowledges informing practice. The paper concludes by acknowledging the inextricably interconnected nature of relationship‐based and reflective practice and emphasizes the importance of practitioners being afforded opportunities to practise in relational and reflective ways.

Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers

“…Thus transference is inevitable and can be incredibly useful in identifying service user feelings (Mattinson and Sinclair, 1979;Howe, 1998;Agass, 2002;Ruch, 2005b). However, there are dangers if an uncritical approach is taken.…”

“…'Containment' is described as an 'active process of struggling to "contain", understand and work through our own emotional responses in the hope that this will enable our clients to do the same for themselves' (Agass, 2002: 127). It is a communicative medium that enables people to feel understood, and in control of their emotional and social selves (Howe, 1998;Agass, 2002;Ruch, 2005b). The following extract from the research transcript describes how the social workers discussed using a practical response of 'getting the missing information' as a way of providing containment for the feelings of frustration being expressed by Maxine and helplessness experienced by themselves.…”

“…In drawing on the basic communication skills described in Chapter 4, the social worker will need to achieve and communicate empathy for this anxiety in order to enable Danni to feel understood, and in control of her emotional and social self (Howe, 1998;Agass, 2002;Ruch, 2005b). Bion's (1962) concept of 'containment' is frequently used to describe this process, which Agass (2002: 127) summarises as, 'not simply putting up with or absorbing whatever unpleasant or uncomfortable feelings the client stirs up in us.…”

‘Under Heavy Manners?’: Social Work, Radicalisation, Troubled Families and Non-Linear War

“…Relational work requires high levels of trust and transparency and relationships need to be clear, boundaried, and carefully cultivated. The suggestion that social workers should infiltrate families in this way is a deliberate ideological attempt to remake social work and to diminish trust based relationships (Trevithick, 2003;Ruch, 2005;Koprowska, 2003). In this new incarnation, social work is fundamentally judgemental and exists as an agent of social control in terms of targeting service users with values, cultural practices or ideological beliefs that do not accord with Western neo-liberal ones.…”

Reflecting on What? Addressing Sexuality in Social Work

“…It allows us to acknowledge that we are experiencing the situation we seek to understand and are a part of the interventions we are involved in providing (Trevithick 2005, 252). Ruch (2005) suggests that reflective practice acknowledges a range of knowledge sources; "practice wisdom, intuition, tacit knowledge and artistry as well as theory and research" (Ruch 2005, 116) and carefully applies it to "self-understanding", emphasising the value of subjective sources of knowledge. Similarly, Adams (2002) talks of the "reflexive cycle" of critical practice, which includes "engaging with ourselves" (Adams 2002, 84).…”