Transforming Organisational Practice and Culture Through Embedding Critical Reflection and Research

Can a Paradigm Shift from Risk Management to Critical Reflection Improve Child-Inclusive Practice?

“…Ultimately, felt safety for a practitioner is a product of feeling supported and valued by supervisors, team members and organisational leaders. we resolved that our next attempt should include a prominent focus on developing critically reflective practice within our executive and senior leaders, asking them to lead the change by demonstrating the humility and openness that we are asking of our practitioners' [59]. This is consistent with Macrae et al [60], who similarly facilitated critical reflection workshops with child protection practitioners in Scotland as part of a transformative research project.…”

“…In this research, critical reflection is being used to address the difficulties identified in implementing child-inclusive intentions into practice. As Morley and Leggatt-Cook [59] note: 'Practitioners are caught in the same neoliberal web, which impacts their thinking in multiple ways, including undermining their capacities to undertake child-inclusive practice'. The goal of critically reflective inquiry is to build an evidence base that is instructive for practice that effectively improves practitioners' capacity to empower children's voices and increase their meaningful participation in service delivery.…”

“…These assumptions and practices are often so deeply entrenched that they operate in ways that are invisible to practitioners, prior to critical reflection. Identifying and taking responsibility for implicit assumptions can be personally and professionally confrontational (see for example [59]).…”

“…Most of the participants chose to reflect on practice incidents that did not go well, and it was clear that some felt vulnerable and uncomfortable about exposing their practice in this way in front of their peers. While the research was purposely designed to ensure that no supervisors or managers were present in the practitioners' workshops, within the neoliberal frame of individual responsibility, some practitioners who already felt scrutinised, blamed, and overworked experienced engaging in critical reflection on practice with their peers as 'unsafe' [59]. Moreover, managerial constructions of 'best practice' may fuel the view of practice that is never quite good enough.…”

“…It should be noted that feedback about participants' experiences of the workshops was not always available at the time, and, in fact, much positive feedback was received [59]. Once it became clear that not all participants were experiencing the workshops positively, UnitingCare worked with QUT researchers to redesign the research strategy.…”