This document summarizes a critical reflection workshop for social workers. It describes critical reflection as analyzing practice to understand its complex and integrated nature. The workshop involved 12 social workers and 2 academics meeting over 6 sessions to discuss case examples and readings. Participants found it supportive to hear each other's stories and learn with academics. While it was hard to apply lessons at work due to pressures, ideas still influenced participants' practice over time in unexpected ways. The workshop energized participants professionally.

1. BASPCAN, KE Symposium
Viviene Cree, The University of Edinburgh &
Elaine Wallace, City of Edinburgh Council
13th
April 2015

2. What is critical reflection?
• ‘A process of analysing practice in order to reframe the
practice in a way that represents the complexity and
integrated nature of that experience’ (Fook and
Askeland, 2007)
• Small peer groups work together to assist one another
to reflect on an example of professional practice
• These examples may be called ‘critical incidents’ –
specific and concrete examples of practice that are
significant
• Critical reflection aims to connect the ‘personal’
experiences of day-to-day practice with wider,
‘professional’ and ‘political’ issues

3. What is critical reflection NOT?
• It is not group supervision
• It is not therapy
• It is not focused on finding solutions or solving
problems

4. What did we do?
• 12 social workers took part, 8 from City of Edinburgh
and 4 from East Lothian, along with 2 academics – me
and Mark Smith
• We met 5 mornings between April and June, with a 6th
session in October to look back over the process
• Participants were expected to read in advance; the first
part of the session was taken up with reviewing this
and what had been learned since last time
• Then someone offered a ‘case’ example that the group
went on to discuss
• Each session ended with time for individual reflection,
focusing on ‘what I have learned’ and ‘how I will use
this learning’ followed by a shared lunch

5. What were our findings?
• Social workers said they got a lot out of the sessions:
they enjoyed the reading, the ‘case’ discussions and
the encouragement to reflect on what they were
learning
• They appreciated hearing each others’ stories and felt
supported within the group; trust was important
• They welcomed the opportunity to meet with academic
staff as ‘co-constructors of knowledge’ on a regular
basis – we became a learning team
• Each in their own way, social workers tried to take
some of their learning back to their workplace, but with
limited success

6. Key observations
• On the one hand –
– ‘it just evaporates!’ – it’s difficult to keep new ideas alive on
returning to the pressures of the ‘real world’
– The CR workshops (and reading around them) were an
additional pressure – there was little or no scope for doing
this in ‘work time’
– Organisational issues can make it very difficult to
retain/maintain one’s sense of professional identity
• And on the other hand –
– New ideas ‘seep out’ in all kinds of ways, some unexpected
– We were re-energised personally and professionally
– We were all inevitably changed by this experience of co-
learning and have built on this since then in different ways

7. References
• Fook, J. and Askeland, G.A. (2007) ‘Challenges of
critical reflection: nothing ventured, nothing gained’.
Social Work Education. The International Journal, 26,
(5), 520-533. doi:10.1080/02615470601118662
• Cree, V.E., Macrae, R., Smith, M., Knowles, N.,
O’Halloran, S., Sharp, D. and Wallace, E.(2014)
‘Critical reflection workshops and knowledge
exchange: findings from a Scottish project’. Child &
Family Social Work, first published online: 25 SEP
2014, 1-9. doi:10.1111/cfs.12177