Heidi Dix - Creative Approaches to Social Work Practice Learning

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First published in 2022 by Critical Publishing Ltd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Copyright 2022 Heidi Dix and Aisha Howells

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-915080-01-1

This book is also available in the following e-book formats:

EPUB ISBN: 978-1-915080-02-8

Adobe e-book ISBN: 978-1-915080-03-5

The rights of Heidi Dix and Aisha Howells to be identified as the Authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988.

Cover and text design by Out of House and Lauren Carr

Project management by Newgen Publishing UK

Printed and bound in Great Britain by 4edge, Essex

Critical Publishing

3 Connaught Road

St Albans

AL3 5RX

Printed on FSC accredited paper

Contents

Claire Skilleter

Alison Dudeney

Anna Wright

Garfield Hunt

Lanai Collis-Phillips

Caroline Aldridge

Amanda Hodgkinson

Heidi Dix and Aisha Howells

Angela Bell

Alison Taylor

Nora Duckett

Demi Bowler

Claire Skilleter

Makayla Bowler

We would like to recognise the members of the social work practice learning planning conference committee, who were the inspiration for the creation of this book and who manage to generate an amazing annual festival for practice educators each year.

We would also like to thank Lauren Carr for creating such beautiful illustrations which really help to bring each tool to life.

We would also like to show gratitude to the poets whose work appears throughout this book for generously sharing their poetry with us and of course we need to acknowledge the wonderfully creative chapter authors. A mention also needs to be made to the early reviewers and whose constructive, wise feedback helped to shape the direction of the book you know who you are.

This book is dedicated to social work practice educators, on-site supervisors and students whose contribution to social work education is often underestimated. We see you and celebrate you!

Heidi Dix is a senior lecturer in social work at the University of Suffolk, as well as the lead for quality assurance and practice development in a local authority Youth Justice Service. She is also the safeguarding trustee for Outreach Youth, a charitable incorporated organisation for children and young people who identify as LGBTQIA+. Her interests include social work practice learning and relational, trauma-informed practice.

Aisha Howells is a senior lecturer in social work at the University of Suffolk. She is a registered social worker interested in understanding the world through a critical lens and passionate about carrying out research in child and family social work, trauma and abuse, lived experience, narrative approaches and practice education. An experienced practice educator, Aishas love for creativity in learning underpins her entire teaching approach.

Illustrations

Lauren Carr leads an Art, Design and Technology faculty in a secondary school in Suffolk. Lauren has written articles for NSEADs AD magazine and for the International Journal of Art Education. She has been involved in the National Society for Art Educations drawing initiative Thinking, Expression, Action and through this, became part of a national sketchbook circle. Lauren continues to complete commissioned drawings and other drawing projects.

Chapters

Claire Skilleter is a Practice Education Lead in the Suffolk and Norfolk Teaching Partnership in the UK. Claire has over 30 years experience working with children and families and is a qualified social worker and practice educator. In her current role Claire supports students, practice educators, and on-site supervisors in Norfolk County Council. Claire is particularly interested in relationship based social work and creative methods for working with students, individuals, and families. Claire regularly presents her work at practice education training events both locally in Norfolk and Suffolk and nationally. In 2021, Claire was named Practice Educator of the Year in the Social Worker of the Year Awards.

Anna Wright is a lecturer in social work at the University of East Anglia. Anna qualified as a social worker in 2010 and has been a practice educator since 2015. She has worked in local authorities as a social worker, manager and, most recently, in a service improvement team with particular focus on developing best practice for the support of newly qualified social workers, students, practice educators and on-site supervisors. Her interests are in creative approaches to social work education and in developing reflective supervisory practice. Outside of work Anna enjoys swimming outdoors and pottering on her allotment.

Garfield Hunt started his career in social care in 1990, working in residential care with adolescents. During his career, he has worked across the statutory, voluntary and private sectors, and before entering academia, worked as an independent social worker. His teaching interests include anti-discrimination, anti-oppression, anti-racism, equality and diversity, leaving care, housing and homelessness, developmental psychology and safeguarding/child protection. He has particular interests in outcomes for fostered and adopted children, for care leavers and student feedback and engagement. Garfield is passionate about the experiences of global majorities staff and students in education (primary school to level 7).

Alison Taylor is mother to a 24-year-old man who was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at the age of two. She is also completing a PhD in resilience with mothers of children with autism as a case study and working as an academic. Alison believes that people learn by being able to relate stories to their own lives and seeing how that helps to apply the theories. By sharing her own story and ideas, Alison hopes to build bridges between people with lived experience and those who provide services.