Abstract
Discussion of personal and professional development must be set in the uncertain, demanding, complex and changing context of social work. The current emphasis on vocational training and the achievement of discrete technical competencies in a culture which promotes market forces, consumerism and managerialism (Holman, 1993; Banks, 1995; Clark, 1995; Dominelli, 1996) is at the expense of fundamental aspects of social work including:
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a concern about individual people and the enhancement of their lives and relationships;
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a commitment to social justice and the eradication of poverty and discrimination;
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a commitment to social work as a moral and ethical activity;
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an holistic approach to practice, where relationships and process as well as outcomes are addressed;
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a commitment to partnership and involvement with users in developing services to meet their needs;
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a commitment to evaluating practice as a means of developing it;
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a recognition that the worker's use of self is integral to social work activity.
Social Work involves entering into the lives of people who are in distress, conflict or trouble. To do this requires not only technical competence but also qualities of integrity, genuineness and self awareness. (Lishman, 1994)
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Further reading
Brown, A. and Bourne, I. (1996) The Social Work Supervisor: Supervision in Community, Day Care and Residential Settings (Buckingham, Open University Press). This book, although focusing on supervision, is invaluable in drawing attention to issues of professional development and support for social workers and potential blocks to them.
Carter, P., Jeffs, T. and Smith, M. K. (1995) Social Working (Basingstoke, Macmillan). This edited collection of chapters by practising social workers identifies major issues in professional development by analysing social work practice from the perspective of experienced social workers, including the main processes: a ‘hands-on’ approach to examining and articulating practice and learning from it.
Eraut, M. (1994) Developing Professional Knowledge and Competence (London, Falmer Press). This book contains a valuable multidisciplinary analysis of issues in professional development and pressures which deal with complexity.
Shaw, I. (1996) Evaluating in Practice (Aldershot, Arena). This book presents a model of evaluating a practice based on the reality of social work and recent developments in qualitative methodology for doing and learning research.
Yelloly, M. and Henkel, M. (1995) Learning and Teaching in Social Work: Towards Reflective Practice (London, Jessica Kingsley). This edited collection addresses issues in the post-professional education of social workers and related professionals, examining the concepts of professionalism, competence, knowledge and anti-racism, with an emphasis on how professionals learn and maintain a self-critical and reflective approach to practice.
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© 1998 Joyce Lishman
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Lishman, J. (1998). Personal and professional development. In: Adams, R., Dominelli, L., Payne, M., Campling, J. (eds) Social Work. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14400-6_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14400-6_8
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-68818-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-14400-6
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