Social work expertise

This film is part of the Working with uncertainty and risk in children's social care: Video learning resources.

Professor Eileen Munro shares the key elements of social work expertise and their impact upon the way that we work with people. 

Talking Points  

This video looks at:  

• Relationship skills.
• Emotional wisdom. 
• Cognitive skills.
• Critical reasoning. 
• Supervision and peer support. 
• Time and reflection. 

Reflective questions    

1. How confident do you feel in understanding and challenging the families you work with in a respectful manner?
2. Do you understand how and why families might present in a certain way to your involvement?
3. How might you bring your emotional wisdom to your work with families without imposing your own cultural values?
4. Are there opportunities for informal as well as formal team chats to help you build expertise in your role?
5. What other ways can your team/organisation support you to reflect upon your experiences and make well-reasoned decisions?

Related resources

• Critically reflective practice: Making sense of uncertainty.
• Practice Supervisor Development Programme.
• Social Work Organisational Resilience Diagnostic.
• Working with trauma-experienced parents in children’s social care.