This presentation was held on a conference of the
project „STEP“. The project „STEP“ has been
funded with support from the European
Commission.
This publication [communication] reflects the views
only of the author, and the Commission cannot be
held responsible for any use which may be made of
the information contained therein.
‘Systemic Ideas in
Social Work: Toward
Relational
Practice’
Tracey Johnston, Senior Social
Worker/Counsellor/Family Therapist in training
&
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
InSyT (Scotland)
Plan
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introductions.
Aims. A celebration.
What is InSyT?
Importance of Systemic Practice Groups.
What is Systemic? Time for the Gay Gordon’s.
Questionnaire findings.
Interview with a ‘systemic’ social worker.
In what ways are questionnaire findings
meaningful?
• Reflective discussion.
• Questions.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
What is InSyT?
InSyT is the Institute of Systemic and Family Therapies
(Scotland). It is consortium of systemic
psychotherapists who provide:
- training,
- supervision,
- consultation and
- Therapy/intervention
in systemic practice approaches including solutionfocused, CBT, collaborative and narrative ways of
practicing.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
InSyT courses and events
Long
Courses:
PQ Foundation
PQ Certificate
Short
Courses:
- Systemic Skills
in Social Work
- Systemic
Supervision in
Social Work
Systemic
Practice
Groups
Local
Workshops
- Resilience and
Recovery.
- Working with
Multi-Problem
families.
Systemic
Supervision
Groups
- Systemic
-Challenging
Practice in Child
Protection.
- The ‘Audacity
of Hope’.
- Supporting the
Child in
Placement.
Possibilities: Consultation - Systemic
Practice in Adult
InSyT’s
Groups
Mental Health.
Clinical Arm Multifamily
- The Vulnerable
Peter W Robinson, Psychotherapist
Adult.
groups
National
Workshops
Exclusion.
- Practical Ideas
for Effective
Supervision.
-Working with
Self-harm.
-When Bullying
Takes Its Grip.
- Enhancing the
Space-Between.
What is Systemic?
• Basic idea: People are connected in recursive relationships.
• What one person does has an effect on other people in the
system as well as on relationships.
• Systemic practice is also about the relationship between our
stories, ideas and beliefs and their impact on how we relate
to one another and the potential possibilities we have in the
world.
• Contexts give meaning.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
What is Systemic?
• The Gay Gordon’s
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Systemic Practice
Has changed in response to historical, political and cultural context changes. AMT.
• Systemic Practice is about people.
• Systemic Practice is relational.
EG our relationship to the problem. Problem-determined systems.
• Systemic practice addresses issues of power
and ethics:
Social GRRAACCEES (Gender, race, religion, age, ability, class, culture,
ethnicity, sexuality.)
• Systemic Practice is multi-contextual. CMM
- From ‘contexts of failure to ‘contexts of competence’.
- Creates contexts that bring forth ie clients strengths rather
than sets forth.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Systemic Practice
Context
From Latin/Middle English: ‘Contextus’ meaning
woven/sewn together or connected.
“Without context there is no meaning.” (Bateson)
“Context is about the process of making connections
and co-creating meanings.” (Hedges, 2005)
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
What is Systemic?
Multiple Contexts and the Communication of Meaning -CMM:
Co-ordinated Management of Meaning (Pearce & Cronen,
1991)
Political, Cultural and Societal stories
Neighbourhood stories
Family stories
Relationship stories
Definition of relationship
Self (gender) stories
Episode stories: eg a fight
Behaviour/Speech Act: Peter
ways
of communicating.
Robinson, Psychotherapist
Systemic Practice
• Systemic practice is multi-positional (Harre,
2001) and about multiple perspectives and
mutual influence.
• Systemic Practice fosters ‘cultures of
contribution’.
• Systemic Practice is about creating contexts
within which there are ‘possibilities’ for
change.
• We believe that Systemic Practice helps
social workers help their clients better.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Post-Qualifying Foundation Courses in Systemic
Practice and Family Therapy: Course content.
Approaches
Methods
Techniques
From systemic models: Strategic, Structural, Milan,
Post-Milan, Solution-Focused and Narrative with a
‘systemic constructionist’ slant.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Resources
Problems
Systemic
Possibilities
(Solutions)
Restraints
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Post-Qualifying Foundation Courses in Systemic
Practice and Family Therapy
Course: 8 months
Structure:
Teaching Days
Small ‘practice-based’
tutorial group Days
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Post-Qualifying Foundation Courses in Systemic
Practice and Family Therapy: Course Evaluation
Questionnaires Completed by Social Workers
53 Social Workers from all over Scotland, mainly
Central belt.
Level of experience:
• Range between 2 to 25 years as social workers.
• Most very experienced (in 6 to 14 years range).
• Most main grade.
• Mainly child and families social workers.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Q. To What extent has Systemic Practice Training improved your
skills in: Creating and Maintaining a Collaborative Relationship
with Clients?
Number: 53 Social Workers
.
1 =Not At all
25
7 = a Great Deal
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist,
InSyT
6
7
At the end of the course, what are the most
noticeable differences in your practice?
• “I feel that I think about cases differently.”
• “I feel relieved at not having to be the
expert.”
• “I’m much more positive with clients.”
• I consider the wider context and various
hypotheses.”
• “I’m always ‘panning for gold’ and remaining
curious.”
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
At the end of the course, what are the most
noticeable differences in your practice?
• “I’m much more confident and positive with
clients. The course has changed my life.”
• “I’m more focused in my practice and more
able to engage with my clients in a
meaningful way.”
• “I have put down more solid foundations in
the way I work.”
• “The systemic methods and techniques are
very useful in my day to day work.”
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Q. To What extent has Systemic Practice Training improved your
skills in: undertaking assessments?
.
25
Number: 53 Social Workers
7 = a Great Deal
1 =Not At all
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist, InSyT
6
7
Mapping the Client System: Relationships
45
HV
John
39
Sally
Child
Panel
Paediatrician
Police
GP
22
Andrew
Foster
Parent
22
Refuge
Jane
3
Matthew
Social Worker
12
Sharon
Foster Parent
Peter Robinson Psychotherapist, InSyT
– Institute of Systemic/Family Therapy
(Scotland)
At the end of the course, what are the most
noticeable differences in your practice?
• “In my client work, I take more time to
prepare and reflect.”
• “I have noticed that my work is more
structured and this seems to help my clients
focus more.”
• “I feel that I have more effective tools and
techniques to use with clients.”
• “I feel more curious and freed-up.”
• “I have a better awareness of what I’m doing
and why.”
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Q. To What extent has Systemic Practice Training improved your
skills in: developing a better understanding of complex cases?
.
Number: 53 Social Workers
7 = a Great Deal
1 =Not At all
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist, InSyT
6
7
At the end of the course, what are the most
noticeable differences in your practice?
• “I now have more confidence and
enthusiasm for my work. The course has refocussed me.”
• “I have more confidence to experiment and
take risks together with service users.”
• “I have found my enthusiasm at work and
become unstuck!”
• “I have changed the way I talk with service
users. Its made a big difference.”
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Q. To What extent has Systemic Practice Training improved your
skills in: effectively intervening in complex cases?
.
Number: 53 Social Workers
7 = a Great Deal
1 =Not At all
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist, InSyT
6
7
At the end of the course, what are the most
noticeable differences in your practice?
• “I now have a more holistic and analytical
way of working.”
• “Before I struggled to think in a systemic way
but now I have the skills to work directly in a
systemic manner, I love it!”
• “I take more time to reflect instead of
rushing around and feeling useless.”
• “The course has inspired me. I try to use
systemic tools at every opportunity.”
• “Both professionals and service users have
received this approach positively.”
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Q. To What extent has Systemic Practice Training improved your
skills in: effectively intervening in routine cases?
.
Number: 53 Social Workers
7 = a Great Deal
1 =Not At all
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist, InSyT
6
7
In Your View, Which Areas of Systemic Practice
Training Most Improved Your Effectiveness as a
Practitioner?
In order of importance chosen by social workers:
• Locating problems in their wider systemic context.
• Genograms and transitions.
• Circular questioning.
• Reflecting practices and reflexivity.
• Reframing.
• Hypothesising.
• Structuring meetings.
• Adopting positions of curiosity.
• Externalising problems.
• Scaling questions.
• Use of safe/uncertainty.
• Eliciting clients strengths and hopes.
• Eliciting client feedback.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Which Areas of Systemic Practice Training Most
Improved Your Effectiveness as a Practitioner?
Approaches
Locating problems in their wider systemic context.
Adopting positions of curiosity: use of safe/uncertainty.
Reflexivity.
Methods
Reflecting practices
Structuring meetings.
Techniques
Circular questioning. Genograms and transitions.
Reframing. Hypothesising. Reflecting.
Externalising problems. Scaling questions.
Eliciting clients strengths and hopes.
Eliciting client feedback.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
What has Facilitated or Thwarted Your Use of Systemic
Practice in your agency?
• “I have a lot of work to do and was given no extra
time for study.”
• “In work, I don’t get any space to plan and reflect
on my practice.”
• “There is little hope of changing the social work
department!”
• “I’m going to move to a job where I’ll get more time
to practice ‘systemic’ social work.”
• “I have gained more time for systemic practice by
relinquishing my management role.”
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
What has Facilitated or Thwarted Your Use of Systemic
Practice in your agency?
• “I plan to attend the monthly Systemic
Practice Group to further develop my skills.”
• “My manager is very enthusiastic and
interested in my new ideas.”
• “A number of my colleagues have completed
the course including my senior who gives me
lots of support.”
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Scatterplot 6: Showing Strong Correlation between
Improvement in Systemic Skills (S 5) and
Improvement in General Case Management Skills (S
4)
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
20
30
Total score for section 4
40
50
60
70
Questionnaire: Tentative Main Conclusions
It appears that Systemic Practice may help social
workers to:
• Become relational and more human.
• View their clients in multiple ways which opens up
possibilities.
• To generally do their jobs better.
• Improve their confidence, self-esteem and job
satisfaction by giving them tools that help them
become more useful.
• Become less certain, less expert, more curious and;
therefore, more effective.
• More research is required.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Interview
Tracey interview social worker regarding systemic
practice now a few years after finishing the
Foundation course.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Exercise: in threes
In what ways are these findings meaningful, if at all?
From the positions of:
Front-line social worker
Social Work Manager.
Social Work Client
Each person to talk from one of the above positions
to the others about the meaning of these findings
and their fears and hopes.
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Resources
Problems
Systemic
Social
Work
Restraints
Peter Robinson, Psychotherapist
Possibilities
(Solutions)