Assessing anti-oppressive practice

Abstract

Uncertainty appears to exist among practice teachers concerning how to assess anti-oppressive practice. Students and tutors may also struggle in this area, and face anxieties about ‘getting it right’. Equally, for tutors and practice teachers, the mandates underpinning their responsibilities, relating to the assessment of competence to practise and the application of social work values to social work education and training, may result in arrangements which aspire to being anti-oppressive but which are experienced differently by students. Alternatively, students may be required to demonstrate competence in anti-oppressive practice within a learning and training framework which is governed by different values. Finally, there remain doubts as to the extent to which anti-oppressive practice is feasible in contemporary social welfare practice. This paper presents some reflections on the assessment of anti-oppressive practice in this context.