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Abstract
Observation of practice in social work, as in other helping professions, has occurred as one response to requirements for public and professional accountability of professional practice. Observation can be considered in three contexts: peer observation, supervisor observation and observation for assessment. This paper introduces and examines a ‘negotiated collaborative model’ for ‘doing’ live observation which offers practitioners an opportunity to affirm and develop practice skills and practice knowledge, whilst at the same time accommodating reporting requirements. The model has four steps: preparation, negotiated observation, debriefing, feedback and observation and next steps. We examine the negotiated collaborative model in depth, identify pertinent questions for each step and, through a series of vignettes, illustrate how the model works in practice.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Allyson Mary Davys
Allyson Mary Davys is an educator and supervisor in private practice and a PhD candidate in the School of Counselling, Human Services and Social Work, the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Allyson is currently researching interprofessional supervision in health and social services in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Liz Beddoe
Liz Beddoe is an associate professor of Social Work in the School of Counselling, Human Services and Social Work, the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Liz Beddoe has published widely on social work education and professional issues in New Zealand and internationally. Correspondence to: Liz Beddoe, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.