Examining Practice Frameworks – Mapping out the Gains

Abstract

Most systems of child welfare promote some form of practice framework or practice approach, with inspectorates reinforcing the need for such. Yet the extent to which practice frameworks are sufficiently embedded and therefore driving good and improving practice is not clear or well understood. Practice frameworks can help social workers be more confident with articulating the core purpose of their work and help them to explain how they do it. Social workers and organisational leadership can then better articulate the core purpose, focus and offer of social work in social care settings along with encouraging a deepening practice knowledge and value base. In this paper, we explain practice frameworks and based on the available evidence synthesize the core elements to five core domains; we then present a conceptual and underpinning model (KcVETS), an underpinning practice framework that accommodates and promotes a range of values, standards and foundations for social work, and one that can help to drive and reinforce good and improving practice.