Making a judgement about NQSW progress and development in the supported year
Giving and receiving feedback
It is important for us all when receiving or giving feedback that we frame this as specific, actionable, timely and respectful for it to be most effective.
Feedback should be about practice and not personality and it is helpful to present feedback as your perspective which makes this easier to hear. Often it is the way that feedback is said for example tone of voice, volume and pace and how you present this for example body language, eye contact etc that will have a negative or positive impact.
Feedback is an essential ingredient of professional development. Feedback can always helpfully promote learning and development and should help us understand what is needed to improve and develop practice. NQSW should receive feedback in relation to their social work practice throughout their supported year in practice.
Feedback should
- support increased awareness of what we do and how we do it
- be affirming and professionally challenging
- focus on behaviour and not a person
- be based on observations of actual social work practice, not inferences
- be specific and not general; descriptive and not judgemental
- focus on sharing ideas/ information, rather than giving advice/ immediately offering solutions
- be balanced – challenging and constructively critical and praiseworthy when good performance is noticed
Please note this is under development and suggested content information as this website evolves as part of our NQSW national project in 2020-21. Your feedback is welcome on additions and amendments to the information and resources included here.
