Sustaining skills of critical reflection on practice – international research collaboration

Dr Claudia Psaila from the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at the Faculty for Social Wellbeing at the UM, has just returned from Norfolk, where she had the privilege of attending an intimate, three-day workshop as a Collaborator on the "Sustaining Skills of Critical Reflection on Practice" research team.

Invited by Prof. Laura Beres from King’s College, Ontario, Dr Psaila joined seven other academics and practitioners from Canada, Australia, the UK, and Malta for this collaborative session.

Together, they discussed the role of critical reflection in maintaining value-based practice - especially when navigating highly complex cases and systemic challenges.

Critical reflection is a structured process that allows professionals to unpack complex issues through a theoretical framework, challenge their own assumptions, and view situations from entirely new perspectives. Ultimately, this process focuses on an analysis of assumptions and review of practice, leading to both personal and systemic growth.

When professionals feel conflicted or unsupported by organisational values, it can lead to powerlessness, inner conflict, and ultimately, burnout.

To combat this, the focus was on sustaining the practice of critical reflection for busy professionals to ensure their daily practice stays congruent with their values.

"It was an honor to collaborate with pioneering minds of critical reflection, including Prof. Jan Fook (Northumbria University) and Prof. Fiona Gardner (La Trobe University), as well as Prof. Beres, developer of the CRoP (Critical Reflection on Practice) model and process. Together, we explored how to further integrate CRoP into practitioner training and development. I look forward to continuing this collaboration in the near future", said Dr Psaila.