Reflective group interventions with social workers: A scoping review

Abstract

Social work is a rewarding yet highly demanding profession, and supporting practitioners to manage the emotional and practical demands of the role is key to addressing ongoing challenges in the recruitment and retention of social workers. Reflective group interventions (RGIs) - such as group supervision and reflective case discussion groups - are commonly used to support social workers, however, comparatively little is known about the effectiveness of RGIs or the outcomes of providing them to social workers. This article is based on a scoping review of empirical research on RGIs with social workers. Twenty-seven studies were included as part of the review and findings data were extracted under four pre-determined categories: personal and professional development, working with service users, retention, and cost effectiveness. Challenges in embedding RGIs into practice were also identified as an area of interest. The evidence base for the effectiveness of RGIs is relatively weak, with most studies being small-scale, localized, and exploratory in nature. Based on findings from the review, this article proposes a logic model for prospective inputs, outputs, and outcomes of RGIs and recommends further research to support the development of effective RGIs with social workers.