Self-managed action learning and assessors of newly qualified social workers in multiple organisations in England: a facilitator's perspective

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to explore a self-managed action learning (SMAL) initiative undertaken by social work assessors in England, which led to insights into the practice of SMAL.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws upon the experience of the authors in relation to an actual SMAL intervention in a social care context in England.FindingsThe paper suggests that, in contrast to extant literature, it is not the absence of an “expert” facilitator, which has proved to be most challenging but rather dealing with the practicalities of managing inter-organisational sets online. Specific individual and inter-organisational learning came about as a result of the SMAL initiative, including the implementation of inter-organisational networking to support isolated assessors.Research limitations/implicationsThe ideas and perspectives discussed in this paper will be explored through further empirical research.Practical implicationsThe paper illustrates how SMAL can be implemented and suggests how it can facilitate organisational and individual learning.Social implicationsThe paper discusses an initiative with the aim of better supporting assessors of newly qualified social workers; a task of enormous importance to the future of social work practice in England.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to a limited literature on the practice of SMAL. The uniqueness comes from both the multi-organisational aspect of the programme, that it is self-managed and delivered virtually.