Writing an essay on children’s services practice

by Dr Barry Cooper, lecturer in social work, Open University.

Question: “Identify an example of your practice within children’s services and analyse the key factors that influenced your decision-making.”

A very useful mnemonic for reflection and analysis is H5W: How, Why, What, When, Who & Where. The following can be used as starting prompts when drafting an essay answer and thinking about decisions that you made and were involved in:

• How did you get allocated the work?

• Why was the agency involved with the child(ren)and family?

• Was it urgent and high priority? Did this impact on how decisions were made?

• Who else was involved? Did they influence your decisions? If so, how?

• What was the presenting problem that needed your intervention?

• What were the duties and obligations of your role within this agency?

• What was the relevant legislation?

• What sources of information did you draw upon? How might this have influenced your judgement?

• Was there enough information for the decisions you made? If not, what were the implications of this?

• Who else is involved: wider family networks as well as multi-disciplinary colleagues? Did you speak to them? Professionals? Family? Others? How did you gauge what they told you?

• Did decisions have to be negotiated? What were the constraints and opportunities of this?

• How satisfied were you with the picture that you developed of the situation?

• Did you speak to or see the child?

• What was their view [if age relevant]?

• What was your plan of intervention in this case?

• Did you negotiate an agreement with the family? If so, how did this influence decisions?

• What are the disagreements or areas that have not yet been explored?

• With hindsight, how would you assess the decisions you made at that time, with the particular people involved and in the circumstances of that particular situation?

• What could have been done differently?

Do you have questions about essays? Get advice from fellow students on CareSpace.

Keep up to date with the latest developments in social care Sign up to our daily and weekly emails.