Preface

Use the links below to navigate the page.

• Contextualising this anthology
• The aim: Translating learning to practise
• The purpose: Enacting learning in the workplace
• The reason for this anthology
• Acknowledging Country and Indigenous group work
• Concluding comment and reflective questions
• Reference list

Background

Contextualising this anthology

Group work practice is common to many professions, such as social work. There are many effective ways to practise social work group work. This anthology shares with busy professionals, academics, volunteers, and students ideas for group icebreakers, getting-to-know-you activities, and session planning, and performance activities.

All activities were based on our:

• Industry experience as all of us who participated in the week-long group work workshop are employed in education, health or human services, and,
• Understanding of group work theory, particularly group work epistemologies inspired by pioneering thinker Tuckman (1965) regarding small-groups developmental sequence. Tuckman’s (1965) classic approach to group work focuses on helping people interact and connect within a safe environment.

The aim: Translating learning to practise

This anthology presents the participant authors’ learnings at a week-long group work intensive workshop (known from here on as workshop) and makes them available in an accessible format. We, the participating authors, grant permission for the knowledge, except for the photographs, to be utilised with attribution within workplaces and other settings.

The purpose: Enacting learning in the workplace

This anthology translates group work activities and techniques into strategies for practice. It drew from the experience and knowledge of the participants and the academic and subject content (Charles Sturt University, Dobud & Healy, 2024, p. 18). Participants in the workshop (the authors) recognised that the group work activities envisioned easily translate into present practice in their workplaces.

The reason for this anthology

This participatory writing project documents the authors’ group work epistemologies to promote social work practice in the workplace and beyond. In co-designing, co-creating, and co-producing this resource, we hope to share the joy and utility of group work through the lens of working in education, health and human services whilst teaching and learning social work skills. We were keen to try group work concepts and ideas in our practice and make the activities easily accessible to others. Our activities are consistent with the Australian Association of Social Workers (2020) Code of Ethics, namely the principles of respect for persons, social justice, and professional integrity.

Acknowledging Country and Indigenous group work

We suggest that all the activities listed below begin with an acknowledgement of Country, which includes mention of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri Peoples and Country, as these are the people groups whose lands this social work group work project was designed on.

Reference list

Australian Association of Social Workers. (2020). AASW Code of Ethics 2020. https://www.aasw.asn.au/about-aasw/ethics-standards/code-of-ethics/

Charles Sturt University, Dobud, W., & Healy, J. (2024). Social work theory and practice 3 student workbook 2024. Charles Sturt University.

Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384-399. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0022100