Peer reflection
Peer reflection means that you have discussed the content of your CPD activity with a peer, your manager or another professional.
Peer reflection
Contents
- Peer reflection requirement
- How to add a peer reflection
- What is peer reflection?
- Who counts as a peer?
- If you are not currently working
- Peer reflection examples
Peer reflection requirement
To meet the CPD requirements, you must record a minimum of 2 different pieces of CPD.
You must include a peer reflection with at least one piece of CPD. You should record what you have learnt from discussing your CPD with a peer.
How to add a peer reflection
The CPD form has an optional question: “Describe what you have learnt from discussing this CPD activity with a peer.”
The section is marked with a ‘P’ and has the following text: “By answering this question, you will meet the requirement to record at least one piece of CPD with a peer reflection.”
You can add a peer reflection to:
- a new piece of CPD
- draft CPD (select ‘continue editing’)
- submitted CPD (remember to resubmit).
You can also watch a video tutorial of how to record CPD using the online form. This includes how to add a peer reflection.
What is peer reflection?
Peer reflection means that you have discussed the content of your CPD activity with a peer, your manager or another professional.
This discussion can be informal or formal, and can take place in one to one or group settings.
It’s likely that you already do peer reflection regularly. For example, when you have (any of the following):
- informal conversations with colleagues
- reflective team meetings
- supervision with your manager
When discussing your CPD with a peer, you should talk about:
- what you have learnt from doing the CPD
- the positive impact the CPD activity has had (or will have) on your role, practice and the people you work with
It’s important to seek out a non-judgemental, safe space. You need to feel safe enough to be able to scrutinise your own practice, and be honest about any challenges you’ve faced.
However, while peer reflection can be an effective way to address challenges, it doesn’t always have to be about problem solving. It can also be a space to learn about good practice by discussing what went well.
The value of peer reflection
Our regional engagement leads (who are registered social workers), shared their views on peer reflection.
“Peer reflection encourages me to develop my reflection skills. It allows me to access different points of view, positive feedback, and constructive challenge.”
“Sharing my experiences and seeking guidance is good for my wellbeing. It is protected time for me to think.”
“It’s an opportunity to consolidate my learning, and get feedback on my practice. This ultimately leads to more thoughtful practice, safer decision making, and a better service for those with lived experience.”
Who counts as a peer?
The role of the peer is not to approve your learning, but to support you to think about how you can improve your practice.
The peer you reflect with does not have to be someone you work with. You could attend a seminar, join online reflective sessions, or reach out to someone you know from a relevant profession.
Confidentiality
When you record a peer reflection, you should give your peer's job role. Do not record the name or other details of who you reflected with.
You must anonymise all CPD. You must protect the confidentiality of people you work with. If you are reflecting on a case, make sure you do so with a trusted peer, such as a colleague or your manager.
Remember the professional standards when you reflect with a peer, in particular:
Standard 2.6: As a social worker, I will treat information about people with sensitivity and handle confidential information in line with the law.
Standard 5.6: As a social worker, I will not use technology, social media or other forms of electronic communication unlawfully, unethically, or in a way that brings the profession into disrepute.
Who can be a peer?
- A social worker who is registered in the United Kingdom with Northern Ireland Social Care Council, Scottish Social Services Council, Social Care Wales, or Social Work England.
- Your line manager or supervisor.
This could include (any of the following):
- nurses
- health visitors
- midwives
- doctors
- academics
- schoolteachers
- police officers
- probation officers
- mental health workers
- occupational therapists
- psychiatrists
- psychologists
If you are not currently working
You still need to meet the peer reflection requirement even if you are not currently working.
This includes if you are (any of the following):
- unemployed
- on maternity leave
- taking sick leave
We believe CPD is an essential part of being a registered social worker. It’s important to nurture your learning and continue to reflect on your practice, even if you are not currently working. CPD can help keep your skills up to date and ensure you feel fully prepared upon starting or returning to work. It can also help you maintain a sense of professional identity and feel connected to social work practice.
Peer reflection examples
These examples demonstrate some of the scenarios in which you might discuss your CPD with a peer to help you learn, improve and reflect on your practice. The examples should not be viewed as best practice.
You chat with a colleague about your day. You both work in frontline practice, and sharing and comparing your experiences allows you to learn from each other. These conversations also help you to reflect on your work. For example, what you feel has gone well, what could be improved, and how you might approach situations in the future.
Perhaps they suggested a different approach, or offered a new perspective. Or, perhaps by listening to their experiences, you have gained insight that you could apply to your own work. Later, you write down some reflections about the conversation you had with your colleague, and add them to your CPD record.
You’ve recently received some feedback from someone you work with. You decide to use this feedback as the basis for your CPD.
First you write a reflection on what you have learnt from the feedback, and how it will impact your practice. Where relevant, you might like to bring in some further reading or research. For example, if the feedback was that the person didn’t feel listened to, you might research some active listening techniques, and consider how you could use these in future interactions.
Next, you take the feedback, and the reflection you have written, to supervision with your manager. You could use this opportunity to reflect with them about how the feedback made you feel, the impact it had on you, and how you can improve the situation. You could then reflect on your discussion, considering how your manager’s support benefited your practice.
You are on long-term leave from work and not currently practising. However, you would like to record CPD so you can remain registered as a social worker.
For your CPD, you reflect on a thought-provoking documentary you watched, that has given you a new perspective on a current issue in society. Later, through an online community or social media, you start talking to another social worker who has also seen the documentary. You decide to have a discussion on a video call so you can reflect together.
You add details of this discussion to your CPD record, describing how sharing your learning with another social worker has kept your skills and knowledge up to date, and how this might impact your future practice.
You’ve been reading a book in your personal life that has themes and topics that are relevant to your practice.
You decide to make some changes to your practice based on what you’ve read about, and find they are effective. In a casual discussion with a colleague, you share your new approach, and they decide to try it as well. A few weeks later, you chat with the same colleague about your experiences of implementing the changes, reflect on the benefits and challenges, and discuss potential further changes.
Later, you write a CPD record about what you learned from the book, and how sharing your learning with a colleague helped both of you to improve your practice. You might also consider how your colleague’s experience differed from your own, or how you might influence change across your organisation.
You attend an online event or training course about a topic relevant to your practice. The session might include other social workers, or professionals from a range of disciplines. At the end of the session, the facilitator asks each participant to discuss what they have learnt with another participant.
You record the session as CPD in your online account. You include details of what you have learnt and how this will impact on your practice. You also reflect on the discussion that you had at the end of the session with the other participant, and what you learned from their perspective. If you are an independent social worker, or don’t regularly work with other social workers, you could consider how these opportunities to meet other professionals enrich your work.