What do we mean by a practice framework?
A practice framework brings together, in an accessible way, an organisation’s approach to practice, identifying what underpins the work, how this informs interventions and as an organisation how we support front line practice. However, a practice framework can only be effective if it also identifies approaches to understanding the experience of the person receiving any intervention and support.
Through having a clearly defined practice framework we will be able to support the development of high-quality practice by providing clear expectations and a framework within which a consistent approach can be applied.
It is however, not a prescriptive set of rules or procedures that deskill and disempower workers. It is instead an underlying ethos to guide everything we do which is flexible and adaptive so that it can work in a place as diverse as Coventry where every person is different and what might be right for one person may not be right for another.
It has been developed to support workers to use their professional judgement and to spend their time undertaking relationship-based work with adults and their carers that changes lives.
Our practice framework contains four key elements:
- Provides clarity on the key focus of Adult Social Care in Coventry
- Defines what is expected from practitioners working within Coventry Adult Social Care
- Describes the practice tools that are in place to support practitioners to undertake their role
- Describes how staff are supported by the City Council to deliver good quality social work, occupational therapy and social care.
The success of any practice framework is however not tested through the quality of this document. It is tested through the way in which the content of this document is brought to life and evidenced through the many thousands of interactions between social care professionals and the people we are seeking to support, this is an ongoing matter of personal development, reflection and learning through applying new tools and approaches often in very challenging circumstances.