ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the values and objectives of reflective practice (RP), widely used with teams in public service settings. It focuses on how to be a skillful RP facilitator. The chapter deals with some historical context, and also discusses RP as a way to improve staff competence and resilience. It explores what makes for ‘good’ and ‘bad’ reflective practice and how organizational cultures develop. The chapter suggests that the RP story has its roots in both the democratic therapeutic community movement and the communitarian ideals of the 1960s. In both these contexts, the assumption of fixed hierarchies was challenged; especially the assumption that those who were ranked lower in organizations or businesses neither could nor should speak. The primary task of RP is to help staff become more self-reflective, so they can understand and perform their professional roles better. A thorough evaluation of the staff team and the context within which it functions is helpful before any RP starts.
