One of the central preoccupations of social workers is the increasing bureaucratisation of the profession. As Saltiel (2003) notes, a theme emerging from his research was the importance of social workers being able to exercise autonomous judgement rather than acting in accordance with management imperatives. “ The tension between this managerialism on the one hand and, on the other, the practitioners’ skills of flexibility and creativity whereby new knowledge for practice was being created, seemed to me to be at the heart of practice ” (p. 109). Managerialist and technicist approaches to practice contribute to a climate where professional activity is challenged and monitored (Healy 2005). This engenders an approach to the work that emphasises defensive practice, which at times seems to value adherence to practice protocols at the expense of professional creativity. The tension between professionalism and bureaucratisation in agencies has given a new impetus for reflection in social work education.