Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers: Focusing on service users' needs

Working with people from diverse backgrounds requires a comprehensive
toolkit of communication skills. It is easy to assume that communication
skills are intuitive and universal, but communicating with service users
with specific needs and issues requires a high level of professional skill.
This book will help you to understand and harness these specialist skills
to ensure effective social work practice.
Based on the author's innovative teaching and award-winning research,
this essential text provides a robust evidence base to support the
development of higher-level interpersonal skills within a range of social
work settings. It examines general communication techniques applicable
to all social work practice, as well as exploring the specialist methods
that you can employ when working with specific service user groups.
Incorporating detailed transcripts, the book dissects the professional
communication skills that lie at the heart of social work with those
with particular needs including children, parents, asylum seekers, people
who use substances and people with disabilities. In each specialist
chapter, the author:
■ assesses the theoretical underpinning and policy context of the setting
■ draws on a detailed practice example to identify key communication
techniques and micro-skills
■ interrogates the link between theory and practice, based on tried and
trusted research
■ highlights the relevance of the skills discussed to national professional
standards.
Clear and engaging throughout, Specialist Communication Skills for Social
Workers provides support for honing your skills both within classroom
and placement environments, and is a key resource for individual portfolio
development. It is therefore a core text for all social work students and
professionals, from training through to professional practice.