Developing Skills for Social Work Practice

Are your students struggling to get to grips with what social work actually looks like in real-life practice? Are they wanting to know more about how they can develop the right skills and implement the right theory in many different practice situations?   Then you have come to the right place! This book will provide your students with everything they need to know and more, helping them develop and hone their skills and make the best start in their practice placements.      To get the most out of this book and access more materials to support them through their social work degree, visit the companion website at https://www.study.sagepub.com/rogers to read journal articles, access ‘how to..’ guides and helpful links, as well as hear first-hand from frontline social workers, services users, carers and more.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Core Skills Person-Centred Communication Active Listening Skills Communicating with Children Emotionally Intelligent Social Work Developing Empathic Skills Reflection and Reflexivity Understanding Values, Ethics and Human Rights Valuing Difference and Diversity Skills for Assessment and Interventions Assessment Skills Interviewing Skills A Positive Approach to Safeguarding: Risk in Humane Social Work Working with Service Users and Carers Building Resilience Conflict Management and Resolution Research-Informed Practice Writing Skills for Practice Inter-Professional Practice and Working Together Maximising Supervision Review and Evaluation Court Skills Key Social Work Theories and Methods Strengths-Based and Solution-Focused Approaches Systems Theory and an Ecological Approach Attachment Theory: Examining Maternal Sensitivity Scales Person-Centred Social Work Group Work Task-Centred Social Work Practice Crisis Intervention The Social Models of Disability and Distress

About the Author :
Dr Michaela Rogers is a lecturer of social work who is involved in both research and teaching across the areas of social care, social justice, equality and diversity, safeguarding, interpersonal violence and gender. Dr Rogers has delivered and worked alongside colleagues on a range of projects in the voluntary and public sector. These projects typically aim to explore social problems in terms of everyday experiences or assess the impact of service delivery or specific policy initiatives. Dr Rogers is a qualified social worker registered with the profession’s regulatory body in England, the Health and Care Professions Council. Dawn Whitaker is a lecturer at Lancaster University and registered independent social work consultant and trainer. Dawn worked as a mental health social worker in the North West of England for many years, before joining a Local Authority training department to deliver teaching on the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Dawn subsequently joined the NHS as a locality Mental Capacity Act implementation lead, with particular responsibility for implementing the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). As an Independent Social Worker, Dawn is regularly instructed by the Official Solicitor for the Court of Protection, specifically in cases where there is a health and social care dispute, or an adult is deemed to be ‘at risk’ requiring ‘safeguarding’. Dawn continues to undertake ISW work, and has been involved in a number of high-profile, landmark cases such as Cheshire West [Cheshire West and Chester Council v P (2011) EWHC 1330 (COP)] and LBX v K & Ors [2013] EWHC 3230 (Fam). David was until recently a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. He worked for many years as a qualified mental health social worker and service manager in central Manchester. His previous book, Social Work Practice Learning was published by SAGE in 2014.  Donna is a registered social worker whose 30 year career includes a range of positions in therapeutic residential childcare, child protection teams, and CAFCASS. During the last eight years of her career, Donna worked as an expert witness for the family courts. Her academic and research interests are complemented by her role as a critical social psychologist, her PhD is a phenomenological analysis of prospective adoptive parents’ experiences. In addition, Donna has lead roles in several child sexual abuse and exploitation research studies including Rotherham MBC’s, CSE Needs Analysis; Voluntary Action Rotherham’s Base project; Barnardo’s real love rocks CSE practitioner training resource; Greater Manchester Police CTZN project and evaluation of MOSAIC II, a charity providing therapeutic support to victims, families and survivors of child sexual abuse.  Finally, Donna is commissioned by NHS England to manage the development of a psychosocial assessment model, designed to enhance disclosures of sexual abuse between children, young people and professionals.

Review :
This book is well set out and clear, it includes all the main ingredients not only for student social workers but also those with more experience and managers. Its easy read style and three-part approach using case studies, small exercises, activities and reflective opportunities make this text accessible, informative and invaluable. The links to theory, literature and practice as well as the PCF statements enables the reader to see clearly the competencies needed and how these may be achieved. This book seems to be a useful and practical tool that will support the development of the highly trained and effective workforce needed within the sector while equipping them to move through the melee of changes in the sector. The focus of this book on Relationship-based Practice is an excellent reminder that social workers need to harness and develop skills in working with people – people in need and often in difficult situations. The book is set out clearly and is written in an accessible way for all. The use of case studies and reflective activities help the reader to understand how to apply the principles suggested in real life situations. I thoroughly recommend this book especially as social work students prepare for their first practice experience; and of course to those looking to develop their skills. This text provides a practical guide to social work students developing their social work skills with examples and activities throughout on what to do and how to do it. The authors place relationship based social work at the heart of the text and build on this by sharing a range of practical skills and models for engaging in Aspire (assessment, planning, intervention, review and evaluation) and on how to draw on wider theory to inform each intervention. The clear guidance will give confidence to students and early career practitioners seeking to develop their social work practice. This is the book my students have been waiting for! Effective communication and interpersonal skills are central to good social work practice. Social work is a profession concerned with relationships and promoting change at its heart. This is only possible with effective and skilled practitioners.  The authors successfully share a wealth of practice experience and help the developing practitioner build strong relationship-based-practice, covering a wide-ranging number of key communication and interpersonal skills including active listening, empathy and conflict resolution.  This comprehensive and engaging text will thoroughly equip the reader with a sound knowledge base and strong theoretical understanding, concerning a broad spectrum of practice interventions. The authors present a very welcome and essential edition to my module reading list. Developing skills for social work practice is a core module which students need to have greater understanding and knowledge within their degree programme. Students will find this very helpful in their assessments and course work. Written and laid out in a very accessible manner, this book is current, practice focussed and grounded in a proven knowledge base.  It can make a significant contribution towards helping undergraduate social work students in becoming effective relationship-based and person centred practitioners. This is an ambitious and well-structured book which will support both social work students and practitioners in their skills development.  The authors provide a range of useful tools and resources to support student learning and to ensure an accessible and engaging read, whilst also offering  thoughtful, critical analysis throughout.  Grounded in person centred practice, this book is a valuable and important addition to the existing skills literature.  Rogers et al provide an excellent, accessible tour of the essential skills that a student social worker needs to develop their skills, confidence and understanding to enable them to be equipped to practice effectively. This book helpfully brings together inter personal skills, relationship skills and core social work theories and methods. I would recommend this text as a way of enabling social work students to see the connections between these areas. Engaging purposefully and meaningfully with service users is crucial to effective social work.  Rogers, Whitaker, Edmondson and Peach have compiled a relevant resource that will enhance students’ development of skills necessary for good social work practice.  Qualified social workers will also benefit from revisiting the skills, values and underpinning knowledge outlined. Although attractively presented and ‘reader’ friendly, this is not a text to merely read.  Reflective questions and case studies encourage its use as a workbook.  Distinct features include challenging reflections from newly qualified and more experienced social workers and ‘How to…’ guides in a companion website.  It is well referenced and each chapter concludes with further recommended reading.  The key social work theories and methods that are also introduced provide helpful underpinning for value based and culturally appropriate interaction with service users and carers.  Relationship-based practice and person-centred thinking are the starting point and a running thread, although the content is balanced with a critical approach.  In addition to chapters exploring fundamental communication and interpersonal skills, others tackle specific areas such as Communicating with Children, Writing Skills for Practice and Court Skills.  An ambitious project, it is nevertheless an incisive and ‘to the point’ introduction to practice skills.  Written by a range of highly experienced social work educators/practitioners, this is a clear, skills focused, text which is likely to appeal to students, beginning social workers, academics and practice educators. The use of overarching theoretical concepts in parts 1 and 2 provide continuity and coherence across the chapters.  The helpful activities and signposting to online resources reinforce the practical usefulness of this text.         This is an excellent foundation level text for SW students in practice, which will help them develop fundamental skills to work in a what is a very tough environment. This thoughtful and practical book will help students develop the skills they need for direct practice with children, families and adults with diverse needs across a range of settings.  Particular strengths are the personalised approach to support, a respectful anti-oppressive ethos, and the reflexive and relational approach to practice.  The requirements of both the PCF and KSS are included and there are a range of activities to support student learning.  I think students will find it a great resource. This promises to be a useful, practical text book for social work students,  linking skills and theories with plenty of reflective and other learning activities included in the chapters.   An excellent introduction, not just to social work skills but also key theories, approaches and values. It is person-centred in relation to both social work service users and the reader. The content is highly accessible and engaging; it is presented in digestible chapters with case studies, reflections and links to a companion website offering further support materials. A definite addition to my reading list!  A book that seeks to support students to link their university-based teaching and placement learning experience as explicitly as this one does is in my view to be welcomed. Included throughout the book are contributions in the form of case studies, commentaries and reflections from eleven other practitioners, thus ensuring the book is based on a wide range of practice experience and current theoretical knowledge. This book offers a structure that could be used to build skills programmes around and I certainly recommend it as a key text for Readiness to Practice modules.