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Developing Your Communication Skills in Social Work
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Developing Your Communication Skills in Social Work

Second Edition


October 2023 | 216 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

This book explores:

·       What is meant by communication skills

·       What communication skills are

·       What they look like in practice

·       The differences in communicating with service users and professionals, such as children, guardians, peers and emergency workers

·       Why they are important

It includes a wide range of theories, multiple case studies, reflective tasks, and exercises. It will develop your critical thinking and reflection skills, and help you develop your own communication style.

Presented in a chronological style which acts as a working tool that you can dip into and out of. Each chapter is structured in a way that encourages you to build on your knowledge, so it begins by taking you right back to basics to learn core theory and practice techniques before getting you to critically reflect on the use of different skills in different settings and with different service user groups. The end-of-chapter skills audits help you to reflect on what you have learnt, what your strengths are and what you need to work on more. 

 
Chapter 1: Reflection and Emotional Intelligence
 
Chapter 2: Initial Engagement
 
Chapter 3: Listening
 
Chapter 4: Clarification
 
Chapter 5: Empathy
 
Chapter 6: Challenging: Holding Sensitive Conversations
 
Chapter 7: Working with Resistance
 
Chapter 8: Barriers to Effective Communication
 
Chapter 9: Remote Communication
 
Chapter 10: Case Recording and Assessments
 
Chapter 11: Inter-Professional Communication
 
Chapter 12: Managing Endings

Paula Beesley

Paula Beesley is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Leeds Beckett University, with interests in communication skill development and practice placements. She holds the Practice Teacher Award, and has been a practice teacher for 20 years both as a child protection social worker and as an independent off-site practice educator working with a wide range of placements and students. She is currently undertaking a PhD into communication in social work student supervision on placement. More About Author

Melanie Watts

Sarah Harlow

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