Relationship Skills In Social Work

"Roger Hennessey has written a wonderfully warm and readable book about the importance of a relationship-based approach to social work practice. It is full of wisdom, humanity, and commonsense. The book is rich with examples and exercises. You know that you are in the hands of an expert whose skill, experience and understanding shine and reassure on every page." Professor David Howe, School of Social work and Psychology, University of East Anglia Human relationships lie at the very heart of social work practice, and an understanding of their importance is a crucial aspect of training. This book considers the place of relationships in current practice and explores the ways in which social workers can use relationship skills to achieve the best possible outcomes for their clients. The book also offers a unique discussion of the social worker′s relationship with him or herself, arguing that self-awareness is as essential to good practice as an emotional understanding of the other. In doing so, the book promotes a new model for relationship-based social work, which emphasises the importance of both the inter- and intrapersonal. Opening with an introduction to the theoretical bases of the relationship-based model, the book then focuses on their direct application to social work practice. Key topics include: -Self-awareness and using oneself -Knowing the other person -Sustaining oneself -The ethics of relationship-based social work -Internalising knowledge, skills and values Using reflective exercises and case studies, the book encourages students to relate the tools they have learnt to practice scenarios from the real world, and is essential reading for all qualifying social work students.

"Roger Hennessey has written a wonderfully warm and readable book about the importance of a relationship-based approach to social work practice. It is full of wisdom, humanity, and commonsense. The book is rich with examples and exercises. You know that you are in the hands of an expert whose skill, experience and understanding shine and reassure on every page." Professor David Howe, School of Social work and Psychology, University of East Anglia Human relationships lie at the very heart of social work practice, and an understanding of their importance is a crucial aspect of training. This book considers the place of relationships in current practice and explores the ways in which social workers can use relationship skills to achieve the best possible outcomes for their clients. The book also offers a unique discussion of the social worker′s relationship with him or herself, arguing that self-awareness is as essential to good practice as an emotional understanding of the other. In doing so, the book promotes a new model for relationship-based social work, which emphasises the importance of both the inter- and intrapersonal. Opening with an introduction to the theoretical bases of the relationship-based model, the book then focuses on their direct application to social work practice. Key topics include: -Self-awareness and using oneself -Knowing the other person -Sustaining oneself -The ethics of relationship-based social work -Internalising knowledge, skills and values Using reflective exercises and case studies, the book encourages students to relate the tools they have learnt to practice scenarios from the real world, and is essential reading for all qualifying social work students.

This comprehensive guide to relationship-based practice in social work communicates the theory using illustrative case studies and offers a model for practice. Updated and expanded, it now includes increased coverage of anti-oppressive and diversity issues, service user perspectives and systemic approaches in social work. The book explores the ranges of emotions that practitioners may encounter with service users, and covers working in both short-term and long-term professional relationships. It also outlines key skills, such as how to establish rapport, and explores systemic issues, such as building appropriate support systems for practice, management and leadership.

Relationships and communication are the foundation of good social work practice. This book offers a new model, drawn from research and practical experience, which describes how to carry out effective relationship-based social work. Doing Relationship-Based Social Work provides a refreshing and realistic approach to social work practice. The model itself is built around four stages: engagement, negotiation, enabling change and valuing endings. Underpinned by motivational interviewing techniques, strengths focused practice, emotional intelligence and empowerment, the approach is supported by case examples and explanations of the importance of relationships at each stage. Informative and practical, this book will be an invaluable text for undergraduate and postgraduate social work students as well as all social work and allied professionals committed to enabling positive change.

A step-by-step guide to developing effective communication skills with a diverse range of service users and professionals.

"The introduction provides an orientation to the themes of this book including its educational purposes, the nature of the social worker/client relationship, the role of evidence-based practice in determining practice interventions, and the ways in which case illustrations will be used throughout the book to help readers process the book's themes"--

Effective communication is a vital part of the social worker's job. This welcome new edition of a classic text provides students and practitioners with essential advice and guidance about communicating and interacting in a range of social work settings. Based on the author's extensive personal and teaching experience, the text offers a succint introduction to a variety of communication techniques, including symbolic, non-verbal, verbal, written and electronic forms of communication. Importantly, it discusses the perspectives of service users and explores their experiences and interpretations of how a social worker looks, acts and speaks, thus giving a real insight into the implicit messages being conveyed. New to this edition are Putting it into Practice activities and further reading suggestions, designed to support learning and understanding and to enable readers to reflect critically for practice. Written in an appealing narrative style that cannot fail to draw the reader in, Communication in Social Work is an engaging and comprehensive book suitable both for social work and social care students and for newly qualified practitioners wanting to refresh their thinking and skills.

· In what ways is counselling relevant to contemporary social work? · How do counselling skills integrate with social work roles and responsibilities? This book examines these skills and their applicability, drawing from social work and counselling theories and methods using clear, practical examples. Skills are discussed with reference to social work knowledge and values illustrating how, when used competently, contextually and sensitively they can appropriately underpin good social work practice. Questions and activities for self development are linked to the practices discussed. This new edition ofCounselling Skills in Social Work Practicehas been thoroughly revised to reflect the National Occupational Standards for social work which identify the importance of communication skills and a developmental understanding of people in their social contexts. The chapters are linked to the six key roles for social work practice. This book builds on the strengths of the first edition, as well as addressing the challenges of practice in relevant legislative and policy contexts. The book includes: · Evidence of how the competencies which underpin counselling practice are directly transferable to effective social work practice · Practical advice on communication skills · Examples of how to build effective working relationships; a whole chapter is now devoted to the specific skills required for working within inter-agency and multi-disciplinary teams This book is key reading on the subject of ethical and effective social work for those teaching, studying or practising in the field.