Developing Your Communication Skills in Social Work

What is communication and why is it important? Our ability to communicate is central to everyday life and an essential skill in social work. This easy-to-read book offers a step-by-step guide to developing effective communication skills with a diverse range of service users and professionals. It is the perfect guide to help manage different communication skills in different settings, and more importantly, encourage students to continually reflect and develop these skills.

Key features:

-          Wide range of case studies from an array of service areas and user groups

-          Reflective tasks and questions to stimulate critical thinking and discussion

-          Skills audits to test where your strengths are and areas for development

This book is designed to guide readers in developing their own communication style that best suits them to become an effective social worker, whilst meeting the needs of their service user group and individual service user.

Doctor Paula Beesley is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Academic Practice Lead at Leeds Beckett University, educator, researcher and author. Her teaching interests include critical thinking in communication skills, practice skill development and placement modules. Her research interests focus on pedagogical development. Her doctoral study identified a model of Collaborative Experiential Learning (Beesley, 2023) to support students on practice placement develop knowledge and skills. More recently, she has undertaken pedagogical research exploring the learning experience and environment for students with reasonable adjustments, inclusion of role play in teaching, the experiences of newly qualified social workers, and most recently exploring student poverty.