ED4042 CW2: Communication Skills in Child and Family Social Work

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This essay explores communication skills in social work.

ED4042 CW2 Assignment- Individual Essay
1

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................11
Appendix........................................................................................................................................14
Critical Reflection..........................................................................................................................14
2

“Discuss how understanding and utilizing communication skills can be both educational and
helpful in work with children, young people and families”.
Introduction
Communication is the art of sharing and interacting in order to create better-developed
relationships with others. Communication is the process through which two or more individuals
interact in order to form calculative and accurate decisions. The aspect and practice of
communication are required in the field of social work to execute effective social services and
performances. Communication in an effective manner creates opportunities to clarify the issue
and conflicts faced by the service receivers. Communication enables to discuss and fetch the
required information and details from the services receivers to develop for better social working
practices. Communication enables to settle in the needs and requirements of the services
receivers and it also ensures for the building a trustworthy and effective relationship.
In the field of social work, it is required by the professional to undertake effective
communication skills that look out for understanding the perspectives of the service receiver.
Communication enables for the social workers to represent the state of the plight of the service
receivers and the clients to a bigger scale (Turner, 2017). Through the practice of
communication, the social workers and professionals are provided with opportunities to handle
the issue and conflicts in an effective manner. The essay will discuss and communicate on the
aspects that how communication skills can be helpful and educational in working with the
children, young people and families. The essay will discuss the topics of how communication
can be utilized and understood in the field of social work and profession. The essay will
deliberate to discuss the significance and role played by social workers in developing
communication as an educational and helpful exercise. The essay will develop and discuss
different theories in communication regarding the skills required to develop as an effective
social worker.
While working with children and young people along with families it is required by the social
workers to develop certain skills and attributes which develops for effective and recursive
practices. The professions of social work require developing effective communication skills to
3

ensure effective practice and social work scenarios. Working with young people and children
requires communication skills to develop an understanding of the issue faced by young people.
Children require a trust-based relationship where they feel comfortable about their personal
preferences and the experiences that require attention and the care of social work (Trevithick,
2014). The practice of communication aids social workers to strengthen the relationship and
foster for the development of understanding between the social workers and the service
receivers. Communication skills such as listening skills, nonverbal behaviors, trust building,
conflict handling, and fetching feedback, etc. aids in an educational helpful manner. The
communication skills of listening educate the social worker about the needs and requirements of
the service receiver. Effective listening and interpreting skills provide for gathering the
knowledge and background information about the patient and their history. Especially with
children, it is required to effectively listen and interpreting the information as they are not clear
and comfortable with sharing the small details and information regarding the service
requirements.
Communication is the process through which information is transferred from one person to
another. Communication is the process through which two or more individual interact and
develop an understanding of the information shared. The process of communication is
incomplete without attaining and gathering feedback from the receiver of the information. It is
necessary to gather feedback from the receiver to ensure for effective understanding of the
details transferred and shared from the sender to the receiver (Forrester, et. al., 2019). The
dynamic and contemporary social and business environment require an individual to be
component enough to effectively share the information and make the receiver clearly understand
the aspects of information and details shared. In order to develop effective and useful certain
communication skills must be developed and practiced by the social workers or an individual in
practice. The skills required for developing effective communication include for active listening,
nonverbal communication, asking questions, empathic speaking, gathering feedback and being
clear and succinct.
These above-mentioned skills can be used in social service practice in an educational and
helpful manner. These skills aids in educating and informing the service providers about the
needs and requirements of the service receivers. The service providers must be effectively
4

educated and informed about the needs to develop structured and illustrated care plan and
developmental strategies. The field and profession of social work require good communication
as it is the central point of working with children and families. Communication in an educational
perspective aids in developing trust and ensuring the opportunities for service receivers to seek
advice and use social services (Palma-García, et. al., 2018). In educational perspectives,
communication skills aid to developing trust and empathy between the service providers and the
service receivers. These skills also represent for developing formal and informal education. The
formal education is imparted towards the service receivers by educating them about the future
course of service required by them. Formal education is provided to them through the
communication skills of motivating and encouraging the service receivers to share their
experiences and personal requirements from the social services. Through effective
communication and its skills, the service providers are aided in informing the service receivers
about the benefits and the advantages of seeking social care services.
The communication skills also support for informal education and informing the service
receivers about different aspects of social care and services. The service receivers are informed
and aided in balancing their mental and emotional state of mind. The service providers
communicate and interact with the service receivers to resolve issues related to personal
experiences (Howe, et. al., 2018). The service providers can use the communication skills of
active listening to support for providing emotional and mental support to the service users.
In the practice of social work as a professional communication can be received in both a positive
and negative manner. Society and community workers must ascertain aspects of communication
and determine the results of the communication. The social workers are often leading to
situations where the service user feels intruded and exposed to personal areas of life. Here
comes the duty of the service providers to ensure the application of effective communication
skills and ensure the client is comfortable enough to share the details and the past of personal
experiences (Blakemore and Agllias, 2019). It is the duty of the social workers to ensure a
positive outcome and positive interpretation of the communication undertaken with the clients.
The communication is undertaken in a positive manner where there is a presence of an open and
trust-based relationship between the service user and the service providers. The negative
5

outcomes can be an implication of the service provider disregarding the personal and legal
boundaries while communicating and interacting with the clients.
The social workers can also apply effective communication skills in different aspects such as
non-verbal, verbal, visual and written communication styles. There are different areas where
these communication styles and approaches can be applied by the social workers to support the
development and advancements of social work and its performance (Knott and Scragg, 2016).
The social workers can exercise nonverbal communication such as facial expression and
physical expression of sympathy to support the service users. The social worker can also depict
the application of verbal communication in the form of counseling the clients and aiding them to
overcome the issue and conflicts observed in their personal lives. Verbal communication and its
skills can be applied to encourage service users to use social services and apply the benefits to
resolve the issues faced in personal areas. The aspect of effective communication can also be
applied in visual or language-based communication towards the children, young people, and
families.
Working with children going through traumatic times and otherwise is a troublesome task that
requires applying different approaches and theories to support effective social service and
performance. In circumstances where the children and young people are required to be educated
and communicated about certain aspects, visual communication can be applied (Liang, 2019).
For instance, children can be communicated about the virtues of good touch and bad touch
through visual representation and visual aid. The children can be provided with visual material
to support the understating of touch in both a positive and negative manner. Therefore it can be
stated that it is necessary for a social worker in the professional field to develop significant
communication skills to support effective social service and performance.
All these aspects and theories enable to fetch better results from the social service and its
professional performance. These techniques aid social service users to interact and communicate
in an enhanced and effective manner (Trotter, 2015). The application of visual communication
and verbal communication, for instance, provides with opportunities to open about the personal
experiences and issues faced by the children and the young people.
6

Families are functional institutions of different individuals living together by the force of love
and care for each other. Any family facing issues and conflicts in the settings is required to avail
the services of social care. These techniques of nonverbal and physical communication can be
applied by the social worker to support for the traumatic times and conditions for the families
(Akesson, et. al., 2017). The depiction of physical support such as holding hands and facial
expressions provided with sympathy to the service users. These technique aids in developing the
interest of the social service users and encourages availing social services. Developing a trust-
based relationship with young people, children and families encourages interacting and engaging
in effective listening. It is necessary for a social worker to engage personally with the client to
develop and adopt effective services of social work and performance. The social workers are
required to assess personal information and details of the client regarding the history of the
individual, the issues faced by the clients, personal and professional equations along with the
much other substantial information regarding the client and the issues faced (Masten, 2018).
Acquiring and assessing personal information is crucial to develop effective communication and
execution of the services for a professional social worker.
A social and community worker plays an eminent role in the development and advancement of
social work and social services for service users. The social worker plays different roles such as
enabler, facilitator, motivator, mediator, counselor, and advocate, etc. It is the duty of the social
worker to guide and educate the social service receivers about the opportunities and chances
available in assessing the social service (Banks, 2012). The social worker is required to
effectively understand the needs and requirements of the clients by developing effective
communication skills and techniques. Social service providers must communicate effectively in
order to specifically identify the personal needs of children. It is typical for a social worker to
work with children and young people. These individuals are not clear about the issues and the
reasons for the issues faced by them. Therefore the social workers play the role of an educator
which supports for the clarifying and highlighting the issues and subsiding issues specifically
amongst children and the young people. The social workers are required to communicate in an
appropriate manner by developing a trust-based and empathetic relationship with social service
users.
7

Developing a trust-based relationship can be fostered through effective communication and by
applying the skills of effective communication. It is crucial for a social worker to develop an
effective relationship with children and young people to ensure the successful execution of
social care services. Communication comes in as a handy tool and technique as it also acts to
deliver healthy and educational perspectives for social work.
Communication skills such as active listening and motivating skills can be applied by the social
worker to encourage and develop a relationship with children, young people, and families. A
social worker plays a role of a guide and a facilitator. Through these roles, the social workers
motivate and encourage the service receivers to develop upon the strengths and work for the
weaknesses in order to develop and foster for an effective life ahead (Reamer, 2013).
Communication skill of motivating and encouraging the individuals creates opportunities to
identify the areas where these individuals lag behind and simultaneously work is undertaken
through counseling to ensure for future development. The social workers undertake
communication and interaction with the service receivers to develop a trust-based relationship.
This development of a relationship provides with opportunities to cater to the role and duty of a
facilitator.
Through the execution of active listening and developing trust or understanding between the
social worker and the service receiver better outcomes of the social performance are achieved.
As the role of a facilitator, it is the utmost duty of the social worker to support with respective
and effective services for the clients (Barsky, 2019). The social workers with the execution of
effective communication must educate the clients about the best possible future opportunities
and services available. The social worker must communicate about the resources through which
clients can achieve the best possible and desired results. The group's social workers must be
provided with proper and effective resources and access to these resources as per the needs and
requirements. This can be achieved with the application of communication that fosters for
effective, educational and healthy results for the clients.
It is a crucial aspect of being in the profession of the social worker to guide and educate the
clients towards the right track. There are certain values which must be regarded in order to
compel with the work duties of being a social worker. These values provide with a structure and
8

guidance for the social workers to sustain and aid the families holding together in turbulent
times. The values include for projecting oneself as non-judgmental, unthreatening and
professional in the practices. The value of being non-judgmental is required to ensure for
providing with unbiased services to the families and young people (Ferguson, 2016). The social
worker is required to understand the issues and conflicts with a fresh mind restricted from the
biased nature of thinking and prejudice. Similarly, it is required to execute and develop the
values of unthreatening and overpowering the clients and their lives.
As a social worker, it is the responsibility of the individual to only guide and direct the service
receivers regarding their issues and challenges faced. At no point of time, a social worker is
given the right to execute and develop decisions on the basis of the client and undertaken any
power of which he or she is deprived off. The social workers must work in an ethical and legal
manner that ensures the values of professionalism (Whittaker and Tracy, 2017). The workers
must provide with opportunities to the client to state their issues and circumstances in an open
and clean environment. The social workers must act and behave in an ethical and professional
manner which supports for the betterment and development of the clients and their life
circumstances. A very structured and dynamic style of communication must be adapted to
support the development of trust-based relationships between the social workers and the service
receivers.
Conclusion
There are various circumstances where a social worker has to cross the boundary of
professionalism to instill the values of empathy and humanity. In such circumstances, the social
worker must adopt and deliberate practices that signify for ensuring the development and
betterment of the clients. The social workers are required to depict and display such behaviors
and attributes which ease out the situations and provides with a relaxing environment for the
client to share the details. The social workers must adopt techniques that enclose for
encouraging the clients to interact and share the details for effective social service and
performance. Circumstances where the client expresses depression, sadness, frustration or
aggression need to be dealt with effective strategies and approaches.
9

The social workers are required to encourage and support the clients to reduce tension and create
an atmosphere of development for the understanding of conflicts and issues. The social workers
must depict an understanding of communication in an effective manner. The workers are
required to develop facial expressions and emotional attachment with the client. The workers
should apply the techniques of emotional development and make the client feel an understanding
of the conflicts and issues (Barsky, 2019). It is the duty of the social workers to develop an
effective relationship with the clients and developing a proper understanding of the issues. The
social workers are required to apply communication techniques and strategies which supports
the development and encouragement for the clients to interact and communicate in an effective
manner.
From the above discussions and observations, it can be concluded that it is crucial for social
workers to develop effective communication skills. Working with children, young people,
families require the application of communication skills and approaches to develop an effective
and trust-based relationship. It is complex to work with young people and children as they are
not emotionally and mentally component enough to judge the degree of issues and the conflicts
faced. It is crucial to provide the required form of support and care to the clients especially the
children in order to develop a trust-based relationship (Domakin and Curry, 2018). The social
workers must develop relationship and trust between the clients to ensure effective
communication and understanding of the issues. The complex nature and attitudes of the clients
require developing a clam and an open environment to discuss and recognize the issues.
Therefore the social workers are required to develop effective communication skills and
approaches. This supports the development of a relationship that encourages for a proper and
educational form of communication between the social workers and the clients.
10

References
 Akesson, B., Burns, V. and Hordyk, S.R., 2017. The place of place in social work:
Rethinking the person-in-environment model in social work education and
practice. Journal of Social Work Education, 53(3), pp.372-383.
 Banks, S., 2012. Ethics and values in social work. Macmillan International Higher
Education.
 Barsky, A.E., 2019. Ethics and values in social work: An integrated approach for a
comprehensive curriculum. Oxford University Press.
 Blakemore, T. and Agllias, K., 2019. Student reflections on vulnerability and self-
awareness in a social work skills course. Australian Social Work, 72(1), pp.21-33.
 Domakin, A. and Curry, L., 2018. Partners in practice: Developing integrated learning
opportunities on the Frontline child and family social work qualifying programme. Child
& Family Social Work, 23(2), pp.171-179.
 Ferguson, H., 2016. What social workers do in performing child protection work:
evidence from research into face‐to‐face practice. Child & Family Social Work, 21(3),
pp.283-294.
 Forrester, D., Westlake, D., Killian, M., Antonopolou, V., McCann, M., Thurnham, A.,
Thomas, R., Waits, C., Whittaker, C. and Hutchison, D., 2019. What is the relationship
between worker skills and outcomes for families in child and family social work?. The
British Journal of Social Work.
 Howe, D., Kohli, R., Smith, M., Parkinson, C., McMahon, L., Solomon, R., Simmonds,
J., Cooper, A., Dutton, J., Fairtlough, A. and Walsh, J., 2018. Relationship-based social
work: Getting to the heart of practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
 Knott, C. and Scragg, T., 2016. Reflective practice in social work. Learning Matters.
 Liang, J., 2019. Developing skills for social work practice.
 Masten, A.S., 2018. Resilience theory and research on children and families: Past,
present, and promise. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 10(1), pp.12-31.
 Palma-García, M.D.L.O., Gómez Jacinto, L. and Hombrados-Mendieta, I., 2018.
Reciprocal Relationship Between Resilience and Professional Skills: A Longitudinal
Study With Social Work Students. Journal of Social Work Education, 54(3), pp.532-542.
11

 Reamer, F.G., 2013. Social work values and ethics. Columbia University Press.
 Trevithick, P., 2014. Humanising managerialism: Reclaiming emotional reasoning,
intuition, the relationship, and knowledge and skills in social work. Journal of Social
Work Practice, 28(3), pp.287-311.
 Trotter, C., 2015. Working with involuntary clients: A guide to practice. Routledge.
 Turner, F.J., 2017. Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches. Oxford
University Press.
 Whittaker, J.K. and Tracy, E.M., 2017. Family preservation services and education for
social work practice: Stimulus and response. In Reaching High-Risk Families (pp. 1-12).
Routledge.
12