Skills for Social Work Practice

Skills lie at the heart of all actions of a social worker, and inform all aspects of practice – from drawing on vital theoretical and ethical frameworks to applying the law and research findings to particular situations.  This user-friendly and logically organised text book brings together in one place all the vital skill sets which students need to acquire in order to qualify as social workers. It reflects current practice frameworks and addresses a wide range of skills including communication and relationship building, professional writing, ethical practice, assessment and reflection. his engaging and practical book is essential reading for social work students taking skills and practice modules as well as being a critical tool for practitioners looking to enhance their skills in social work practice.

By tying their accounts of social work skills to the PCF, the contributors to this book have performed an invaluable service for the social work profession. While it will be especially useful for social work students, educators and supervisors, there is much on offer here for all social workers, wherever they are in their careers. - Guy Shennan, Chair, British Association of Social Workers This book is very focused on developing an exact and practical understanding of the skills that social work students need to deploy to practise successfully in today's social care services. It is analytical and thoughtful in the way it presents social work skills in the modern context, and will be a firm foundation for future study and practice. - Malcolm Payne, Emeritus Professor, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK)

Keith Davies is Associate Professor of Social Work at Kingston University, UK. Ray Jones is Professor of Social Work at Kingston University, UK.