Course modules

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• Module 1: Overview of communication skills in social work Open

  

  The importance of effective communication, communication in practice, underpinning knowledge, principles and skills.

  On completion of this learning object you will be able to:

  • understand principles of effective communication as a two or more way process (underpinned by values such as participation and inclusion)
  • understand how context shapes communication and can facilitate or impede effective communication
  • understand communication within the social work role and task

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• Module 2: Forming and maintaining relationships Open

  

  Importance of relationships in social work, self knowledge, personal qualities and professional attributes that aid relationship building.

  This learning object will help you to:

  • understand the importance of relationships in social work and what we communicate through relationships we work to build
  • understand the personal attributes needed to form and maintain positive working relationships
  • understand the professional attributes that are required and boundaries within which positive working relationships operate
  • understand how the integrating of personal qualities and professional attributes link to the concept of the ‘professional use of self’

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• Module 3: Providing information and explaining Open

  

  Developing a shared agenda with the service user, planning and preparation, establishing and agreeing purpose, explaining and providing information.

  This learning object will help you understand that effective and empowering communication in social work requires:

  • planning and preparation so that you are clear about what you are doing, why and how.
  • sensitivity towards the other person's expectations and concerns so that you can negotiate a shared agenda for the task in hand.
  • accurate identification of the other person's information needs
  • a way of explaining that helps the person to understand the information they need.

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• Module 4: Gathering information Open

  

  Observation skills, listening skills, question types, creative ways of gathering information.

  This learning object will help you understand what kinds of communication skills may assist a professional to gather information from service users and carers of all ages. This will include:

  • observation skills
  • listening skills
  • ability to identify underlying messages and interpret non-verbal communication
  • asking questions (interviewing skills)
  • more creative ways of gathering information.

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• Module 5: Barriers to communication Open

  

  Understanding factors that can disrupt or confuse communication, planning to reduce communication barriers.

  Following the completion of this learning object, users will have an enhanced understanding of how the following factors can inhibit, interrupt or confuse the communication between social workers and service users, carers and others:

  • Time available
  • Territory (environment and context)
  • Role and task
  • Professional identity and use of self
  • Emotional, psychological and interpersonal dynamics
  • Power and difference (real or assumed)
  • Special communication needs

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• Module 6: Particular communication needs Open

  

  Introduction to particular communication needs, sensory and cognitive impairment, understanding and working with communication needs.

  This learning object will help you to understand:

  • that people with particular communication needs are a large, diverse and ill-defined group
  • how the social model of disability highlights the barriers faced by people with particular communication needs and ways in which these might be addressed
  • ways to enhance communication with various groups.

  To study this course you must register or login

• Module 7: Communicating in challenging situations Open

  

  What is meant by ‘challenging situations’, defensive behaviour including, silence, mistrust and aggression, breaking bad news.

  This learning object will help you to understand:

  • what is meant by the term 'challenging situations'
  • how to understand and work with situations involving defensive reactions and difficult life events

  In particular, we will use a case study of Wayne to demonstrate the communication skills needed in situations where people are:

  • silent
  • mistrustful and difficult to engage
  • unable and/or unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions
  • hostile
  • aggressive and threatening
  • violent

  Difficult life events can lead to situations involving:

  • 'breaking bad news'

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• Module 8: Using play and the creative arts to communicate with children and young people Open

  

  Why play based methods can help children communicate, how to use visual imagery, creative writing, stories and music as communication tools.

  By the end of this learning object you will have an enhanced understanding of:

  • Why play-based, creative and activity-based methods can help children and young people to communicate, including:
    • the limitations of direct methods of communication
    • the importance of symbolism and metaphor
    • the dangers of interpretation
  • What kind of underpinning knowledge and theoretical frameworks are helpful using play and creative activities
  • How to select the best mode and method of communication for particular contexts, purposes and children (e.g. artwork, stories, puppets)
  • The importance of use of self, including preparation, self-awareness, reflection, ethical commitments and emotional availability
  • Transferability of this perspective to other age groups

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• Module 9: Communicating through action and other means of communication Open

  

  Practical support and help, communicating at a distance, record keeping, presentation skills.

  This learning object will help you to understand what is communicated through action and other forms of communication, such as:

  • offering practical support (advocacy, mediation, networking)
  • communicating at a distance (letter writing, emails, telephone, mobile phones and text messaging)
  • professional record keeping systems (case notes, report writing, form filling, taking minutes of meetings)
  • presentation skills (giving a talk, chairing a meeting, coordinating case conferences/ reviews and presenting evidence in court)

  To study this course you must register or login

• Module 10: Communication across cultural and social differences Open

  

  Dilemmas that can arise across cultural and social divides, the impact of identity, beliefs and culture on communication.

  This learning object will help you to understand:

  • the impact of identity, beliefs and culture on the process of communication
  • the importance of sensitivity to issues of culture, identity and belief in communication
  • the kinds of dilemmas that arise in communication across cultural and social divides.

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Course details

• Who they are suitable for Open

  These resources are suitable for students studying towards the social work degree, educators and practising social workers.

• Terms of use Open

  All material in these resources, including text, graphics, photographs, video and audio is copyright of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), unless otherwise stated. Use of these resources, and import of the resources into Learning Management Systems for educational purposes is freely permitted, but commercial use of any of SCIE’s learning resources is not authorised unless permission is first obtained in writing.

  Please note these courses are provided free of charge on an ‘as seen’ basis. Although SCIE’s courses have been used over many years with almost no reported problems, SCIE cannot provide technical support for their implementation or to investigate or fix any reported technical problems, nor does it warrant that they are fully compliant with all or any technical platform.

  Any known issue with an individual course is noted on the opening page of that course.

  This course was developed using a technology called Adobe Flash, which is not compatible with any Apple/Android platform, and may not work on any mobile device.

• Learning Management System compatible Open

  This course is fully SCORM compliant. That means they can be loaded into a Learning Management System (LMS) or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), such as WebCT, Blackboard or Moodle, and accessed locally.

  Please note that this course was not designed to export any scores or track progress throughout the resource. Therefore, this course can be freely accessed by users, but there will be no tracking or grading functionality.

  To obtain the SCORM-compliant version of this course, please contact us.