Resilience and Personal Effectiveness for Social Workers


Book Description

Social work in the 21st century is facing great change and upheaval in a period of Government austerity measures. From worsening pay rates to limited resources, these are increasingly challenging times in which social workers practice. It is therefore important that social work students are prepared for the realities of working within the modern social care system - that they have the tools and skills to care for themselves, and not just others. This book is a straightforward guide on how to cope with the stress and pressures of today’s social work environment by developing the right skills and knowledge. It will help students learn from a very early stage how to be at their best; from developing strategies to look after themselves and making the best use of supervision to the support they need to dealing with bullies and/or difficult people - all essential guidance on how to improve their health and mental wellbeing and prepare them to manage the challenges they will face.




Developing Resilience for Social Work Practice


Book Description

The term 'resilience' refers to a person's capacity to handle difficulties, demands and pressure without experiencing negative effects. Traditionally, social work has focused on the nature and impact of resilience in children and adults who have experienced traumatic events, but it is increasingly recognised that social workers need to develop personal resilience to manage the emotional demands of the job effectively and sustainably. Developing Resilience for Social Work Practice provides social workers with a tool-box of strategies to help them enhance their resilience and protect their wellbeing. Written by experienced practitioners in the field, the book draws on key research to present a series of evidence-based interventions. These strategies are designed to help social work students and practitioners develop important qualities that underpin resilience, such as self-awareness, time management, relaxation skills and empathy as well enable them to gain support from their personal and professional networks. Grounded in both theory and practice, each chapter explores how the various resilience techniques can be applied to help social workers manage the complexities and challenges they face in everyday practice. The use of relevant and engaging case studies throughout is particularly useful in bringing the book to life for the reader.




Self-Leadership and Personal Resilience in Health and Social Care


Book Description

This is essential reading for professionals making judgements under pressure. It demonstrates how self-leadership is not only about surviving but thriving in a continually changing environment and introduces key theories, skills and debates to help professionals deliver high quality professional practice every day. The book focuses in on the quality of professional thinking, self- and social awareness, self-regulation and self-management, and the fundamentals of sustained resilience.




Resilience and Personal Effectiveness for Social Workers


Book Description

This book is a straightforward guide on how to cope with the stress and pressures of today's social work environment by developing the right skills and knowledge. It will help students learn from a very early stage how to be at their best; from developing strategies to look after themselves and making the best use of supervision to the support they need to dealing with bullies and/or difficult people - all essential guidance on how to improve their health and mental wellbeing and prepare them to manage the challenges they will face.




Effective Advocacy in Social Work


Book Description

Advocacy is an essential skill for social workers who need to be able to speak confidently on behalf of service-users in a range of situations. In this new book, Jane Dalrymple and Jane Boylan explore the theory and research behind advocacy to demonstrate how to achieve best practice. Key topics covered include: - Independent advocacy - Supporting self-advocacy and decision-making - Challenging oppression - Negotiating with organisations Each chapter includes rich case examples, which help readers bring the discussion into the real life practice context. Effective Advocacy in Social Work will be valuable reading for those studying social work at undergraduate and postgraduate level, as well as those working in practice and in interprofessional contexts. Jane Dalrymple is Senior Lecturer at the University of the West of England. Jane Boylan is Senior Lecturer at Keele University.




The Positive Social Worker


Book Description

Developed from the author’s own experiences in social work and social work education, this book considers alternative approaches for social workers in dealing with the extensive demands, persistent pressures, and stress that they may face in their daily working lives. The Positive Social Worker is firmly located in an individual, group, organisational, cultural, and socio-political context. It considers and celebrates concepts linked to the importance, and sources, of work-related well-being. Individual chapters describe and critically analyse the social work context, the role of hope, optimism, commitment, resilience, support, appraisals, positive emotions, and coping, self-efficacy, control, and agency. Throughout, clear links are made with social work practice. While the book concentrates on a UK context, it draws on literature from social work, social, organisational, work, and positive psychology and sociology, from the UK, the USA, Europe, Australasia, and other countries. This book should be considered essential reading for social workers, graduate and postgraduate social work students, practice teachers, and lecturers. It will also be of relevance to professionals and professionals-in-training in the criminal justice and health and social care fields.




The Routledge Handbook of International Critical Social Work


Book Description

The Routledge Handbook of International Critical Social Work is a companion volume to the Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work. It brings together world-leading scholars in the field to provide additional, in-depth and provocative consideration of alternative and progressive ways of thinking about social work. Critical social work is increasingly involved in a global conversation, and as a subfield of social work it is rapidly becoming an interdisciplinary field in its own right and promoting novel forms of political activism. The Handbook showcases the global influences and path-breaking ideas of critical social work and examines the different stances taken on important political and ethical issues. It provides the first complete survey of the vibrant field of critical social work in a rich international context. This definitive volume is one of the most comprehensive source books on crucial social work that is available on the international stage and an essential guide for anyone interested in the politics of social work. The Handbook is divided into sever sections • Thinking the Political • Politics and the Ruins of Neoliberalism • Negotiating the State: Resistance, Protest and Dissent • Race, Bordering Practices and Migrants • Post Colonialism, Subaltern and the Global South • Critical Feminism, Sexuality and Gender Politics • Posthumanism, Pandemics and Environment The Handbook is comprised of 46 newly written chapters (and one reprint) which concentrate on differences between European and American contributions in this field as well as explicitly identifying the significance of critical social work in the context of Latin America. It provides a further vital trajectory of intellectual practice theory via interdisciplinary discussion of areas such as biopolitics, critical race theory, boundaries of gender and sexuality, queer studies, new conceptions of community, issues of public engagement, racism and Roma people, ecological feminism, environmental humanities and critical animal studies. The Handbook is an innovative and authoritative guide to theory and method as they relate to policy issues and practice and focus on the primary debates of today in social work from a critical perspective, and will be required reading for all students, academics and practitioners of social work and related professions.




A Student's Guide to Placements in Health and Social Care Settings


Book Description

Supporting students on placements in health and social care settings, this accessible guide provides a framework for understanding the theory behind successful practice as well as the critical skills needed to apply it. A Student's Guide to Placements in Health and Social Care Settings takes theory beyond the classroom and apply it to real settings, enabling students to recognise their own learning journey and develop their own distinct professional identity within a wider interprofessional context. This is a key resource for placement experience with insights from experts and advice direct from students who have already been on placement. With clear guidelines, and structured so that you can dip into different chapters as needed, it responds to the unique nature of placement opportunities and is the first line resource students should turn to. Whatever course you’re studying in the caring profession - Social Work, Health and Social Care, Youth Work, Nursing or Counselling – this is essential reading to help understand how theory can support and improve your placement experience, ensuring you get the very most out of it.




Social Work with Disadvantaged and Marginalised People


Book Description

Social workers, whatever their specialism, practise with people at the margins of society. It is therefore essential that all social work students not only understand the powers and processes that lead to disadvantage and marginalisation but develop the knowledge and skills needed to bring about change and uphold social justice in all aspects of their professional practice. Split into three parts, this book considers what is meant by disadvantage and marginalisation, how this can come about and the impact this may have on lives, before unpicking the key knowledge and skills needed to practice effectively with individuals and groups. It then goes on to show what good ethical and reflective practice looks like, going step-by-step through the ins and outs of using the law and policy to bring about change before considering key ethical dilemmas in practice.




Developing Your Communication Skills in Social Work


Book Description

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.