communication has many layers and is very complex, especially with regards to communication between service users and social workers. good communication skills are at the heart of effective social work practice and in this assignment i am going to be discussing the various types of communication skills which are of paramount importance when it comes to social workers. non-verbal communication skills are an extremely integral part of social work as people are often totally unaware of the non-verbal behaviour they use and therefore it makes a social workers job easier by being able to read their emotional state through the use of their non-verbal actions. being able to understand why the service user is in the position they are in is vital and
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(1974). Interviewing and communication in social work. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
making eye to eye contact is often very important as looking elsewhere may portray the image that you are disinterested therefore maintaining eye to eye contact can show that you are listening and trying to understand their point of view. actual physical distance between social workers and service users should also be taken into consideration, as around three to five feet of distance can help improve the level of comfort in the room, however, the social worker should also consider cultural norms when deciding on their position in the room. paralinguistics should be used appropriately throughout conversation, as using different types of tone, volume, speed and pitch can either help a conversation to flow or can bring it to a holt and/or cause conflict. a persons tone of voice, for example, can indicate sarcasm, anger and confidence which can often change the atmosphere in the room. By the use of sarcasm you can often tell the route in which the conversation is heading and therefore can decide whether it is appropritate to continue the conversation today or if the person is not in the right frame of mind and would therefore be better to approach the subject another day. in addition to this, the speed in which a person speaks can also portray how they are feeling, for example, a person who is speaking quickly is often nervous and whilst service users may feel nervous when speaking …show more content…
it is also important to recognise that people differ on what they see/find to be offensive and to understand that they may be senstive to class, ethnic background and relegion etc. Monitoring phrasing is imperative and social workers should pay close attention to what they say and how they say it and it is therefore of importance to focus on the meaning of what you want to communicate and what is the best way in doing
(1974). Interviewing and communication in social work. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
making eye to eye contact is often very important as looking elsewhere may portray the image that you are disinterested therefore maintaining eye to eye contact can show that you are listening and trying to understand their point of view. actual physical distance between social workers and service users should also be taken into consideration, as around three to five feet of distance can help improve the level of comfort in the room, however, the social worker should also consider cultural norms when deciding on their position in the room. paralinguistics should be used appropriately throughout conversation, as using different types of tone, volume, speed and pitch can either help a conversation to flow or can bring it to a holt and/or cause conflict. a persons tone of voice, for example, can indicate sarcasm, anger and confidence which can often change the atmosphere in the room. By the use of sarcasm you can often tell the route in which the conversation is heading and therefore can decide whether it is appropritate to continue the conversation today or if the person is not in the right frame of mind and would therefore be better to approach the subject another day. in addition to this, the speed in which a person speaks can also portray how they are feeling, for example, a person who is speaking quickly is often nervous and whilst service users may feel nervous when speaking …show more content…
it is also important to recognise that people differ on what they see/find to be offensive and to understand that they may be senstive to class, ethnic background and relegion etc. Monitoring phrasing is imperative and social workers should pay close attention to what they say and how they say it and it is therefore of importance to focus on the meaning of what you want to communicate and what is the best way in doing