Identify the social work skills relevant when working with a diversity of service users and termination of intervention.

1500-word critical reflection, exploring the intervention, commenting on skills used, showing a rationale for why you did what you did, and what you might have done differently with hindsight. The reflections should make appropriate links with theories and readings presented in the course, and show awareness of where you think your work can improve

This assessment will assess the following learning outcomes:

• Apply micro-skills associated with the social work interview, including: engagement, building rapport, developing empathy through active listening, sensitive and reflective questioning and use of various questioning techniques, assessment, goal setting and teamwork.
• Conduct basic assessments and interventions that demonstrate awareness of structural and social contexts of clients situations.
• Conduct basic assessments and interventions that demonstrate awareness of structural and social contexts of clients situations.
• Identify the social work skills relevant when working with a diversity of service users and termination of intervention.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the AASW Code of ethics and commitment to ethical practice and how these are applied to the Practice standards.

Assessment Criteria

1. Engagement – identified and reflected on key skills including: role clarification, process explanation, confidentiality, informed consent, legal and ethical factors, other relevant factors. (10)
2. Active listening skills – assessed skills including: reflection of content and feeling, paraphrasing and summarizing (5)
3. Non-verbal communication – commented on non-verbal communication (5)
4. Questions – reflected on the use of open or closed questions, the percentage of time spoken compared to the client and whether questioning followed the client’s information and reflected on the focus of the interview (10)
5. Analysis of theory – accurately represented and critically analysed the viewpoints within the above topics, based on academically sound, extensive research of at least 6 different authors (10)
6. Presentation – presented your critical reflection in accordance with the conventions of good academic writing (eg clear written expression, appropriate referencing, an absence of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors) (10)

I was really excited, before having an interview with my client, because as a social worker, it was my first time interviewing someone outside of the classroom. I was motivated and reminded to myself to my social work roles such as, empowering my client and developing relationships with my client, fostering reflexivity and being critically conscious about my own judgment. Additionally, I was conscious by acknowledging there might be unequal power relation with my client such as, class, ethnic diversity or gender. That mean, as a social worker without realization I might make my clients feel labelled and excluded and practice of control over her/his (Dominelli, L & Campling, J, 2002 pp. 18-19).

At the interview, firstly, I welcomed my client and introduced myself by explaining that I am a social worker from a local council. Then, I informed my client about confidentiality to encourage and share her information with me by saying that, ‘what we talk during the interview is going to stay between us unless if I feel she will harm herself or others then, I need to speak with my supervisor or report to my manager’. As a social worker, I was aware of letting my client know about confidentiality is part code of ethics and supported by federal law and state. I also asked her to sign the consent form and said that we both need to sign it before the interview. Additionally, I explained to my client that I need consent form which able me to access to the council services on behalf of her and disclose or share her information if I need to. I also, asked to my client to check if she understood clearly or had any question about confidentiality and consent form.

As a social worker during the interview, I aimed to be sensible about how I approach my client by analysing my objectivity if I was labelling my client’s behaviour, values, viewpoints or feelings as unsought (Moreau M, 1979 p. 7). That addresses to acknowledging and understanding that, to my client’s meaning of the world and social world might be different than mine and I might ignore that unnoticedly during the interview (Trevithick, P 2011, p.153). Developing asking a good question to my client is essential to deliver and inform her with both necessary and interrelated niceties. In addition, being aware of ‘cultural sensitivity’ is vital in questioning process (Robinson 2007, cited in Trevithick 2011p. 153).

However, I started to the interview with my client by asking open question ‘what bring you here today?’ .

My client was Maud aged 56 and have three adult children. She has a happy marriage for 35 years however her father passed away eight years ago Maud’s mother Dorothy aged 86 now.

References

Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) 2010, Code of ethics, AASW, Canberra, ACT.

Kadushin, A, & Kadushin, G 2013, The social work interview, Columbia University Press, viewed, 6 October 2019 < https://ebookcentral.proquest.com>.

Moreau, M, 1979, A STRUCTURAL APPROACH TO SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE, Canadian Journal of Social Work Education / Revue Canadienne D’éducation En Service Social, 5(1), 78-94, viewed 7 October 2019 < http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/stable/41670012

Fook, J 2012, Critical Reflection, Podsoc, 9 September, viewed 4 September 2019 < hhttps://www.podsocs.com/podcast/critical-reflection/>.

Harms, L 2007, Working with people: communication skills for reflective practice, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic.

Kadushin, G 2012, The Social Work Interview: A guide for human service professionals, Columbia University Press, New York, US.

Nelson-Jones, R 2014, Practical counselling and helping skills, 6^th edn, SAGE Publications, London, UK.

Thompson, N & Campling, Jo (eds), (2002), People skills, 2nd edn, Palgrave, Basingstoke, Ch 19 Assessment.

Dominelli, L 2009, ‘ Anti-oppressive practice: the challenges of the twenty-first century’, in R Adams, L Dominelli & M Payne (eds), Social work: themes, issues and critical debates, 3^rd edn, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK, pp. 49-64

Banks, S., 2012. Ethics and values in social work. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Dominelli, L. and Campling, J., 2002. Anti oppressive social work theory and practice. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Trevithick, P 2011, Social Work Skills And Knowledge : A practice handbook, McGraw-Hill Education, Maidenhead. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [8 October 2019].