Many students and qualified workers in all areas of social work feel apprehension at the prospect of writing a formal report for a court or tribunal. Writing may be a fundamental skill, but it is one that students and practitioners cannot afford to take for granted. Recent reviews (Baby P, Serious Case Review processes) highlighted the need for clear reports, recording and written communication between professionals. This practical and accessible textbook presents the report writing process in a clear and straightforward way. From methods of collecting and presenting evidence, to drawing conclusions and writing up a final report.
"This informative and easy to follow book will be useful in supporting Social Care professionals to develop this core social work skill in producing factual, structured, effective and well presented reports for various social needs and client groups. [It] guides the report writer to produce reports that are anti discriminatory, concise, open, honest and written in plain English facilitating better understanding of the report for both the person the report is about and the readers of the report." Veronica Clifton, Social Worker and Practice Teacher "This book is grounded in practice and provides clear guidance on a range of elements which need to be in place in order to produce effective reports ... It provides a framework and aide - memoir which is developed and reinforced by the use of good practice points and check lists ... It should meet the needs of a wide audience and can be used in a variety of settings." Joe Szymkowiak, Registered Social Worker "This pocket guide is brimming with good practice points and checklists, points of law, reminders, hints, report templates and much, much more to guide social workers in report writing. It also outlines the specific features which are required of reports in specific situations such as core assessments, safeguarding or detentions under the Mental Health Act ... This guide is highly recommended as a tool for all students and practitioners." Dr Martin Webber, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK Report writing is a key social work skill, and one in which many practitioners receive very little formal training and preparation. This practical book provides key information, hints and tips to help you to develop your report writing style and to consider best practice in your written communication. Part of a new Social Work Pocketbooks series, this easy to use guide supports social workers at all levels. The book contains: A range of report templates Examples of good practice in report writing Specialist chapters covering legal, policy and assessment situations Checklists to provide reminders of content and style requirements Understanding the audience and purpose of your report writing is also a key consideration and this book explores: Which information to include Formulating evidence into logical and clear recommendations User involvement in the process and the role of consent Considering a range of situations, practice dilemmas and service user groups, this book will assist you in producing professional, informative and good quality reports.
`This work provides some tools for sharpening thinking, writing and practice. It is a readable, accessible and highly relevant text, suitable for all social workers' - Professional Social Work `This book will become a key reference text for many social workers both while studying and as established professionals. A well -thumbed text on the bookshelf!' - Janice West, Glasgow Caledonian University Social workers are required to communicate in writing for a range of purposes, and to write effectively for a range of audiences, such as clients, team members, magistrates and policy makers. Writing Skills for Social Workers aims to raise the profile of writing skills in social work practice, and to enhance social workers' written communication skills. The book adopts a logical progression, and each chapter identifies and contextualises the practical skills needed at specific points in training and practice. Overall it will encourage the development of writing skills and techniques which will stand the reader in good stead throughout their professional career. Key features of the book include: " training in core professional writing tasks, particularly case-notes, report and proposal writing " guidance in advanced writing skills, such as writing literature reviews, journal articles, conference papers and funding applications. " a discussion of ethical issues and values, including client confidentiality, privacy and empowerment " advice on using these skills to contribute to the formal knowledge base of social work through the publication of research. By adopting a practical approach the authors have included a number of pedagogical features such as reflective exercises, writing tips for specific tasks, and guidelines for further reading. This engaging book satisfies statutory requirements for training and continuing professional development. It will therefore be an essential study guide for all students, practitioners and managers in social work settings.
You write something in order that it can be read, not in order that it can be written – write reports that achieve and illuminate. The best-selling Writing Analytical Assessments in Social Work guides you through the principles of good writing and methodically shows you: how to analyse how to structure the process of writing an assessment (researching, chronologising, informed data-gathering, putting it all together), and how to get this done under time constraints. The new edition goes further than just teaching writing skills by exploring the practical and psychological barriers to good practice. It also looks at how you turn good analysis into useful recommendations – making it something useful for the family - by applying the same analytical, critical thinking. Written in an accessible way and packed with examples and case studies, this book is both practically-minded and constantly returning to first principles: reminding you what it is you are trying to achieve and teaching you how to write reports that can be read by families and judges alike. You will learn how to write high quality, useful and timely assessments without becoming mechanistic or managerial. This book kills the myth of a trade-off between efficiency and quality of work.
This new text will build on Courtroom Skills for Social Workers, by updating the legal and research content and strengthening the material on recording. There will also be additional contributions from service users and more practice examples, so as to make the book interesting and relevant for qualified social workers. It will assist social workers in meeting their CPD requirements for continuing registration and also offer a framework for short in-service training courses on court skills and recording, both areas in which social workers′ performance comes under the scrutiny of other professionals.
Social work practitioners write for a variety of publications, and they are expected to show fluency in a number of related fields. Whether the target is a course instructor, scholarly journal, fellowship organization, or general news outlet, social workers must be clear, persuasive, and comprehensive in their writing, especially on provocative subjects. This first-of-its-kind guide features top scholars and educators providing a much-needed introduction to social work writing and scholarship. Foregrounding the process of social work writing, the coeditors particularly emphasize how to think about and approach one's subject in a productive manner. The guide begins with an overview of social work writing from the 1880s to the present, and then follows with ideal strategies for academic paper writing, social work journal writing, and social work research writing. A section on applied professional writing addresses student composition in field education, writing for and about clinical practice, the effective communication of policy information to diverse audiences, program and proposal development, advocacy, and administrative writing. The concluding section focuses on specific fields of practice, including writing on child and family welfare, contemporary social issues, aging, and intervention in global contexts. Grounding their essays in systematic observations, induction and deduction, and a wealth of real-world examples, the contributors describe the conceptualization, development, and presentation of social work writing in ways that better secure its power and relevance.
Social workers are required to communicate in writing for a range of purposes and audiences. The new edition of this best-selling book aims to raise the profile of writing skills in social work practice. It encourages the development of writing techniques which will stand the reader in good stead throughout their professional career. Examples of the types of writing covered include: - Case-notes - Reports - Proposals - Literature reviews - Journal articles - Funding applications. Reflective exercises, hot tips for effective writing and further reading are included in each chapter. The book is also linked to the professional standards that structure training, practice and continuing professional development. It will be an essential study guide for all students, practitioners and managers in social work settings.
This concise text is written specifically to help students and practitioners hone their techniques and develop their skills when it comes to writing in a clear, accessible and, above all, rigorous manner. There are sections on good essay writing and how to construct an argument, referencing and plagiarism, and reflective and critical writing. More than just another study skills book, Effective Writing Skills for Social Work is focused on real, day-to-day practice issues and the complex academic demands faced by social work students.
