Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
Leaving university and entering the world of social work can be quite a daunting experience, though also exciting and challenging. Positive Social Work helps you as a NQSW to understand your role within the context of a constantly developing social work service. Now updated with the Knowledge and Skills statements, it ensures that you are equipped with everything you need to do the job as best you can.
Positive Social Work is packed with information and resources to enable you as an NQSW to work in a professional manner, to protect yourself from the pressures of the role and to ensure you know where to look for support. This book also assists you with ongoing professional development by giving you tools you can adapt for your own area of Social Work.
This book provides a unique tool designed to support your journey through the Assessed & Supported Year in Employment and is full of case studies and exercises designed to help your understanding and develop positive habits which will enhance your career.
Thank you very much for the text Positive Social Work Practice. I teach on a range of modules in health and social care courses at Foundation and Degree Level. I am a registered social worker and have been qualified for 30 years. I left the social work teaching team here after 8 years, but have found that I have been able to use my social work knowledge to very good purpose in a course that teaches people who are undertaking degrees and may chose to go into social care management, social work, teaching or nursing. This 'ramble' I share with you as I feel this text will be very helpful to the students on the course I teach. It has a large cohort each year. Students undertake placements and are prepared for them through teaching. I am very pleased to tell you that your text will be one recommended as critical reading . The book is very accessible, it does not shirk difficult discussions or case examples, such as agile working or home working. There is a clear, positive and hopeful voice. I am studying for a DBA( a Doctorate by taught and research route for business and care professionals) with the theme of Empathy and Social Work and your text is an interesting reflection of changing times upon which I can draw.
Gavin Millar, Anglia Ruskin University
Julie began working in residential care in 1992, working within children’s disability before moving to mainstream settings. Having qualified in 1999 she then moved to field Social Work and has worked in a variety of settings including child protection, adoption, looked after children and also had a brief spell working overseas. Julie worked her way through the ranks from Social Worker to Team Manager and has also spent some time working in a hospital setting with adults with complex health and permanent conditions. Julie has mentored Social Workers and delivers training with Angie and is always looking for new learning experiences.
Angie began working in residential care with children in 1982 and qualified as a SW in 1987. Having moved to work in the voluntary sector, she returned to statutory social work in 2002, where she worked predominantly with children, young people and families. Following five years as an agency SW, she left full time practice in 2010 to work on other projects and now combines part time work as a Volunteer Coordinator with Practice Educating, coaching and training and is always on the lookout for interesting ventures to become involved in.
The book is brilliant. I love the way it talks to you, I felt I could imagine if I was setting out it would be a fantastic guide. It makes me feel like filling in the exercises and making a port folio of my own journey. Wow well done its genius. Its not the kind of book you would want to lend out you would want to keep it to hand so everyone needs to buy their own copy. Genius
Jayne Lewis, University of Gloucestershire
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover | Cover 1 | ||
| Half-title | i | ||
| Series information | ii | ||
| Title page | iii | ||
| Copyright information | iv | ||
| Table of contents | v | ||
| Meet the authors | vii | ||
| Preface | ix | ||
| Acknowledgements | xi | ||
| 1 Introduction to your Toolkit | 1 | ||
| What is the Toolkit? | 2 | ||
| Background to the Toolkit | 4 | ||
| How you can get the best from your Toolkit | 5 | ||
| A word about the Toolkit, the PCF and the HCPC standards of proficiency | 6 | ||
| 2 What to expect as you enter practice | 8 | ||
| Knowing what you want | 9 | ||
| Your application form | 9 | ||
| Preparation | 11 | ||
| What should I wear? | 12 | ||
| The interview | 12 | ||
| Your first day, week and coming months | 14 | ||
| Practicalities | 16 | ||
| Your first supervision | 16 | ||
| Asserting yourself | 17 | ||
| Office culture | 18 | ||
| Team dynamics | 18 | ||
| Developing good habits | 19 | ||
| Your new habits | 19 | ||
| 3 Maximising your professional capabilities | 21 | ||
| Professionalism | 22 | ||
| Your professional image | 22 | ||
| Professional relationships | 23 | ||
| Social media networks | 24 | ||
| Boundaries | 25 | ||
| Values and ethics | 26 | ||
| Moral and ethical dilemmas | 29 | ||
| Feedback | 30 | ||
| Service user feedback | 30 | ||
| Feedback from colleagues | 31 | ||
| Obtaining feedback | 31 | ||
| Changing ourselves and challenging others | 31 | ||
| Your new habits | 33 | ||
| 4 Working out ‘where you are at’ | 34 | ||
| Why do I need to know ‘where I am at’? | 35 | ||
| SWOT analysis – ‘with a difference’ | 37 | ||
| SWOT analysis – agency social worker | 37 | ||
| Bringing SWOT and SWOB into your practice | 40 | ||
| Signs of Safety | 42 | ||
| Feedback | 43 | ||
| Your new habits | 43 | ||
| 5 Developing your emotional intelligence | 45 | ||
| What is emotional intelligence? | 46 | ||
| How can you develop your EI levels? | 50 | ||
| Understanding and using the concept of EI in social work | 52 | ||
| A word about stress | 54 | ||
| Resilience | 55 | ||
| Your new habits | 56 | ||
| 6 Practicalities of managing your workload | 57 | ||
| Time management (SMART working) | 57 | ||
| Traffic lights | 60 | ||
| Procrastination | 60 | ||
| Dealing with difficult tasks | 60 | ||
| Diaries and planning | 61 | ||
| Emails | 63 | ||
| Writing lists | 63 | ||
| Chairing a meeting | 63 | ||
| Before the meeting | 64 | ||
| At the meeting | 64 | ||
| After the meeting | 65 | ||
| Home visits | 65 | ||
| Completing large pieces of work | 65 | ||
| Pause and reflect | 68 | ||
| Our top tips for time management | 69 | ||
| Your new habits | 70 | ||
| 7 How you can manage stress and avoid burnout | 71 | ||
| Social work(ers) and stress | 72 | ||
| Understanding stress | 74 | ||
| Burnout | 76 | ||
| Burnout – signs and symptoms | 77 | ||
| Coping with change | 81 | ||
| What can we do about it? | 83 | ||
| Burnout/Stress management techniques | 85 | ||
| Your new habits | 86 | ||
| 8 Balancing your work and home life | 87 | ||
| What is work–life balance? | 88 | ||
| Pressing the pause button | 90 | ||
| Good self-awareness | 91 | ||
| Taking work home | 92 | ||
| New technology | 94 | ||
| Using your TOIL wisely | 94 | ||
| Setting boundaries | 94 | ||
| Things to consider when looking at your own WLB | 95 | ||
| Our top tips for ensuring a healthy work–life balance | 96 | ||
| Your new habits | 96 | ||
| 9 Your sources of support | 98 | ||
| Different types of support | 99 | ||
| Professional agencies and websites | 100 | ||
| Why have supervision? | 101 | ||
| Supervision and your ASYE | 102 | ||
| Situational leadership | 103 | ||
| Your supervision contract | 104 | ||
| Types of supervision | 105 | ||
| Clinical supervision | 105 | ||
| The functions of supervision | 106 | ||
| Influences on your supervision | 107 | ||
| Reflective practice | 108 | ||
| Your new habits | 111 | ||
| 10 Where will you go next? | 113 | ||
| A word about the current climate | 114 | ||
| Different areas of work | 115 | ||
| Levels of social work | 116 | ||
| Progression routes | 116 | ||
| Continuing professional development (CPD) | 117 | ||
| Post-qualifying studies (PQ) | 118 | ||
| Working in the voluntary and statutory sectors | 119 | ||
| Overseas working | 119 | ||
| Agency working | 120 | ||
| Independent working | 121 | ||
| Conclusion | 122 | ||
| 11 Supporting your NQSW through the ASYE | 123 | ||
| Who is an ASYE assessor? | 124 | ||
| Before you begin your year of assessment | 124 | ||
| Setting off on the ASYE journey | 125 | ||
| Before meeting with the NQSW for the first time – the practicalities | 125 | ||
| The first session | 125 | ||
| As you go along | 126 | ||
| Dealing with difficulties | 126 | ||
| Exercises | 127 | ||
| Exercise 1 – Setting the scene (key links to PCF domains 1, 8) | 128 | ||
| Exercise 2 – Case discussion (key links to PCF domains 1, 2, 6, 7, 8) | 128 | ||
| Exercise 3 – Emotional intelligence and resilience (key links to PCF domains 1, 3, 6) | 129 | ||
| Exercise 4 – Theoretical base (key links to PCF domains 5, 6) | 130 | ||
| Exercise 5 – How different am I? (key links to PCF domains 3, 4, 6) | 130 | ||
| Exercise 6 – Making decisions (key links to PCF domains 1, 6, 7) | 131 | ||
| Exercise 7 – Dealing with risk (key links to PCF domains 2, 7) | 131 | ||
| Exercise 8 – Organisational structure (key links to PCF domain 8) | 132 | ||
| Exercise 9 – Minute taking (key links to PCF domain 1) | 133 | ||
| Exercise 10 – Values and ethics (key links to PCF domains 2, 3, 4) | 133 | ||
| Exercise 11 – ‘My contribution to the team’ (key links to PCF domains 5, 9) | 134 | ||
| Exercise 12 – ‘My professional network’ (key links to PCF domain 8) | 134 | ||
| Exercise 13 – Supervision (key links to PCF domains 1, 5, 6) | 135 | ||
| Your own support network | 137 | ||
| Conclusion | 137 | ||
| The Toolkit | 139 | ||
| References | 153 | ||
| Index | 157 |