This custom edition is published for the University of South Australia.

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.

This book gives social and human services students and professionals the opportunity to begin developing cross-cultural communication skills in the English language. The need to be able to communicate in English is becoming more and more obvious. Social workers and other human services professionals will be working with immigrants from countries where English is the official language or at least a second language (Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, etc). The growing numbers of English- speaking immigrants are impacting the human services fields of medicine, mental health, social work, the education systems and the legal systems all over Europe. This book is based on the European Common Framework but goes beyond a typical English language text. It focuses on the various skill sets necessary for human services professionals, including important text analysis skills as well as analytical case skills. “Soft skills” such as interpersonal skills and expressing empathy are also presented for student reflection. Students learn the principles of cross-cultural communication through Cross-Cultural Text Analysis which helps them improve their English as they develop cross-cultural awareness, sensitivity and communication skills. Students experience different cultural-linguistic contexts where they can appreciate the dynamic relationship between culture and language applied to the field of human services. For many this book will be the first step in beginning a lifetime adventure of becoming cross-cultural.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work are at the heart of effective social work practice. This book offers students a solid grounding in the core knowledge and skills of communication needed for effective practice. The book takes the key theories in communication and explains them in a systematic and practice-related way, essential for both undergraduate and postgraduate students to develop a critical understanding of the subject. This crucial fifth edition supports students with core communication skills by providing in-depth coverage closely interwoven with learning features that engage, stimulate and challenge. Working with children, adults and those with learning difficulties are all fundamental aspects of the book making it useful to students of all disciplines.

This book gives students a solid understanding of the key issues involved in effective communication within social work settings. Now going into its second edition, it combines practical examples with a clear theoretical approach and demonstrates the subtleties of communication with specific and diverse service users and carers.