Communication and Interviewing Skills for Practice in Social Work, Counselling and the Health Professions

Patricia Higham

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781138342934
• eBook ISBN: 9780429800153
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Work
• Index: Social Sciences

This book supports and develops the communication and interviewing skills of professional practitioners and student practitioners in social work, counselling, and the health professions.

Combining work on personal and social constructs, the search for meaning, and ecological theory, this book both provides an integrated discussion of practice and presents a balanced approach when discussing psychological, biological, and social influences on individual well-being. Furthermore, it emphasises the influence of social contexts on behaviour and well-being, as well as valuing and encouraging the application of practitioners' prior experience and learning (APEL) to new knowledge and understanding. Containing a range of practice examples to stimulate learning, this book promotes a collaboration between the professions, and welcomes the contributions of people who use services, patients, and clients.

Communication and Interviewing Skills for Practice in Social Work, Counselling and the Health Professions will be of interest to all undergraduate and postgraduate social work students, as well as new and experienced professional health care practitioners.

Chapter 1

Introducing Communication and Interviewing Skills

Introduction

Communication and Interviewing Skills for Practice in Social Work, Counselling and the Health Professions is written for professional practitioners and students to help them develop their professional awareness, essential practice skills, and strengthen their knowledge, understanding and expertise for using communication and interviewing skills in their practice. A confident grasp of flexible communication and interviewing skills is fundamental to good practice. Without appropriate communication, practitioners in a range of professions will not be able to develop effective relationships with colleagues and with the people they are trying to help – clients, people who use services and patients – and without effective relationships, they will be unable to select, combine, and use communication theories appropriately. Whilst it is helpful to be familiar with a range of theories, current research, legislation and policies, these kinds of knowledge are not sufficient on their own to ensure good practice. Communication and interviewing skills are ‘bread and butter’ tools that guide and sustain practice. Communication and interviewing skills are not meant to be fixed entities; they have to adapt to contemporary contexts that present new dilemmas and they have to support new intervention strategies. Being open to new techniques will enable practitioners to continue effective practice. Practitioners who wish to keep their skills up-to-date will select new technological communication tools, as well as using tried and tested communication strategies. Those who pride themselves on being up-to-date practitioners will engage with new dilemmas and use new techniques in a spirit of enquiry, without pre-judging people or situations. Confident use of communication and interviewing skills will ease the path towards mastery of new practice strategies.

Whilst writing this book, I considered my current and previous experience and drew on my practice knowledge of social work and counselling, my knowledge of the health professions, the contributions of professional colleagues, and the voices of persons who receive professional services. I reflected on my experience of university teaching, management, and quality assurance, my learning and experience as a counsellor, my volunteer experience as a board member and chair of different charities; my experiences of participatory research; and my personal, professional, and organisational relationships. These experiences provided the grounding for my practice, but as well as looking back and reflecting on my previous experiences, I also try to remain open to learning new strategies that might help to resolve contemporary dilemmas. This book has been written in that spirit of looking back, reviewing previous knowledge and understanding, but being open to new kinds of issues. Readers will make best use of the book by reflecting on what they have learned previously, and identifying knowledge and skills they want to acquire for their future practice.

Drawing on literature and research

The book draws on relevant literature and research, and adopts a historical approach that features classic writers who have shaped professional practice, as well as recent authors’ research and reflections. Readers will recognise some texts which influenced generations of practitioners, but the classic texts are not presented as the ‘last word’ of a particular concept or theory. Instead, these texts can offer a helpful starting point for the reader to recognise classic theories of practice that made a difference, and the ways newer perceptions and issues continue to modify the classic theories. The classic texts provide building blocks for new ideas, and sometimes prompt a powerful reaction – a turn of ideas towards different practice directions. When I mention a classic text, I expect readers to value the historic relevance of ideas that have influenced professional practice, and to explore how these ideas have changed over the years. These classic ideas will be considered within the context of contemporary social policy and events that exert powerful influences on our lives. Sometimes a classic idea for practice is reiterated and expressed somewhat differently by a contemporary writer. For example, Rowan (2016) stresses the importance of ‘listening with the fourth ear’ – building on Reik’s concept of ‘listening with the third ear’ (1983) – and explaining that the practitioner must take note of an individual’s social contexts and find out about the environmental issues that the individual experienced in the past and experiences in the present day. Although different theoretical concepts are presented initially in a linear fashion – one at a time – as the book progresses, an astute reader will experience growing awareness of the links between the separate concepts.

Integrating knowledge and skills in practice

The skilled practitioner not only looks back but considers new theories and strategies for practice, and asks the question ‘how do I put it all together – integrate the different theories and techniques?’ It is my belief that practitioners need to learn how to integrate different kinds of knowledge and skills within their practice. As discussed previously, they first learn how to do this by becoming familiar with particular skills and particular kinds of knowledge in a linear, separate process. For example, they may read a book that promotes the person-centred approach to communication (Rogers, 1961) and then read other publications that promote a behavioural approach to communication (Beck, 2011; Ellis, 2008), and then a third publication that advocates a psychodynamic approach (Freud, 1986). They may take short courses to learn new techniques and approaches to communication and interviewing.

How can a professional practitioner choose which approach or approaches to adopt? Sometimes they are attracted to a particular approach and they may then decide to adopt that approach – they may subsequently declare ‘I am a person-centred’ practitioner or ‘psychodynamic’ or ‘cognitive-behavioural’. But practice itself is not always so neat and tidy. Quite often, a practitioner may recognise that it is not appropriate to use just one approach – one size does not fit all! The practitioner may find that tools for practice – theory and methods – must be selected, modified, and combined in a very individual way to communicate with a specific individual. Confident use of communication skills will provide you with appropriate strategies for putting your chosen theories and methods into practice.

The book will explore the dilemmas of choosing a particular approach for a particular person who seeks help for a particular issue, and will argue that a practitioner’s choices require not only deepening theoretical knowledge, but also acquiring practice wisdom and learning how to exercise professional judgement.

Practice wisdom and professional judgement

Both of these concepts – practice wisdom and professional judgement – rely on the acquisition and exercise of intuitive knowledge that a practitioner instinctively uses to underpin their practice decisions. Practice wisdom is an internal reservoir of knowledge, accrued through a discerning selection of theory and methods, further study, practice experience, reflection and supervision. These processes help a practitioner build the mental agility for effective practice. Professional judgement is the practitioner’s inner mental process for making practice decisions that impact people’s lives. Acquiring professional wisdom and exercising professional judgement are concepts that are closely related to each other.

As a practitioner acquires practice experience, learns to reflect critically on their practice, undertakes regular continuing professional development, and brings issues and questions to professional supervision, they will begin to use their accumulated experience with increasing confidence. The ways that individual practitioners make their professional judgements and develop practice wisdom are strongly influenced by professional codes of ethics (particularly when a particular professional decision might, for example, result in removing a child from their parents or in compulsorily admitting an individual to hospital for mental health treatment). The practitioner exercises professional wisdom and professional judgement not only when making life-changing recommendations and exercising statutory power, but also when maintaining professional relationships on a day-to-day basis.

The importance of personal and social contexts

Personal and professional experience shape a practitioner’s choice of theories and methods. My professional and personal background has influenced my belief in the value of personal and social contexts. To give an example of the importance of personal and social contexts, consider how a psychologist, after examining a patient, may categorise a patient with a diagnosis of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Whilst accepting that this diagnosis is valid, I should want to look further (but sensitively) at how an individual has lived their life in the past and lives in the present day, and explore how their personal and social contexts contribute to their present awareness of their situation. I would bear in mind that getting to know an individual is a gradual process that is sustained by efforts to build a warm, trusting relationship. I would try, in a non-intrusive way, to discover whether the person can recall their childhood, what kind of memories they carry forward into their adult lives, how they remember their school days – either with recollections of their friends, or with memories of being bullied by others. Do they remember experiences of poverty, abuse, deprivation, and/or separation from parents? Do they continue to experience poverty and abuse in the present day? Were they in the care of a local authority as a child? What kinds of jobs did/do they do? Were they ever homeless? What are their underlying beliefs and values about themselves and others? I argue that it is important to learn about an individual’s personal and social contexts – the events in their lives that shape who they are – before making a professional judgement.

Constructing and reconstructing meaning

Communicating with people means that you must listen carefully to what they say and encourage them to share their personal stories or narratives, at the same time informing them of the ethical boundaries of confidentiality. As you listen, you will become aware that individuals construct and reconstruct their memories of events and the meanings of their relationships and experiences (Kelly, 1955; Neimeyer, 2009; 2001). This is not being dishonest; it is a search for meaning, trying to make sense of what has happened (Frankl, 2011, 1969). A professional practitioner will value the importance of constructing and reconstructing meaning, and will learn to use their communication skills to increase understanding and build trust to encourage individuals to share their stories.

The voices of Experts by Experience

Most importantly, in this book I have tried to listen to the voices of persons and practitioners. One of the most powerful movements that brought change to the caring professions over the last thirty years is the rise of ‘Experts by Experience’ – the clients, patients, and users of services. Over the years, the voices of ‘Experts by Experience’ have grown stronger and more numerous, so that their voices now exert an influence on how services are planned, delivered, and experienced. Professional practitioners now recognise (or should recognise) that good practice depends on listening to the experiences of service users/patients/clients and their carers. Their feedback on their experiences – both good and bad – of how the ‘caring services’ respond to their needs is an essential building block of good practice.

Objectives

The book’s objectives are to enable:

• social work, counselling and health professions students to develop their communication and interviewing skills
• experienced social workers, counsellors, and health practitioners to integrate communication and interviewing skills within their professional practice

Both practitioners and students will learn to

• listen to the voices of ‘Experts by Experience’ and their carers
• use personal and social contexts to enhance their professional judgement
• value the importance of constructing and reconstructing meaning
• develop practice wisdom relevant to their profession
• apply communication and interviewing skills within multi-professional contexts

Who this book is for

The content is relevant to two audiences: qualifying students in social work, counselling, and the health professions, and experienced practitioners of those professions. These two audiences will use the book in different ways. This book will support your practice, whether you read it as a beginning practitioner or as an experienced practitioner.

• If you are a student on a qualifying professional course, you will learn to adopt a systematic approach to learning with a clear understanding of links between theory and practice – a ‘how to’ approach. You will study the book’s contents to take essential beginning steps towards acquiring professional expertise.
• If you are an experienced practitioner, you will want to review and reconsider your reasons for selecting and combining different practice approaches. You will draw on the book’s contents to enhance your ability to adapt and integrate aspects of effective communication and interviewing within your practice.
• This book will help you, whether you are a beginning or an experienced practitioner, to learn, review, and develop your own individual distinctive approach.

Looking beyond professional boundaries

The book explores the commonalities and differences of how communication and interviewing skills are used within a number of professions. These skills are not practised exclusively or ‘owned’ by any one of the professions. Each profession has its own distinctive role and purpose, and uses its communication and interviewing skills within practice situations and outcomes that differ from those of other professions. Taking these differences into account, the book offers practice examples from a range of professional and occupational settings. Although the book’s focus is on social work, counselling and the health professions, the audience of readers can extend to staff in other helping environments, for example, housing associations, children’s centres, and educational and community organisations.

Key themes

Key themes provide a conceptual basis for understanding communication and interviewing in particular practice situations. These include how:

• practitioners can integrate their practice skills

A complex mix of social, psychological, and contextual influences on behaviour and well-being provides a framework for practising communication and interviewing skills. The framework integrates separate components of the person who uses services + the practitioner + the particular issue + ethical considerations + context + methods and approaches. These components are present within every unique professional situation that involves communication and interviewing skills.

• practitioners communicate within multi-professional contexts

Professional practitione...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Illustrations
• Acknowledgements
• 1. Introducing Communication and Interviewing Skills
• 2. The person who receives services
• 3. The professional practitioner
• 4. Different communication approaches: essential tools of practice
• 5. Interviewing skills
• 6. Conceptual themes for communicating and interviewing in different practice situations
• 7. Information-giving as a means of communication
• 8. Ethical concerns for communication and interviewing
• 9. Communication and interviewing in different organisational contexts
• 10. Issues of communicating with technology, computers, and artificial intelligence
• 11. Communicating in different practice situations: diabetes, addictions, and obesity
• 12. Communicating in situations of loss
• 13. Communicating in situations of domestic violence
• 14. Communication through life stories and biographies
• 15. Communicating with older people
• 16. Communicating with individuals with mental health issues, physical impairments or learning difficulties
• 17. Communicating with children and young people
• 18. Professional development to improve your communication and interviewing skills
• 19. Summarising key messages
• Index