Communication Skills - SPY00062H

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Module summary

As a Masters students you will have had experience of communicating sensitively with people in a range social and organisational settings. This module aims to verify and extend these skills and to establish both academic and performative understanding of the core skills of effective communication.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Autumn Term 2022-23

Module aims

As a Masters student you will have had experience of communicating sensitively with people in a range social and organisational settings. This module aims to verify and extend these skills and to establish both academic and performative understanding of the core skills of effective communication. You will consider strategies for employing the core skills taught in this module in the context of professional social work, recognising the complexity of building working relationships in social work practice where, due to the statutory nature of many roles and tasks undertaken, significant power differentials exist.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, you will be able to demonstrate:

LO 1: An understanding of the significance of communication in social work practice, with service users and between professionals

LO2: An understanding of theories and models for communication in social work practice, with service users and between professionals, including models for work with resistance and conflict

LO3: Capability in communication at the readiness to practice level

LO4: An understanding of service user knowledge and experience of social work practice, including the emotional dynamics of relationships with service users and professionals

LO5: Capability in critical reflective thinking, specifically to describe and analyse their personal and professional development, with a focus on communication skills

Module content

This module will support you to develop an understanding of the range of social and ethical complexities often present in social work assessment. It will offer simulated opportunities to adapt core skills to achieve sensitive, ethical and effective communicative practice in social work situations. You will be introduced to the conceptual and research base of communication practice. You will be supported to undertake role plays in small groups and reflect on your communication skills within the role play setting.

Skills Days

In preparation for the first placement, six skills days have been incorporated into the Communication Skills workshop teaching sessions to develop more sophisticated communication skills. Topics will include:

• Structuring a social work meeting

• Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

• Relationship-Based practice

• Strength-based approaches including mediation and Family Group Conferencing

• Motivational Interviewing

• What makes a good social worker? Service User Perspectives

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Departmental - aural assessment	0
Essay/coursework	100

Special assessment rules

Pass/fail & Non-compensatable

Additional assessment information

Students who do not pass the Skills Audit in Autumn Week 10 will receive feedback within 1 week and be invited to meet with the module convenor and personal supervisor (if appropriate) to receive support ahead of the reassessment. 

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Departmental - aural assessment	0
Essay/coursework	100

Module feedback

You will receive feedback on the development of your communication skills during their practical role play sessions. These practical sessions take the form of skills practice (first hour) with the remaining two hours based on discussion of performance in the role play and the relevant literature.

Summative:

Role play: Verbal feedback immediately following the skills audit and Pass / Fail decision within 1 week.

• If a student fails the role play they will be invited to attend a 1:1 session to help them to reflect upon role play to help them to prepare for the resit.

Critical Commentary: Written feedback 4 weeks

Indicative reading

Module reading can be found in the library reading list.