This module provides learning opportunities for students to develop their professional and interpersonal communication skills in order to assess their suitability to progress to Level 4 of the degree. Students will be expected to achieve a sound knowledge of this area of work with an ability to communicate appropriately and a capacity to exercise some personal responsibility for their present and future professional learning and development

Service users will be involved in the skills lab programme.

Specific Topics to be addressed on the module include:

Active listening, interviewing and communication skills
Skills to recognise and celebrate diversity
Court room skills
Developing reflective practitioner skills
Strategies for coping with stress and handling violence and aggression
Simulated practice skills
Inter-professional skills
Recording skills
Introduction to group work skills
Understanding social work / social care organisations, their roles and objectives.
The importance of supervision.

TOTAL LEARNING HOURS 300

TEACHING BLOCK ONE

1. Whole Group Sessions in TB1 (10 x 2 hrs = 20 hours) based on an experimental learning strategy where students will be expected actively to participate in a range of learning opportunities to develop their active listening and interviewing skills

2. Workshops in TB1 (4x2 hrs = 8) based on a experimental learning strategy to develop skills for engagement and communication, using a range of learning methods including case studies, scenarios and simulated role play.

3. Skills Laboratory Session in TB1 (1 hr) students will receive individual tuition, feedback and assessment in their active listening and interviewing skills. Service Users and carers will be involved in delivering this element

4. On-line Learning Objects in TB1 (2 hrs). Students will be expected to complete 2 individual Learning Objects (SCIE), communication skills and court room skills

TEACHING BLOCK TWO

5. Whole Group Sessions in TB2 (6 x 2 hrs = 12 hours) based on an experimental learning strategy where students will be expected actively to participate in a range of learning opportunities to develop their active listening and interviewing skills

6. Skills Laboratory Session in TB2 (3 hrs) students will receive individual tuition, feedback and assessment in their active listening and interviewing skills. Service Users and carers will be involved in delivering this element

7. Problem Based Learning TB2 (4x2 hrs = 8 hrs) students will spend 8 hours in a small PBL group exploring an issue in multidisciplinary working.


8. Independent study (246) hours) students are expected to undertake background reading (120 hrs). In addition students are expected to undertake reflective practice, exercises and preparation work for essays, simulated summative assessments and Problem Based Learning (126 hrs) as well as completing on-line Learning Objects.

Some materials will be assessed through the Blackboard /VLE

Cottrell, s (2008) The Study Skills Handbook. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Hennessey R. (2011) Relationship Skills in Social Work. London: Sage
Howe, D (2008) The Emotionally Intelligent Social Worker. Basingstoke: Macmillan
Mantell, A et al (2009) Social Work Skills with Adults. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd.
O¿Rourke, L (2010) Recording in social work: Not just an administration task. Bristol: The Policy Press
Woodcock Ross, J. (2011) Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers: Focusing on Service Users¿ Needs. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan

This module is open only to students enrolled on the BA (Hons) Social Work.

Access to a mock court room (for courtroom skills workshop)
Access to simulated learning and community-based agency settings
Computing facilities will be needed to access materials on the web and specialist online databases.
Access to appropriate texts and journals

WHICH WILL BE ASSESSED BY

A) Assessed `live' interview in a stimulated interview setting, working with the service user and carer group (S.U.C.C.E.E.D) - 40% of final mark to assessing LO's 1, 2 and 4

B) Assignment
(i) Linking theory to practice, a written analysis and evaluation of the students skills used in a `live' interview in a stimulated interview setting working with the service user and carer group (S.U.C.C.E.E.D) - 1000 words maximum

(ii) A written initial assessment and intervention strategy based on a `live' interview in a stimulated interview setting, working with the service user and carer group (S.U.C.C.E.E.D) and using standardised documentation - 500 words maximum

Total Word Length 1500, 30% of final mark to assessing LO's 1, 2, 3 and 4

C) Group presentation based upon a multidisciplinary problem based learning project, 30% of final mark to assess Learning Outcome 3

All elements must be passed in order to achieve an overall pass for this module.

Formative Assessment
Audi-taped interview and a `dry run' live interview. Skills lab experience. Ongoing module tutor, service user and carer and peer observation feedback in workshops.