Ruben Martin is Honorary Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Kent, where he was previously Director of Studies for the BA (Hons) Social Work programme for seven years. Since his retirement from his full-time post in 2010 he has continued work as a part-time lecturer, consultant, freelance practice educator and writer.
Social workers are members of teams and need to work in collaboration with colleagues and other professionals in order to practice effectively. This book explores the dynamics present when people work together, the roles individuals play and the skills necessary for effective teamworking in the context of social work practice.
It provides a practical and applied overview of the different types of teams social workers encounter.
The chapters include:
*Specific links to the new Professional Capabilities Framework for Social Workers
* Checklists to help the reader rate their capability and plan ways of developing skills for which they score low
* Reflection points
*Activities
*Case examples
Topics covered include:
*What teamwork is and the kind of teams that involve social workers
*Characteristics of individuals who are part of a team and the formal and informal roles they play, including the role of leadership
*The importance of emotional intelligence and resilience and the concept of self-leadership and personal development
*How being part of a team relates to working in organisations
*Working in multidisciplinary teams
*Interagency collaboration and partnership
*Teamwork as a social work student
Written for all social workers, regardless of their area of practice, this is a `must-have' for students and practitioners involved in continuing professional development, supervision and training.
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This book forms part of the Social Work Skills in Practice series. The series focuses on key social work skills required for working with children and adult service users, families and carers. The books offer both theoretical and evidence-informed knowledge, alongside the application of skills relevant for day-to-day social work practice. They are an invaluable resource for pre-qualifying students, newly-qualified social workers, academics teaching and researching in the field, as well as social work practitioners, including practice educators, pursuing continuous professional development.
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'At a time when social workers are being castigated for failures in team-working in recent child abuse enquiries, this book is extremely timely. I am not aware of a similar book which is able to convey the basic tenets of team-working as well as the necessary skills to do team working well. It is an important book which should be on the course lists of all early stage social workers. The book brings together social work theory relating to team work within an ecological framework. Students are given activities to reflect on their current level of skills. Excellent case studies illustrate the issues. The book is totally up-to-date, linking into recent material from the College of Social Work. I strongly recommend this book. I think students will find the material engaging and accessible, but they will also learn much about the essential team working skills for social work.'
Ann Buchanan, Emeritus Professor of Social Work, University of Oxford, UK
