Focuses on the development of the skills required at each stage of the social work process; assessment, care planning implementation and evaluation. Throughout, a balance is maintained between the focus on client involvement, and the role of the social worker in an agency.

The assessment of needs and the process of planning care are central issues in modern social work practice. Skilled assessment of client needs and strengths is essential to effective planning and efficient provision of quality social work services including both counselling and personal care. The focus of this study is on the development of the skills required at each stage of the social work process; assessment, care planning implementation and evaluation. Throughout the book, a balance is maintained between the focus on client involvement, and the role of the social worker in an agency. The latter part of the book addresses practical issues in developing new approaches to assessment and care planning; primary workers, individual support and managing change. It is designed for social work practitioners, managers and trainers, and students on qualifying and pre-qualifying training courses should find this a useful aid to the development of creative practice.

Part 1 Basic principles: the basic helping cycle
social work skills and values. Part 2 Assessment: purpose of assessment
sources of information
observation skills
preparation for interviews
interviewing skills
organizing information - schedules
theory for practice, strengths and needs. Part 3 Care planning: contracting
aims and objectives
decision making
planning - an overview. Part 4 Implementation: being helped
strategies for action
approaches to helping
monitoring and recording. Part 5 Evaluation: principles of evaluation
measuring effectiveness
worker skills. Part 6 Managing the work: primary worker systems
supervision
managing change.