THE SOCIAL WORK VOICES FEEDBACK TOOLKIT A feedback toolkit designed and created by people with Lived Experience of Social Work.
With grateful thanks to the members of Social Work Voices who gave their time and effort so generously to this project. Steven Clarke-Emmerson Ad Gridley Sarah Barker Carol Johnson John Selah Chris Meggs
Contents How to use this toolkit Contents A note about language
1
How to use this toolkit
1
Why is feedback important
3
What is feedback?
3
Why is it important and why do we require feedback?
3
Being in the right mindset to receive feedback
4
Reflective practice
4
Key points about feedback
4
Feedback Stakeholders
5
10 Top tips
6
Useful Approaches: Different sources of/approaches to feedback
7
Informal feedback collection
7
Direct observation
8
Feedback from others in the support network
8
Person-centred approach
8
Specific conditions
9
Chronic conditions
9
Learning disability
10
Mental Health
11
Addiction 11 Carer 12
PCF and KSS
13
Professional Capabilities framework
13
Knowledge and Skills Statements
15
A note about language Service participant is a term that you will see used throughout this toolkit. Service participant is a term coined by Social Work Voices at the University of Suffolk. This phrase is designed to serve as a reminder that people engaging in Social Care services have an active choice as to whether to participate in those services or not, even if the service is not voluntary, and may have very valid reasons why they choose not to engage. It encourages co-production and treating people as equal participants in any process in which they are involved.
How to use this toolkit This toolkit is not meant to be prescriptive — it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. However, it is designed to give you ideas and suggestions. It will help ensure that you are in the right mindset to hear the feedback from your service participants and carers in the best possible way. This toolkit will also give you things to consider around different people you may be working with and how they might prefer to give feedback. It is not a comprehensive guide but represents the views of Social Work Voices members. Please remember that people may experience multiple conditions and their needs may span several categories listed below. The proportion of people with multi-morbidities among those aged 65–74 is 46%.
Service participants should be involved in co-producing how they give feedback from the outset of your work.
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Always consider that people may have multiple conditions.
Chronic fatigue
Mental health condition
Carer
You would need to consider all three of these conditions and read all three relevant sections below.
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What is feedback? In its simplest terms, feedback from
It should be a tool that teaches,
service participants consists of
enhances and moves people
personal reactions to, or opinions
forward in their thinking and
about, your effort as social workers
practice. Feedback that isn’t
from those who are most affected
accomplishing this is ineffective.
by it.
Why is feedback important
Why is it important and why do we require feedback? At its most basic, feedback is at the core
give vital insight into the values of local
of delivering a person-centred service. Pay
communities that can in itself help to shape
attention to what service participants, their
current and future delivery.
support network and wider community
“Obtaining feedback from the people who
need and want, as well as their goals and aspirations, what is working and what isn’t at this point. It can help identify barriers and can enhance quality of life. It is a crucial element in increasing the effectiveness of
are supported by social work services is essential to support critical reflection and to aid practitioners in improving their practice. Seeking feedback both formally and informally is the basis of the relationship
valued outcomes. Continuous feedback
building and effective partnership working
forms the basis to seeking excellence in
that becomes the toolkit of intuitive working.”
holistic social work practice.
Feedback is not simply criticism,
It is acknowledged that any student Social
constructive or otherwise. It is a reflection
Worker, Newly Qualified Social Worker
of the perceptions of the person providing
(NQSW) or indeed experienced Social
the feedback. If the Social Worker views
Worker, may not agree with the feedback
certain engagement and outcomes as
received. It is important to listen to the views
positive yet the service participant views
of others and understand their experiences
it differently, you may have little chance of
of the practice delivered.
success, or of achieving what you set out
Finding out what works and what is beneficial to service participants and then responding and acting on what is being conveyed to make positive changes to your practice, will help you improve the support and enablement you provide. This will not only improve outcomes for that particular service participant, but also those that are yet to come.
to do. It is also important to recognise that service participants will not differentiate between process and actions/outcomes. Hence if the process was arduous in reaching certain goals this will be reflected within perceptions regardless of what the feedback is specifically attempting to capture. Equally, if the process or act of collecting feedback is deemed by the service participant to be difficult to comprehend,
Being receptive to feedback and listening
lengthy, inaccessible or requested at a time
deeply to service participants about what
when the service participant is emotionally
you are delivering does not fit with their
and/or physically suffering, this may be
cultural and personal values can also
reflected negatively in response.
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Being in the right mindset to receive feedback “Feedback is crucial to social work practice.
Though you may not agree with the feedback
It’s important to be open to receiving
you get, it is important to listen to the views
feedback, whether positive, neutral or
of others and understand their experiences
critical. Feedback is also important for
of your practice.
improving self-awareness.
Finding out what works and what is beneficial
Feedback will help you to grow and improve
feedback to make positive changes to your
to those people and then acting on the
in a way that informs your practice and
practice, will help you improve the support
helps you identify areas for future learning.”
you provide.”
Feedback from people who need care and
Plan
support is intrinsically linked to critically reflective practice, which forms a repetitive cycle. Reflective practice is said to be a process to learn from and through experiences leads to acquisition of new understandings and
Review
Do
perceptions for practice. To enable a reflective approach to be taken it is useful to consider the stages of reflective practice, as follows: Schön’s work on reflection is well known in social work. Schön highlighted two key ‘stages’ of reflection:
Direct feedback enables us to assess the quality of working relationships between service participants, carers and practitioners and it can be used to improve
Reflection in action: Reflecting as an event is occurring
people’s experiences of processes and
Reflection on action: Reflecting after an event has occurred
service participants and families often say,
Later, Killian and Todnem (1991) added a third stage of reflection:
they provide support and the relationship
Reflection for action: Reflecting in preparation for an event Effectively, this creates a cycle of reflection:
and empowerment.
Plan: Reflection for action — plan the best way to obtain feedback
supervision, appraisal and continuing
Do: Gather the feedback — reflection in action
to measure and improve individual, team and
Review:
standards (e.g., the Professional Capabilities
Review the feedback — reflection on action
Framework).
relationships as well as outcomes – as it is not just what social workers do but how context that is so important for recovery Service participant and carer feedback can inform critical reflection, individual professional development. Individual and group feedback can be collated and analysed organisational performance against practice
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Key points about feedback
Reflective practice
Feedback Stakeholders Stakeholders in the feedback process There are three key stakeholders in the feedback process: A person who needs care and support (carer and/or service participant)
The best quality and deepest levels of feedback are achieved when all three stakeholders are involved in all three stages of the feedback process.
Student social workers, Newly Qualified Social Workers or qualified Social Workers The Practice Educator or Onsite Supervisor
Key points about feedback
Direct to student or social worker: Some service participants and their carers
relationship doesn’t always feel like that.
may like to give direct feedback to the
Both sides need to feel able to be honest
student and/or social worker. This feedback
about expectations and what is realistic.
should not feel like just feedback but should
Some service participants and carers may
be a genuine part of a good relationship.
find that feedback via a phone call is difficult
However, being able to give open and
for them to reflect and make accurate
honest feedback goes to the heart of
assessment. Having face-to-face feedback
whether the relationship is trusting and
allows for some discussion and more open
secure for both parties. Even where terms
engagement.
like ‘equal’ and ‘partnership’ are used, the Direct to a ‘Practice Educator or Onsite Supervisor’: There may be times when it could be helpful, or even essential, to talk with someone in a direct supervisory role but this would need to be confidential. Questionnaires - online and paper: Many service participants and carers may
They may prefer this to be anonymous if
be happy to fill in online feedback forms or
it is to be of any genuine value. It is also
completed a preconstructed form manually,
important to make respondents aware of the
providing they are well designed, and the
outcomes of this type of exercise.
purpose is made clear.
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10 Top tips Service participants and carers should
and carers should be asked for their
be treated as ‘equal partners’ in the
permission prior to the event and be given
observation process: working respectfully
information on what to expect during the
with people is central to good social work
session. For example, knowing in advance
practice. Where a formal observation is
that an observer will be joining the service
being undertaken, service participants
participant and student SW/NQSW.
Explaining why feedback is being asked for, and what will happen next is important.
2.
There may be a lack of understanding about what kind of information would be useful — it may be helpful to clarify this.
3.
Be brave — asking for feedback in difficult circumstances: the service participants may well welcome the opportunity of being asked whether the support or intervention they received was helpful and how it might have been improved. Always seek to obtain “honest” feedback.
4.
Look for opportunities to seek feedback at key transitions points (such as when reviewing, transferring or closing cases). Continually seek feedback throughout the process, including non-verbal feedback.
5.
Be very conscious that service participants will frequently feel a power imbalance between social workers and those they work with, and it is important to be aware of this and consider whether enabling people to respond anonymously may provide better responses.
6.
Give choices and take comments as a positive means of self-improvement: the starting point should be asking people directly for their feedback – and allowing them space to respond personally and directly if they wish to do so.
7.
Allow for feedback to be provided in a range of ways, use a person-centred and coproduced approach, e.g., webchat and texting in preference to email, face-to-face or written surveys.
8.
Timing is critical. Be conscious of the fact that what might feel like the right time for you might not be the right time for the person from whom you are seeking feedback. Be very sensitive to the health conditions and health-related events.
9.
Focusing on the process, rather than the decision which it may not be possible to change.
10. Reflecting together with the service participant on the feedback delivered is important.
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Key points about feedback
1.
Useful Approaches: Different sources of/approaches to feedback It is vital that consent is sought for the collection of feedback, its purpose and how it will be shared should be clarified with the service participant at the outset of the engagement and at regular intervals throughout the interaction. Questionnaire, online survey or feedback forms:
Key points about feedback
They should consist of a mix of open and closed questions starting with an open question to elicit engagement. They can be written, face-to-face, phone or online. Open-ended questions encourage more detailed feedback and help you better understand the context of the service participants feedback. It should be explained at the onset of social work engagement that the service participant will be asked to complete (at various stages) this survey. This should not be prescriptive, should display sensitivity and communicate appropriately, e.g., be available in different languages.
Be conscious that survey multiple choice type questions give answers based on the survey designer assumptions. When using emoji’s (smiley face for happy through to disapproving face for not satisfied) service participants will be less inclined to choose the extreme emoji at each end of the spectrum Give thought to visual displays of satisfaction — is this accessible for those with impaired vision, etc? When thinking about timing, it can be useful to ask the service participants or carers themselves about when they would prefer to be asked for feedback Questionnaires can be completed with the service participant and/or carer present or left with them to complete later or a mix of the two. Service participants may be naturally adverse to leaving negative feedback with the student SW/NQSW present and the ability to complete in isolation and in confidence may be preferred.
It should not ideally consist of more than ten questions
Informal feedback collection Informal feedback should be viewed as equally valuable as the more formal, structured process above. The student SW/NQSW will record feedback and share with the participant. It is vital that transparency is maintained. Informal feedback will consist of verbal responses, but equally non-verbal cues, e.g., facial expressions, signing, physical signs of affirmation, tone of voice, body language, subtle signs of progression through choice of clothing, willingness to engage, motivation etc. Deep-listening skills should be utilised.
The Social Work Voices Feedback Toolkit
Although informal feedback will occur constantly and consistently, it can be valuable to target the collection of feedback at specific points in the service participant’s “journey”, e.g., immediately after a significant intervention or event, and then returning later to ask more formally about their experiences. Be sensitive to the non-verbal as well as verbal messages you receive about whether now is the right time to talk. The power dynamics may result in participants feeling unable and/or finding it difficult to say ‘No’.
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Direct observation When an observation of practice is planned,
The assessor and student SW/NQSW will plan
wherever possible the service participant
how this is best managed paying particular
should be asked if they are willing to be part
attention to their knowledge of, and
of the process and if they understand the
relationship with, the service participant.
process. They should be told the purpose of the feedback and the name and role of the assessor.
Practice notes and records Supervision records should note whether or not the student SW/NQSW records feedback from service participants which should act
feedback re: the assessor’s observations
as an incentive to regularly incorporate this
and evaluation and be able to have a voice
into their practice, noting how their skills in
in those findings.
undertaking this develop over time.
Some service participants may be passive
These notes should also be used to inform
and unwilling to be involved in the whole
later considered reflection.
process; others will be willing to contribute and play an active part. Giving choices — including the option of not being involved at all, is a key part of the process.
Feedback from others in the support network Receiving feedback from others involved in a situation or case can be very informative. Informal family carers are the cohort most likely to want to provide their contribution to service participant progress. It is important that a balanced approach is taken by the student SW/NQSW to mitigate against contradictory responses, but feedback from informal carers and their local community can add significant value to student SW/NQSW behaviours.
Other statutory and voluntary sector professionals can be very willing and perhaps best placed to provide their perceptions on a situation or set of behaviours and engagement; they may have experienced similar situations of positive/negative feedback and be well placed to advise.
Person-centred approach A person-centred approach is vital for
Feedback tools should be appropriate to the
people, particularly where there are
personalised needs of the service participant
co‑morbidities present.
and their support network (if any).
An agile and personalised approach
The length of surveys/questionnaires should
should be taken with service participants
be personalised to the capabilities of the
experiencing lifelong and perhaps
service participant and ideally not exceed
life‑limiting conditions.
ten questions regardless of capabilities.
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Key points about feedback
The service participant should be given
Specific conditions
Chronic conditions Those experiencing visual impairment may
British Sign Language (BSL) is used by deaf
engage more willingly giving verbal feedback
people in the UK. If a more spontaneous
(however unstructured). However, advances
response is required then anyone skilled in
in ICT applications e.g., text to speech,
BSL, or perhaps for a younger person, Sign
should not be ignored. Conversely those with
Supported English (SSE) could be employed.
a hearing impairment may respond best to
For any service participant experiencing both
written questionnaires and visual forms of
visual and hearing impairments then Tactile
engagement.
signing can be advantageous.
If the questionnaire is too long it can elicit
Those living with long term conditions
poor and perhaps unintentionally dishonest
frequently experience resultant mental
responses from someone experiencing acute
health (MH) issues — people with three or
pain whose attention span may be reduced.
more conditions are seven times more likely
This will be equally true for those with any
to have depression. It is therefore ill‑advised
condition that compromises concentration
to disassociate lifelong conditions from
e.g., those with respiratory disease, those
compromised MH and this needs to be
with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS),
reflected not only in the way feedback is
depression and poor mental health.
collected but also in timing and the need
Student SW and NQSW’s should be aware that between 65% and 93% of the meaning of a message is conveyed through tone of voice and non-verbal behaviours. This
to recognise that today’s feedback may not accurately reflect next week’s feedback will be particularly sensitive to fluctuations in mood.
will undoubtedly impact on the validity of
Therefore, it is recommended that feedback
feedback responses and thus emotional
is repeated not only to reduce variance in
awareness is an asset when engaging with
response resultant on acute physical/sensory
people with life-long conditions.
events e.g., acute episodes of pain, diabetic
Those service participants living with Cerebral Palsy or limited verbal
low glucose etc. but also the resultant depression and any associated anxiety.
communication may use Augmentative and
Spontaneous communication of information
Alternative Communication (AAC). This may
is, however, important in understanding
enable rich conversations around feedback
the service participants quality of life and
but it is important that student SW’s and
associated barriers but caution should be
NQSWs continue to use emotional awareness
exercised in not placing ultimate emphasis
to pick up on the non-verbalised messages.
on isolated and uncorroborated feedback.
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Learning disability A service participant with learning disabilities
It would be best to make some questions
and communication issues may prefer the
answerable with a simple yes or no or
use of Makaton in giving feedback; any
happy or unhappy emoji’s. If you need more
written form including web-based tools
detailed information ask “what did the social
should ideally have a Makaton option. Where
worker do well?” for example.
this is not practical, communication via a family carer is important but not to the detriment of the Student SW/NQSW utilising Emotional Awareness skills. Please remember that ‘learning disability’ is a sweeping term and that the cognitive ability of service participants will vary greatly. Some people’s memory and function will be better some days than others. You will feedback. When designing feedback for people with a learning disability, keep it simple.
if they would rather not fill in a feedback form. Would they like a carer or family member to give feedback on their behalf? Would they prefer to give written or verbal feedback? Verbal feedback can be given in a variety of ways. Giving feedback face-to-face can be intimidating for some, give the option of recording verbal feedback. You will need to consider an individual’s preferred language. If the service participant is non-verbal
Sometimes attempts to make questionnaires
they may need to use Makaton, pictures or
accessible with bold print and pictures mean
assisted technology to give feedback
that something that was formerly a single
English may be a second language, please be
page becomes 3 or 4 pages long. This alone can make a form of any sort feel like an overwhelming task for the person you are asking. You may have to reduce your number of questions to compact the form.
prepared to have your feedback interpreted into whichever language your service participant is most comfortable with. Actively encourage feedback. Invite all comments and explain that this is how you
Use plain language and keep sentences short.
learn what works well and what doesn’t.
Feedback example: You can answer these questions yourself or ask someone else to answer for you. 1.
Were you happy with your social worker?
2.
Did your social worker understand what you needed?
3.
Are you happy about what happened?
4.
Is there anything you would like say?
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Specific conditions
need to bear this in mind when asking for
Always give the service participant choice, i.e.
Mental Health Do you trust your current social worker? Is anything about your social worker bothering you? What, if anything, is your social worker’s strength? Do you feel you could learn anything from your social worker?
understanding. This could empower the service participant and lead to in-depth feedback. Even if a short answer is provided, this could represent a lot of information. Obviously, avoid anything that might instigate an attack or a withdrawing into the shell of the service participant. When
Have you ever questioned your social
asking a Mental Health service participant
worker’s motives?
these questions, it’s important to remain
Have you felt heard and understood by your social worker? The questions posed above are different from the typical questions a service participant
Specific conditions
There is also an implied level of mutual
professional. Some people may prefer to offer feedback verbally face-to face… particularly if it is positive.
might be asked. After a while in the system, it can become easy for the service participant to have preprepared answers ready. Trust is often overlooked or just hinted at. The answers to these questions, it is hoped will be revealing in a good way.
Addiction When collecting feedback from service participants who experience addiction bear in mind that the following may impact on this feedback: 1.
Shame
2.
Low or non-existent self esteem
3.
A negative view of the world
4.
Some remaining motivation
5.
A feeling of isolation, no one else is like me.
They may not engage with the process if total anonymity is not guaranteed, unless of course they elect to include friends and family in the process. The social worker must provide privacy.
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Carer Questions a Carer wishes they had been
service participant. Ignoring the Carer does
asked by the person seeking feedback.
not help the service participant. Carers
Was a Social Worker assigned specifically to you? From the outset establishing a relationship with the social worker is extremely important. It was, therefore, critical to have consistency. Having the same social worker to be an advocate meant that a rapport could be built
should not have to insist that they are listened to, this should happen naturally as part of the process. Would you like to give feedback on the social worker without the service participant present or would you find it easier to do it together? A mixture of both would be preferable.
to go through the same process each time of
Perhaps a separate chat with the Carer after
introductions etc. which essentially wastes
speaking to us both because the carer can
time.
perhaps clarify things a bit more.
What made you feel that your social
How honest do you feel your social worker
worker wanted to build a good relationship
was with you about what could be offered in
with you?
terms of help for the service participant?
Once a consistent social worker is put in
Please do not make promises you know
place building a relationship based on trust and honesty is important, as is mutual understanding of what we wanted to gain
you cannot fulfil. It is important to manage expectations so that service participants and their Carers do not feel disappointed. Be
from the intervention. This can be achieved
realistic about what can be achieved.
by putting a useful plan of action in place
Were appointment times made to suit you?
and reading through previous notes about the situation. Anything that has hindered this good relationship is also important to ask about. Things such as a simple phone call to inform of cancelled appointments, would have made a big difference for example. Not keeping to appointments can disrupt things, not to mention it can be inconvenient
Ideally appointments should be scheduled at a convenient time for the service participant and the Carer. Mealtimes may need to be avoided if possible as this can be a busy time and can sometimes be a bit fraught. Were you happy with the way the social worker addressed you and the service
to the carer who may have made special
participant?
arrangements to be available.
It is important to establish how a service
Do you feel the social worker heard and
participant and their Carer wish to be
listened to your thoughts and feelings as well as to the person being cared for? This is incredibly important. The social worker has to consider the service participant but don’t forget the Carer. The Carer is around the service participant most
addressed. This may be different for both, for example one may wish to be addressed more formally. Asking how people would like to be addressed shows respect. Did the social worker present themselves in a manner that you felt was acceptable?
of the time and therefore is quite able to
It is important to try and see how the service
assess what can and can’t be done by the
participant and Carer might perceive you.
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Specific conditions
up and the service participant does not have
PCF and KSS
Professional Capabilities framework PCF 1. Professionalism: Service participants
engage with individuals and their narrative
will be highly dependent on your support
rather than basing practice on information
to advocate for them in making choices
provided solely from other professionals
and enabling them to take control of their
is required to ensure service participants
own lives. This may challenge your own
are central to the process. At times this
understanding of behaving professionally
will require working creatively within rigid
or the expectations of your employer/
paperwork and administrative systems
placement. As the personalisation agenda
which may not naturally allow for flexible
evolves, service participants are choosing
approaches to support. An understanding
different, unique options. At times this may
of the experience many service participants
not fit easily into the traditional administrative
and their families have encountered over
models within which you are working.
the years in accessing support is required.
You will need to balance your professional
Sharing power and promoting service
accountability to your organisation in terms
participants expertise can be difficult for
of policies and procedures whilst remaining
individuals who have not experienced
true to the principles of personalisation that
this before. Finding ways of supporting
promote service participants choice and
individuals to make choices in their lives
control wherever possible. Sometimes you will feel torn in acting professionally and you may have to challenge the system in order to act professionally. Your role as a social worker/student should be to identify and critically reflect on these experiences through supervision with your practice educator or manager.
whilst feeling supported by professionals is a key part of an individual’s journey to taking control in their lives. Similarly, your role as a (student) social worker within a personalisation context may involve challenging decisions or systems that fail to support the principles of self-directed support or disempower service participants.
PCF 3: Diversity: This is central to the
As indicated by the recent Community
personalisation context. An understanding
Care Survey of Personalisation (June 2013),
of person-centred thinking theory is required
many social workers admit feeling that
to ensure that practice is underpinned by
they lack knowledge and understanding
the recognition that support and services
of personalisation in practice. As a student
need to be tailored to the individual needs of
or qualified social worker you may have
service participants. Skills in the application
opportunities to support others in their
of person-centred practice will be useful
learning process and/or challenge practice
in recognising diversity and applying an
that is not promoting the principles of
anti-discriminatory approach. The ability to
personalisation.
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changing shape of welfare over the years
This is true for both service participants and
dating back to the 19th century Poor Laws.
professionals. Your understanding of the
Understanding how service participants
law and policy guiding the personalisation
have influenced and shaped policy direction,
is crucial if you are to advocate effectively
along with an appreciation of the draconian
on behalf of service participants. You also
ways people have been treated in society is
need to feel confident in this knowledge
central to informing the basis upon which
to share it with service participants. In
you engage with individuals and their
particular, you should be aware of legislation
families in current practice. Engaging with
relating to direct payments and emerging
theory is central to all social work practice.
legislation relating to personal budgets.
Within a personalisation context a clear
You should also be aware of the policy
understanding of the social model is central
developments and political landscape in
to practice. Likewise, an understanding of
relation to personalisation dating back
person centred thinking and person-centred
to Putting People First (HM, 2007). In
practice will inform your practice as well as
addition, you should develop a clear
providing a practical dimension to how you
understanding of the historical influences
can work with individuals and families to
shaping personalisation. In particular, the
enable them to direct their own support.
Independent Living Movement and the
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PCF and KSS
PCF 5: Knowledge: Knowledge is power.
PCF and KSS
Knowledge and Skills Statements KSS 3. Person-centred practice: Social
KSS 7. Direct work with individuals and
workers should enable people to access
families: Social workers need to be able
the advice, support and services to which
to work directly with individuals and
they are entitled. They should coordinate
their families through the professional
and facilitate a wide range of practical
use of self, using interpersonal skills and
and emotional support, and discharge
emotional intelligence to create relationships
legal duties to complement people’s
based on openness, transparency and
own resources and networks, so that all
empathy. They should know how to
individuals (no matter their background,
build purposeful, effective relationships
health status or mental capacity), carers and
underpinned by reciprocity. They should
families can exercise choice and control,
be able to communicate clearly, sensitively
(supporting individuals to make their own
and effectively, applying a range of best
decisions, especially where they may
evidence-based methods of written, oral
lack capacity) and meet their needs and
and non-verbal communication and adapt
aspirations in personalised, creative and
these methods to match the person’s age,
often novel ways. They should work co-
comprehension and culture. Social workers
productively and innovatively with people,
should be capable of communicating
local communities, other professionals,
effectively with people with specific
agencies and services to promote self-
communication needs, including those
determination, community capacity,
with learning disabilities, dementia, people
personal and family reliance, cohesion,
who lack mental capacity and people
earlier intervention and active citizenship.
with sensory impairment. They should do
Social workers should also engage with
this in ways that are engaging, respectful,
and enable access to advocacy for people
motivating and effective, even when
who may require help to secure the support
dealing with conflict - whether perceived
and care they need due to physical or
or actual - anger and resistance to change.
mental ill-health, sensory or communication
Social workers should have a high level of
impairment, learning disability, mental
skill in applying evidence-based, effective
incapacity, frailty or a combination of these
social work approaches to help service
conditions and their physical, psychological
participants and families handle change,
and social consequences.
especially where individuals and families are in transition, including young people moving to adulthood, supporting them to move to different living arrangements and understanding the impact of loss and change.
The Social Work Voices Feedback Toolkit
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KSS 8. Supervision, critical reflection and analysis: Social workers must have access to regular, good quality supervision and understand its importance in providing advice and support. They should know how and when to seek advice from a range of sources including named supervisors, senior social workers and other professionals. They should be able to make effective use of opportunities to discuss, reflect upon and test multiple hypotheses, the role of intuition and logic in decision making, the difference between opinion and fact, the role of evidence, how to address common bias in situations of uncertainty and the reasoning of any conclusions reached and recommendations made, particularly in and safeguarding situations. Social workers should have a critical understanding of the difference between theory, research, evidence and expertise and the role of professional judgement. They should use practice evidence and research to inform the complex judgements and decisions needed to support, empower and protect their service participants. They should apply imagination, creativity and curiosity to working in partnership with individuals and their carers, acknowledging the centrality of people’s own expertise about their experience and needs.
Page 16 The Social Work Voices Feedback Toolkit
PCF and KSS
relation to mental capacity, mental health