Presented is a Storify that chronicles a university based 'Book Group in Social Work Education'. Book Group has evolved into a national project. It is a teaching strategy that can be embedded into modules, study groups and as a single programme teaching and learning event. It has the potential to be developed and implemented in a CPD context; mapped alongside the incremental nature of The College of Social Work 'Professional Capabilities Framework' and the Health Care Professionals Council 'Standards of Proficiency' outline. It provides a platform to develop 'Communities of Learning' and 'Communities of Practice' and is therefore a creative and flexible medium through which learning can be propelled, reviewed and secured.

Richard Murray, Senior Economic Adviser, Scottish Government. Critical Skills for Critical Times and conference and workshop organised by Moray Collaborative Learning Network, held at Moray College, 17th March 2011.

Colin Mair, Chief Executive, Improvement Service. Critical Skills for Critical Times and conference and workshop organised by Moray Collaborative Learning Network, held at Moray College, 17th March 2011.

Dr Tony Evans is a national member of the SPRING steering group. He is an Associate Professor in the School of Health and Social Studies at the University of Warwick. He previously taught at Southampton, York and Oxford Brookes. Before this he worked as a social worker in mental health, and subsequently in forensic social work in the health service. Before training as a social worker he worked in policy development, and community representation in social services and the health service. His research interests focus on: practice research and professional knowledge; discretion, policy and professional practice; and community care and mental health. Tony's interests in practice research focus on: discretion and the impact of service organisation, policy and procedures on professional practice; and ethics and professional practice and service user rights, particularly in mental health. Alongside his membership of SPRING he is also involved with the Managerialism and Social Services Interest Group based at the University of Warwick.

Professor Fergus McNeill, Glasgow School of Social Work. Explores the implications for criminal justice social work of the recent report of the Independent Prisons Commission, 'Scotland's Choice'. Examines whether the idea of offenders paying back in the community represents a necessary and sufficient underpinning rationale for the use of community penalties and, more generally, for the future development of criminal justice social work. Glasgow School of Social Work Research Seminar Series: 22nd March 2011.

Longitudinal research seminar took place The Scottish Universities Insight Institute, Glasgow, on the 20th and 21st of April 2011. The intention was to identify the core constituents of a robust longitudinal design that would be fit for the evaluation of the efficacy of everyday professional intervention aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable children. The intention was also to explore the type and range of data that is required to capture fundamental aspects of everyday multi-professional intervention and child well-being. On the basis of this we identify the most appropriate measures to capture intervention and child well-being and develop a robust analytical package for capturing outcomes over the short, medium and longer term. Social work perspective: a longitudinal study of children at risk of significant harm. Marian Brandon, University of East Anglia

This section of the Mental Health in Higher Education project website draws together publications and resources related to the role of social work in the area of mental health. This page was initially developed to support a learning and development event for mental health social workers in Lancashire in the spring of 2009. It may be of use in informing module planning, or act as a resource that students can access directly.

This resource will help you: 1.Consider the possible benefits and drawbacks of personalisation 2.Review practitioner’s perceptions of personalisation 3.Reflect on service user experience 4.Develop your skills in supporting an individual through the process 5.Identify future learning/training requirements 6.Reflect on your learning in relation to personalisation

This resource will help you: •Find out how much you already know about personalisation • Understand what personalisation means and where it comes from • Familiarise yourself with legislation, policy and theory influencing the personalisation agenda

These e-Learning resources explore the nature of personalisation. The e-learning resource is specifically targeted at trainee social workers. It can however, be used to support both education and training for any individual studying and practicing in social care. The e-learning resource can be integrated into higher education social work curriculum either as directed or self directed study

All in a day's work will: •help you to reflect on what approach, or combination of strategies, you adopt to being a social work law practitioner •enable you to undertake an assessment of your social work law knowledge

Experts by experience will: •Introduce you to how service users and carers have experienced legal interventions by social workers •Identify how experts by experience identify good and poor practice by social workers •Present what experts by experience suggest are the essential knowledge, skills and values that social workers should have and how they should use them •Present key messages for social workers on what is really important for service users and carers when legal interventions are being used

Social Work intervention will raise awareness of: •the legal rules that create the framework for social work intervention •the different points of intervention - initial referral and screening, assessment and care planning and review and assessment

Win a million! will help you: •acquire and consolidate knowledge of specific legal rules •develop a critical perspective on those rules •describe the location of specific legal rules

Courtroom scenario will enable you to: •perform confidently in relation to court processes and systems •appreciate good practice when giving evidence in chief •develop your understanding of, and skills in responding to cross-examination •identify your involvement in the court room as a positive element of practice

Court room skills aims to: •identify messages for effective courtroom practice •develop your understanding of the different roles in courtroom settings •help you manage your authority and role more effectively •develop your skills in negotiating out of court and in giving evidence •develop your knowledge, skills and confidence about cross examination

Accountability and intervention sets out to explore the impact of law on how social workers work, in particular: •how legal rules influence the process of decision-making (rather than content) •how social work values influence our approach

The law practice relationship sets out to make you aware of: •the complexity of the relationship between law and social work in practice •the breadth of legal knowledge necessary for effective practice •the fact that law cannot be seen in isolation from values, and must be subject to critical analysis •how different options for practice balance legal rules, moral rules and individual and collective rights.

The body of law will make you aware of: •How law is made •How social issues may be reflected in the legal rules •How the legal rules reflect the society of which they are a part •The relationship between national and international jurisdictions •The role of the judiciary and of case law •The separation of powers

Introduction to Law sets out to make users aware of: •the importance and relevance of Law •how interesting Law can be •the many ways that Law impacts upon our lives and work •the importance of Law to social work practice •the connections between Law and social work values

These e-Learning resources bring alive key aspects of the law applied to social work practice. Please note that these resources were updated in April 2009 to bring it in line with the most recent policy and legislation

Culture, identity and personal beliefs have a profound impact on the content and process of communication. When people from different cultures, backgrounds or belief systems communicate, it is easy for misunderstandings to arise. This resource uses five case scenarios to provide examples of the kinds of challenges and dilemmas social workers experience as they communicate across social and cultural divides. This resource will further your understanding of: •the impact of identity, beliefs and culture on the process of communication •the importance of sensitivity to issues of culture, identity and belief in communication •the kinds of dilemmas that arise in communication across cultural and social divides.

The well-known phrase ‘actions speak louder than words’ reminds us of the importance of practical forms of help. However, for this help to be effective, it has to be informed by a sound knowledge and skills base and the ability to articulate why practical forms of support are essential in order to move events forward. This learning object will help you to understand what is communicated through action and other forms of communication, such as: •offering practical support (advocacy, mediation, networking) •communicating at a distance (letter writing, emails, telephone, mobile phones and text messaging) •professional record keeping systems (case notes, report writing, form filling, taking minutes of meetings) •presentation skills (giving a talk, chairing a meeting, coordinating case conferences/ reviews and presenting evidence in court)

Children and young people communicate in ways which are different from or additional to those used by adults This resource begins by exploring some of the reasons why children and young people communicate in these additional and alternative ways. It then goes on to describe ways of using stories, art work, creative writing and music as forms of communication. This resource will further you understanding of •why play-based, creative and activity-based methods can help children and young people to communicate, including: 1.the limitations of direct methods of communication 2.the importance of symbolism and metaphor 3.the dangers of interpretation. •what kind of underpinning knowledge and theoretical frameworks are helpful when using play and creative activities •how to select the best mode and method of communication for particular contexts, purposes and children (e.g. artwork, stories, puppets)

This resource looks at what we mean by the term ‘challenging situations’ and explores in particular the communication difficulties that can be encountered when people feel guarded and defensive, perhaps because they feel threatened in some way. Using a case study you will work through some of the more advanced communication skills needed in these situations. This resource will further your understanding the communication skills needed where people are: •silent •mistrustful and difficult to engage •unable and/or unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions •hostile •aggressive and threatening •violent

This resource starts with a quiz and a short case study to help you understand the complexities of defining and identifying impairment as well as the difficulties faced by people who have these impairments. You will then be able to explore four different scenarios which present tips on working with particular communication needs of service users. This resource will further your understanding of: •people with particular communication needs are a large, diverse and ill-defined group •how the social model of disability highlights the barriers faced by people with particular communication needs and ways in which these might be addressed •different ways to enhance communication with various groups.

Through a scenario this resource enables you to explore the potential barriers to communication that can exist in your everyday work. This resource will further your understanding of how the following factors can inhibit, interrupt or confuse the communication between social workers and service users, carers and others: •time available •territory (environment and context) •role and task •professional identity and use of self •emotional, psychological and interpersonal dynamics •power and difference (real or assumed) •special communication needs

This e-learning resource uses a video scenario to help you develop your observation, listening and interviewing skills and to become more aware of your own subjectivity. Different ways of asking questions will be considered in more depth and you will have the opportunity to try out some creative approaches to gathering information using diagrams or art-based tools. This resource will enhance your understanding of: •observation skills •listening skills •the ability to identify underlying messages and interpret non-verbal communication •asking questions (interviewing skills) •more creative ways of gathering information

This resource uses a case study to help you explore the challenges that social workers experience during interviews and what decisions can be made to overcome some of these. It highlights that discovering the other person’s perspective and establishing a shared agenda for the interview are priority tasks, as well as the need to explain bureaucratic procedures and to provide as well as gather information. This resource will help you understand that effective and empowering communication in social work requires: •planning and preparation so that you are clear about what you are doing, why and how. •sensitivity towards the other person’s expectations and concerns so that you can negotiate a shared agenda for the task in hand. •accurate identification of the other person’s information needs •a way of explaining that helps the person to understand the information they need.

This resource looks at the benefits that are gained from the relationships that are built within social work. Using the voices of service users, carers and workers you will hear accounts of how the relationships that were created helped them to deal with the difficulties they faced. This resource will further your understanding of: •the importance of relationships in social work and what we communicate through relationships we work to build •the personal attributes needed to form and maintain positive working relationships •the professional attributes that are required and boundaries within which positive working relationships operate •how integrating of personal qualities and professional attributes link to the concept of the ‘professional use of self’

This e-learning resource introduces the breadth and complexity of communication skills in social work. This resource will further your understanding of: •the principles of effective communication as a two or more way process (underpinned by values such as participation and inclusion) •how context shapes communication and can facilitate or impede effective communication •communication within the social work role and task

These e-Learning resources examine the principles of good communication, useful techniques and how to apply these to social work/care practice.

This project report informs on a SWAP-funded project 'Teaching, learning and assessing communication skilss with children and young people: Developing the social work qualifying curriculum'. It includes the following sections: 'Background to the dissemination project', 'The aims of the dissemination project', 'The first workshop', 'Follow-up from the first workshop', 'The second workshop' and 'Evaluation and review of the project'.

In 2005 SWAP funded eight projects in social policy and social work education designed to promote the use of effective learning, teaching and assessment activities; to encourage the development and sharing of innovative approaches and to raise awareness of the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of educational methods. Interprofessional Education is a report from the Learning from Lives project.

This learning object introduces Practice Learning Qualification (PLQ) candidates to key concepts and theories relating to communication within the contexts of education, health and social services. It uses the specific context of practice learning within social work education to introduce and explore the themes of verbal, non-verbal and written communication, and communication across diverse situations. In particular it highlights the values and techniques involved in giving and receiving feedback during professional practice learning.

The aim of this learning object is to promote understanding of the key aspects of the crisis intervention model and explore its application to practice.

The aim of this multimedia learning object is to familiarise students with the framework, key principles and statutes surrounding social work intervention with families and adult offenders

This web-based guide contains evidence-based examples of good practice and is intended to support universities and colleges to engage effectively with people who use services and carers in their social work and social care training.