Departments › Social Work › Module I › Communication Skills

Communication Skills

Social Work · Level 6  ·  5 Chapters

Compiled by: Julius Mwangi

Can I download Communication Skills notes as a PDF?

Yes. The notes download as a PDF too: every chapter has a Download PDF button above its notes. Sign in and click it. Each download comes from your plan's monthly allowance or from credits. To read before you sign in, the first topic of every chapter opens to anyone, and a Profplanet plan opens the remaining topics.

▣

What Communication Skills covers

Social workers are judged by how well they communicate, and Communication Skills in Social Work Level 6 develops that ability across five outcomes. Learners choose communication channels by looking at barriers, the flow of information and organisational policies. They study written communication through its types, elements and requirements, then non-verbal communication through gestures, posture and dress. Oral skills include pathways, questioning, workplace etiquette and active listening. Group discussion work ends the unit with rapport, resolving issues, joint action plans, taking turns and settling conflict as a team.

■

Careers after Communication Skills

A social worker who communicates well earns the trust of clients and agencies, and this unit trains every part of that skill.

  • Rehabilitation centres in Nakuru - You choose suitable channels, speak with clients using questioning techniques and write records that meet organisational requirements.
  • Probation and after-care offices in Eldoret - You read body language and posture accurately, keep to workplace etiquette and communicate clearly in case conferences.
  • Home-based care teams in Kitale - You listen actively to families, turn group discussions into action plans and resolve conflicts within the team.
  • Local community development offices in Embu - You prepare written communication to the standard the organisation requires and use barriers and flow of information to plan messages.
  • Self-employment as a family counselling or mediation service in Mombasa - You use rapport and conflict resolution techniques, and earn from client sessions.

Every setting draws on channels, writing, non-verbal cues, oral skills and group discussion together.

Chapters

1
Apply communication channels
8 topics
Open chapter →
2
Apply written communication skills
3 topics
Open chapter →
3
Apply non-verbal skills
3 topics
Open chapter →
4
Apply oral communication skills
4 topics
Open chapter →
5
Apply group discussion skills
7 topics
Open chapter →
What Communication Skills covers: 25 main topics in 5 chapters

1. Apply communication channels

  1. 1.1 Communication Process
  2. 1.2 Principles of effective communication
  3. 1.3 Channels/medium/modes of communication
  4. 1.4 Factors to consider when selecting a channel of communication
  5. 1.5 Barriers to effective communication
  6. 1.6 Flow/patterns of communication
  7. 1.7 Sources of information
  8. 1.8 Organizational policies

2. Apply written communication skills

  1. 2.1 Types of written communication
  2. 2.2 Elements of communication
  3. 2.3 Organization requirements for written communication

3. Apply non-verbal skills

  1. 3.1 Utilize body language and gestures
  2. 3.2 Apply body posture
  3. 3.3 Apply workplace dressing code

4. Apply oral communication skills

  1. 4.1 Types of oral communication pathways
  2. 4.2 Effective questioning techniques
  3. 4.3 Workplace etiquette
  4. 4.4 Active listening

5. Apply group discussion skills

  1. 5.1 Establishing rapport
  2. 5.2 Facilitating resolution of issues
  3. 5.3 Developing action plans
  4. 5.4 Group organization techniques
  5. 5.5 Turn-taking techniques
  6. 5.6 Conflict resolution techniques
  7. 5.7 Team-work

Revise this unit

Exam-style questions 70 Written to CDACC standard, with answers Test yourself 158 Multiple-choice, one at a time Practise questions 132 Quick recall — check you know the facts
3 more for this unit
Oral exam preparation 37 What the assessor asks, and how to answer out loud Worked calculations 14 Step-by-step maths with the common mistakes Quick cards 790 Myth busters, skill tips and scenarios

Beyond the syllabus

Decision simulator 4 On site, what would you do? Workplace scenarios 80 Real site situations — what would you do? Turn this into income 48 Where this skill earns — what to charge, how to find clients

Other units in Module I