Communication and Documentation in Social Work
Helping Processes
 Concepts, methods, techniques, skills and tools
used in interviewing and documenting social
work problem activities and processes.
 Derived from the Latin “communis,” which
means “to make common” and the word com-
muni-care, which means to share or to impart.
 The process of transmitting information and
common understanding from one person to
another (Keyton, 2011)
 The process of transferring and sharing messages
and meanings through the use of symbols like
words, gestures and sounds.
 It is interactive, always takes place within a
relationship and its context-related, does not
happen solely within the confines of a
relationship, but in a larger world which affects
both the nature of the relationships and the nature
of the communication that properly takes place
within it (Koprowska, 2014)
Communication Theory Concepts
 Encoding – the process of putting a message in a
symbol to be transmitted.
 Transmitting –sending encoded message
 Decoding- interpreting the stimuli received.
 Noise – extraneous material that interferes with
and distorts the message (Compton & Gallaway,
1999)
 Feedback – provides a way of overcoming the
problems created by noise and by inadequate
coding or faulty reception and transmission
(Brown, 1973)
Elements of Communication Process
 Source– origin of the message
 Message – the idea that is communicated
 Channel – the means by which the message is
transmitted from the source to the receiver (e.g.
oral, written or body language)
 Receiver – the target of communication who
interprets the message being transmitted.
 Effects – the changes occurring in the receiver as
a result of the transmission of the message (e.g.
changes in knowledge, attitudes and behavior)
 Feedback – the information that comes back to
the sender and tells him how his message is being
received which can guide his further
communication and repair any change that may
have taken place.
Kinds of Communication
1.Symbolic Communication
 Expressed, denoted, or conveyed by a symbol
(Oxford English Dictionary)
 Involves behavior, actions or communications
which represents or denotes something else
(Koprowska, 2014)
 As a social workers awareness on potentials
meaning on our presentation, our dress, the lay
out of room, the food we provide for clients and
physical care we gave them will symbolic, as well
as literal meaning for our clients (Koprowska,
2014)
2.Non-Verbal Communication
 music behind the words” conveying feeling or
attitudes (Sutton, 1079)
 Ambiguous (e.g. swinging of foot convey, anger,
fear, boredom) and of context (e.g. avoiding eye
contact) – Nicholson & Bayne 1984
 Expressed through non-linguistic means, the
actions or attributes of human, including their
appearance, use of objects, sound, time, smell,
and space that have socially shared significance
and stimulate in others.
 Involves awareness of the cues and messages that
a worker and client are constantly sending back
and forth in a relationship (Pillari, 2002)
3.Verbal Communication
 Oral spoken communication (Lishman, 1994)
 Involves the use of word in delivering the
intended messages
Two Areas of Non-verbal Communication
1. Proxemics – concerned with the distance and how
close people like to be to each other.
2. Kinesics –referring to movements, gestures,
expressions and eye contact
Two Types of message conveyed in verbal
communication(okun, 1987)
Cognitive content- consists of the actual facts and words
of the message, easier to understand as the message is
stated.
 • Affective content – consists of feelings, attitudes
and behaviour, more diffcult to understand as
meaning is less apparent.
Use of Verbal Communication in Social Work
(Sheafor & Horejsi, 2012)
1. to facilitate interpersonal helping;
2. to facilitate the exchange of information within an
agency, between agencies and among professionals
Barriers to Communication (Eisenberg, 2010)
Process barriers - arise when breakdown occurs in any
step-sender, encoding, medium, decoding, receiver and
feedback.
Physical barriers – Interference from other person, noise
and inappropriate set-up
Semantics barriers – encompasses language, meaning
attached to words, jargons, etc.
Psychological barriers – lack of sincerity and empathy,
improper self-perception, role confusion, prejudices,
inability to communicate and listen, culture and
traditional stereotypes
How to Address Overcome Barriers to
Communication
Significant Communication/ Active Communication
(Egan, 1994, Pillari 2002)
 active listening, paying attention to the client’s
underlying feelings as well as words.
 Effective body language, communicate
attentiveness and use gestures in order to
demonstrate openness and concern
 Use of techniques of clarification, paraphrasing,
reflection and summarizing
 A skill that can be developed and encouraged
The 7 C’s of Effective Verbal Communication
1.Completeness No important information should be
missed out. All information provided to client and
collected from client should be complete in all sense.
2.Conciseness Communicating what you want to
convey in least possible words without forgoing the
other C’s of communication. avoids using excessive
and needless words, non-repetitive in nature
3. Consideration Implies “stepping into the shoes of
others”.
Takes the audience into consideration,
Ensures that the self-respect of the audience is
maintained and their emotions are not at harm.
Modifies words in message to suit the audience’s
needs while making the message complete.
4. Clarity emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a
time, rather than trying to achieve to much at once. It
makes understanding easier, makes use of exact,
appropriate and concrete words. Enhances the meaning of
messages
5. Concreteness being particular and clear rather than
fuzzy and general, supported with specific and figures,
makes use words that are clear and that build the
reputation.
6. Courtesy message should show the sender’s
expression as well as should respect the receiver.The
sender of the message should be sincerely polite,
judicious, reflective and enthusiastic. Taking into
consideration both viewpoints as well as feeling of the
receiver of the message, positive and focused and the
audience, is not at all biased.
7.Correctness no grammatical errors in
communication.Checks for the precision and accurate of
facts and figures used in the message, appropriate and
correct language in the message.
Generic Tools in Social Work
practice of social work involves the use of certain tools
which facilitate the achievement of the worker’s goals and
objectives.
1. Interviewing face-to-face meeting between two
or more persons, directed towards a purpose, such as
to obtain information, to give instructions and to
help.
Objectives/Purposes of Interview
 To help the individual arrive at the right
solution of the problem
 To give help to individual on his immediate
needs
 To know the goal for particular interview
The General Purposes of Social Work Interviews
(Kadushin, 1983)
 Informational (to make a case study)
 Diagnostic (to make at an appraisal)
 Therapeutic (to effect change)
  An interview involves both verbal and non-
verbal communication.
 Skills required for an effective interview:
a.) Skill in relating with the interviewee
-a social work interview is guided by the professional
principles applied in working with people which
include the following:
 Accepting people as they are, regardless of
whether the interviewee is
passive,resisting,aggressive, suspicious, etc.
 Individualizing people, knowing that they
have different physiological and
psychological make-up, and also different
cultural characteristics.
 Protecting the confidential nature of the
interview, setting limits on himself with
regards to what kind of information to obtain
from the client,
 Exercising discipline in the use of one’s self,
cognizant of the worker’s holding certain
powers which can be used for or against a
client, or suit her own needs or ends.
 Allowing the interviewee to participate and
become self-determining, i.e. providing
guidance, direction, support, etc. but always
keeping in mind that the client has
capabilities and potentials.
2. Skill in Observing the Interviewee
 Being observant, sensitive to what the eyes
can see: the physical appearance of the
interviewee, facial expression, gestures, body
movements, and the like.
3. Skill in Listening
 A good interviewer is a good listener
 She listens before she talks, or starts the
interview usually by giving its purpose, and
then lets the interviewee talk.
 She picks up important points for elaboration
or discussion
 Encourages the client to express his feelings
4. Skill in Asking Questions
 An interviewer would do well to remember
that a friendly manner in asking questions
can make the difference between her getting
correct or wrong information, and a response
or hostile reply.
5. Skill in Answering Personal Questions
 The Filipino social worker should realize that
she, too, is entitled to her privacy and she
must not feel obliged to answer every
question her client asks.
6. Interpreting the Client’s Response
 The interviewer gives meaning to the client’s
words, expressions and behavior.
 The worker should exercise care in order to
arrive at objective and accurate
interpretations.
 There is also a need to understand the client’s
culture, when making interpretations of his
responses.
Conducting the Interview
Prepare for the interview
Always start by making the client feel
comfortable
Use your intuition or “sixth sense” – the worker
should be sensitive to certain signs that tell her
when or how to start the interview.
1. Exercise care in the use of interview
instruments like intake and survey forms.
Prepare for the interview
2. Always start by making the client feel
comfortable
3. Use your intuition or “sixth sense” – the
worker should be sensitive to certain signs
that tell her when or how to start the
interview.
4. Exercise care in the use of interview
instruments like intake and survey forms.
5. Be conscious of time – An interviewer should
realize the need to set time limits on the
interview.
6. Do not rush into direct action or help without
fully understanding the client’s situation.
7. The interviewer should have proper
deportment-the worker will find it helpful to
learn the norms in a particular community if
she wants to be accepted by the people.(As a
professional person, try to develop a sense of
propriety, carrying herself in such a way that
she maintains both her self-respect and the
respect of others).
NON-VERBAL TECHNIQUES IN
INTERVIEWING
 Eye Contact - The worker who keeps
looking directly at an individual's eyes will
eventually establish contact. Direct eye
contact is important for communicating to the
person that one is listening and concerned.
 Body Posture - When interviewing, it is a
good idea to monitor one's body posture to
determine what is being communicated. For
example, leaning toward the person during
the interview will indicate attentiveness,
while holding your head upright and sitting
rigid indicates impersonality.
 Personal Distance - Generally, the closer
one stands to another person the more one
expresses intimacy. The greater the distance,
the greater the feeling of formality.
VERBAL TECHNIQUES THAT
FACILITATE INTERVIEWING
 Vocalization - This term refers to the
volume, speed, and pacing of speech. It is a
good idea to speak to victims in a soft and
slow voice, while allowing a few seconds to
lapse between questions. Pacing questions
slowly gives an impression of patience and
concern.
 Clarification - We clarify when we interrupt
the speaker to ask a question about what was
just said. This indicates that we have been
listening and that the details are important to
us. It is best to clarify when the person has
finished a segment of the story and not to
interrupt repeatedly to ask about details.
 Summarization - When a person has
completed a statement, one can show interest
by summarizing what has been said so far.
The summary need not be long. Its purpose
is to demonstrate to the client that the
interviewer has been following what was
said.
 Allowing Silence - Allowing silence in
between discussions is a way of showing that
one is listening. Clients often are confused
and need time to collect their thoughts.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
 Client’s thoughts/ideas
 Client’s feelings
 Client’s directions
OTHER POINTERS TO REMEMBER
 Association of ideas - Read into the client’s
problem, feelings that he has or may not have.
Furthermore, if the interviewer listens to the
client’s own free association, she/he will gain
very many helpful clues about the things the
client is discussing.
 Shifts in conversation - A client’s shift in
conversation may be an indication that he/she
becomes conscious he/she had been telling
too much and desires not to reveal oneself
further.
 Opening and Closing Sentences - The first
words a client says are often of great
significance. Closing remarks are also
noteworthy. Often a client’s last remark
indicates he/she is summing up what the
interview has meant to him/her.
 Recurring references - Observe when a
client repeatedly mentions a certain subject,
 either in general terms or in specifics such as
a job, need for money, difficulties with
spouse, etc.
 Inconsistencies and gaps – Note when the
client’s story is not unified such as when
she/he often contradicts himself/herself or the
real meaning of what is being said is not
clear. Such behavior may indicate the
operation of an internal pressure, confusion
or ambivalence.
 6. Concealed Meaning - It is essential for
the interviewer to be accustomed to listening
to what the client could really mean behind
what he/she is actually saying.
ESSENTIAL CONDITIONS OF GOOD
INTERVIEWING
 Physical Setting. A degree of privacy and a
comfortable relaxed atmosphere is important.
The greatest efficiency is efficiency that is
desired and this will be achieved by giving the
client comfortable surroundings, undivided
attention and ample time to express oneself
during the interview.
 Recording. A few minutes after the interview, it
is necessary that the worker makes the
documentation of the interview results. As much
as possible, avoid writing many notes while the
interview is in progress. However, factual things
such as names, addresses, dates, age, place of
previous residence or employment, etc. maybe
written down as soon as they are mentioned.
 Confidentiality. The right of the client to
privacy, protection, integrity and respect should
be highly considered by the worker when
interviewing.
 Background Knowledge. It is good for an
interviewer to know some basic theories that will
be useful in explaining problems experienced by
the clients.
HOW TO INTERVIEW
1Begin Where the Client Is, Listen Before Talking.
The first step in an interview is to help the client relax and
feel fairly comfortable. Naturally it is difficult to help the
client relax unless the worker herself/himself is relaxed.
Listening to the client gives the worker a chance to
become acquainted with him/her, to know what language
she/he speaks, literally and figuratively. It helps to clarify
the kind of questions, comments, and suggestions that
should later be directed to the client and the way in which
they should be formulated. Avoid the use of literary
language with a person used to the vernacular.
Observation. The worker should listen closely to what
the client says while observing, without being obvious
about it, what the client does not say and the significant
gaps in his/her story. The worker also observes such
things as bodily tension, flushing, excitability, and
dejection because they supplement, or sometimes even
belie, the picture given by the client’s words.
Listening. Listening is one of the fundamental operations
of interviewing during which observation of the client
also occurs. It goes without saying that a good worker
(interviewer) is a good listener. But what constitutes a
good listener? One who frequently interrupts to say what
she/he would have done under similar circumstances is
not a good listener.
Questioning. The central method of interviewing is the
fine art of questioning. Abrupt or tricky questions are
inappropriate in a casework interview. The method of the
casework interview is the method of friendliness, the
method of asking questions in order to understand and be
of assistance. The client soon recognizes the attitudes of
the worker and tend to respond to the best of his/her
abilities when he/she feels the presence of real desire to
understand and to help. The worker who poses questions
accusingly or suspiciously arouses only fear and
suspicion, not cooperation. The wording of the question
is often of less importance than the manner and tone of
voice in which it is a part .
Talking. Closely allied to questions are the comments of
the interviewer. In general, the worker should comment
only for purposes similar to those for which he/she asks
questions, i.e, to reassure or encourage the client, to lead
him on to discuss further relevant matters and so on. The
one additional kind of talking that goes beyond these
purposes is the definite giving of information or advice.
This is the stage that should come after the client is
familiar enough with his/her own situation.
Answering Personal Question. Personal questions may
indicate the beginning of the establishment of that closer
relationship between the worker and the interviewee.
Leadership or Direction. The worker guides the
conversation along the paths that will enable him/her to
determine whether there is a possibility to help the client.
He unobtrusively directs the interview throughout,
deciding when to listen, when to talk, what to observe and
so on.
Interpretation. The worker’s first aim is to understand
as fully as possible the client’s problem and the
underlying situation that the client presents through
his/her behavior and conversation. Rarely is the client
sufficiently conscious of his/her own self to know and be
able to give a straight forward account of the crucial
factors that lie at the bottom of his/her difficulty. The
interviewer must discover these factors by going beneath
the surface of the client’s remarks and understanding.
They are of more than superficial significance.
Restatement- Repeating back to the client his or her
message
Paraphrasing - It is clarifying and validating what client
has said, but in the social worker’s own words. It is not
“Parroting”.
Documentation and Recording
Documentation is the process that involves data
gathering, compiling and writing a report from the
available data.
A document is a paper containing information or proof
of anything (definition from dictionary)
A record is a written account or a report of proceedings
Recording is the process of putting and keeping on file
relevant information about the client; the problem; the
prognosis; the intervention; the progress of treatment; the
social, economic, and health factors contributing to the
situation and the procedures for termination or
referral.(The Social Work Dictionary, 1995)
Purposes of Records/Why Write Records ( Mendoza,
2008)
Provide ongoing picture of the nature and the process of
the Worker/s involvement with the client.
Serve as source of statistical information and provide
accountability for the agency and the worker.
Serve as supervisory tools to help improve the skills of
the Worker/s
Provide data useful to planning, decisions & reporting of
accountability
Provide account of accomplishments
Provide data for educational purposes and research.
Provide information to meet legal and policy
requirements
Useful in evaluation of the cases, programs and agency
Types of Records
1.Intake Forms – also called Face Sheet, Admission
Form, Application Form
2. Case Study – contains the synthesis of the information
that has been obtained on the client and his situation, an
assessment/definition of the problem and the helping
intervention goals and plans.
3. Summary records/entries of data obtained as part of
the information-gathering stage in problem-solving.
4. Survey Report – contains findings about the
community situation, indicating date, place and source of
data.
5.Summarized Process Recordings – contain details
about the content of interviews, conferences, and other
contacts with clients.
6. Periodic Evaluative Summaries – statement about the
major developments that have occurred.
7. Transfer Summaries – recommendations on future
course of action.
8. Final Evaluative Statement – focusing on the extent
to which goals/objectives spelled out in the case study
have been accomplished/not accomplished and why;
recommendations for termination or continuation of
service.
4. Community Resources
Community Resources – these resources take in various
forms, including funds, supplies and equipment, training,
consultancy services, material assistance and counseling.
Differ in scope
Availability in terms of level (Barangay, Municipal, City,
Provincial, Region, National & International
 Community resources are almost indispensable to
social workers with her intercessor-mediator role
is meaningful mainly because there are resources
that can be availed of to meet client needs.
 Many resources are just waiting to be tapped or
mobilized.
 However, when there are particular resources
needed that are not available; the worker with the
 client participation, may have to create needed
resources.
5. Program and Activities
Program – is a coordinated group of activities maintained
over a period of time aimed at producing a specific type
of service.
Activities – action-oriented experiences or task oriented
ones
 The use of program and activities – to attain
certain social work objectives in helping different
client systems.
Variety of Purposes of Program & Activity
1. Establish positive relationship with a client who
is passive and withdrawn.
2. To promote/improve communication between
client and worker
3. To serve as a “diagnostic tool”e.g. dolls, toys, etc.
4. To provide channels or outlets for otherwise destructive
energies e.g. basketball, swimming for highly energetic
young people.
5. To serve as educational tools e.g. audio-visuals, use of
resource person.
6. To serve the need for socialization, particularly for
people who are isolated from social contacts.
7. To provide catharsis or means for expressing feelings
and emotions e.g. drama, writing exercises, etc.
8.To influence people to act or behave in a certain way,
like being more objective, learning to be sensitive to the
feelings of others e.g. teamwork exercises.
9. To develop proper attitudes like economy, industry,
self-reliance e.g. recycling trashes/newspaper, etc.
10. To develop a sense of accomplishment and the
corresponding pride and self-confidence e.g.
beautification project.
11. To help bring about community change and
development by way of the participative process e.g.
drafting a group resolution
12. To develop an awareness of one’s social reality which
can be stimulus for change e.g. children’s theatre, skit,
songs, etc.
Note: Social Workers should remember that in choosing
an activity, our clients maybe our best resource.