Meeting a service user for the first time
Learning Objectives
After considering this resource, you should understand how to establish a relationship with a service user from your very first meeting with them.
Meeting service users for the first time
Meeting a service user for the first time demands the effective use of your verbal and non-verbal communication in order to begin to establish a professional relationship with the service user.
Depending on the area of social work you work within, relationships may be established over many months or even years, and sometimes in just a few hours. Regardless, the importance of your communication skills in laying the foundations of your professional relationships, from your very first meeting, should not be underestimated. As Moss (2008, p.109) argues: 'The relationship you establish with someone whom you are seeking to help, support or advise is crucial to the success of your work. If you get it right, then you stand a good chance of 'being part of the solution'; if you get it wrong...you will have become 'part of the problem'. It is as important as that.'
Written by Alison Domakin, the following quick guide provides useful advice on establishing a relationship with a service user when meeting them for the first time, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Reflective Questions
- Imagine you are a service user. Reflect on what you would want from your first contact with a social worker. What would you like to know? What communication skills would you like the social worker to possess?
- How might you agree rules with a service user about how you will work together? What kind of rules do you think the service user is likely to ask to be included?
- Think about a situation where you were meeting a person for the first time. What verbal and non-verbal communication skills do you use to create a rapport with them?
- How would you prepare differently for a meeting with a 7 year old child? A person with mental health issues? A parent suspected of abusing their child?
Reference:
B Moss (2008) Communication Skills for Health and Social Care. London: Sage.