Relationships and communication are the foundation of good social work practice. This book offers a new model, drawn from research and practical experience, which describes how to carry out effective relationship-based social work.

Doing Relationship-Based Social Work provides a refreshing and realistic approach to social work practice. The model itself is built around four stages: engagement, negotiation, enabling change and valuing endings. Underpinned by motivational interviewing techniques, strengths focused practice, emotional intelligence and empowerment, the approach is supported by case examples and explanations of the importance of relationships at each stage.

Informative and practical, this book will be an invaluable text for undergraduate and postgraduate social work students as well as all social work and allied professionals committed to enabling positive change.

It is always enriching to see theory and practice in close conversation which this timely book offers - and does so well. The wealth of knowledge and practice experience covered in its pages highlights the central place that relationships hold within social work, and how relationship-based practice can lead to more in-depth understanding and new possibilities to be explored. The multi-disciplinary perspectives offered, and the real-life experiences that it describes make this book unique, memorable - and a pleasure to read. -- Pamela Trevithick - Visiting Professor in Social Work, Buckinghamshire New University.
There is a clear need for a book on relationship-based social work, and how it may be operationalised as a model drawn from research and practice. The book opens up the case for re-establishing relationships in current practices and includes case analyses in a multitude of settings, and a multitude of different voices. By combining an academic and practice focus, and by making relationships explicit in social work through different steps, this book is useful for any student studying social work -- Ilse Julkun, University of Helsinki

Cheryl McMullin is currently in a teaching fellow post at Ulster University teaching undergraduates on the BSc Social Work degree. She is also a qualified social worker. Professor Mary McColgan is Head of School of Sociology and Applied Social Studies at Ulster University.