Abstract
Relationship-based social work is the second edition of an edited book first published in 2010. The contributors are based in the South or South West of England and include academics, consultants and practitioners.
The book is presented in 3 sections and 14 chapters. Section 1 outlines Historical Trends, Conceptual Models and Frameworks. This includes three chapters on The Contemporary Context Of Relationship-Based Practice, Theoretical Frameworks and the Use of Self. The second section focuses on Working with the Relationship in Practice. This comprises a chapter on short-term work, three chapters on Sustaining Relationships when working with strong feelings of anger, hostility, hopelessness, depression, love and positive feelings. Two other chapters consider long-term relationships and endings. The final section concentrates on Sustaining, Supporting and Developing Relationship-Based Practice in a Reflective Context. This includes four chapters on learning relationships, working with complexity and ambiguity, relationships in supervision, professional leadership and organisations and relationships.
This is an important book that re-affirms the significance of relationship-based practice in social work. Its knowledge base is primarily linked to psychodynamic, psychosocial, systemic and attachment theories. Throughout most of the chapters, the contributors provide a good range of realistic examples from social work practice. A particular strength of the book is the attention it gives to the feelings of service users and practitioners, how these feelings impact upon professional practice and how they can be worked with. This is set within a context of the demands and pressures of present day social work, which can make it hard to find space for extensive expression, and adequate containment, of feelings.
The book could be read as a whole, but many readers may feel they wish to “dip into” particular chapters that seem to have particular appeal and meaning to them. The chapters I found especially interesting and rewarding included the chapters on short-term relationships by Ravi Kohli and Jane Dutton, which was an interesting exploration of work with refugees, while the chapter by Ann Firtlough about professional leadership provided a particularly encouraging account of positive professional development in social work organisations. The chapter on long-term relationships by Linnet McMahon highlighted concepts such as “splitting,” “containing” feelings, loss, the balance between independence, dependence, closeness and distance in social work relationships and the importance of maintaining “space” for discussion of feelings in supervision and with colleagues. Robin Solomon’s chapter was also a timely reminder of the importance of sensitivity to the ending process in social work practice. These were the chapters that had particular appeal to me, while other readers find they have their own particular preferences. In my opinion, the reader’s patience and curiosity (one of the concepts considered in the book) will be rewarded by exploring, and unearthing, different aspects of this text that have particular resonance and meaning to them.
While the second edition of this book has been updated to include more material on anti-oppressive practice, diversity and on working with service users and carers, I think it could have been improved by giving more attention, for example, to gender issues in relationship-based social work and the impact that gender may have in establishing and maintaining supportive work with service users and colleagues. Also more attention might have been given to research studies of service user views of what they value in relationship-based work, and more in-depth attention to relationship-based theories, their links with social work values and other theoretical, more specifically purposeful approaches to practice. A chapter with more emphasis on critical perspectives on relationship-based practice might also have been helpful. These suggestions could be possible additions for a third edition of this valuable book.
In conclusion, Relationship-Based Social Work is a significant edited collection. It includes material that really does lie at the heart of social work practice. It is significant for students, inexperienced and experienced practitioners and social work educators. Various parts of the book that can be read, and reread, at different points in a social work career, act as a reminder of so many elements that are vital for the effective functioning of social work in present day society.