Abstract
The book includes twelve chapters, providing the reader with relevant knowledge and practical guidance on how to assess and manage conflict in various scenarios relevant to social work practice. The authors are from varied specialisms in social work and because of this are able to consider different dynamics relevant to their areas of expertise. As such this culminates in a very broad range of examples of working with conflict one could realistically encounter whilst working in social work practice. The scenarios presented helpfully highlight the competing demands of Social Work England Standards (SWE, 2021) and attempt to encourage a transparent and proactive working approach with service users at different levels of resistance or conflict. There is a strong emphasis on the dual roles of care, control, support, protection, along with balancing the rights of individuals.
Reflective exercises are included throughout the book designed to assist the reader in reflecting on their own practice and instances of conflict that could potentially arise during the course of work life. There are key points within each chapter, highlighting pertinent information as it applies to the theoretical concepts used, and additionally, there are reflection points which facilitate additional reflection of the reader's own experiences in relation to conflict and allow for contextualisation of the content.
Transactional Analysis (TA) is used to develop the reader's understanding of interactions between social workers, colleagues, other professionals and service users. Although this is a theory associated with what can be quite complex psychoanalytic theory the book presents this in a relatively simple and accessible format through the work of Harris (2004) and Berne (1964). The drama triangle, which is a social model of human interaction developed from TA (Karpman, 1968) and the Johari Window (Luft & Ingham, 1955) are other theoretical frameworks that aid situational and psychological understanding surrounding issues of conflict. These concepts allow for analysis of any given situation with a goal of reducing conflict, and again are presented in a very accessible way. In addition to these frameworks the reader is signposted to online material, useful for those who want to explore these ideas in more depth, also allowing the reader to develop further insight. There are other online materials listed in the ‘additional resources' section at the end of each chapter, but one limitation of this format is that material on the internet is not reliably available as a long-term source. The author does point this out however and gives some advice about what to do in those circumstances. An online version of this book would be easier to navigate in this way and would allow for the links to be readily accessed should they be available at the time of reading.
At the outset of the book readers are encouraged to have an appreciation of diversity issues and consider the different elements of discrimination. The authors have acknowledged the importance of considering the multidimensionality of individuals in the form of Intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberle Crenshaw who developed the analytical framework in order to recognise the unique experiences of discrimination and oppression experienced by individuals (Crenshaw, 1989). Diversity is a clear focus in the initial chapter of the book and the subsequent chapters invite the reader to consider diversity throughout their work and consider the power relationships between service users, other colleagues, and professionals.
The book refers to regulatory guidance from Social Work England and relevant legislation as it applies to England. There are a number of references to guidance from relevant public bodies including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2021) which provides evidence-based recommendations for health and care in England, the Health and Safety Executive, a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS, 2021) who have regional centres in England, Scotland and Wales. In referring to guidance from the British Association of Social Workers (2021) the book does make particular reference to information from Wales and Northern Ireland so does take account of relevant information from wider sources outside of England, although it is worth noting that this book will be particularly useful to social workers and social work students in England. In summary, this book is a useful resource for social work students, social work professionals and could be usefully used to support teaching of the practice elements of a social work programme.