EBP Exchange - UMB School of Social Work

The  Brits have surveyed children involved with social services and determined that one of their hopes for social workers is that they communicate with them in a way that clearly explains what the children need to know (and what the children and social worker need to do).  http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2007/08/29/105620/research-social-work-training-and-communication.html.. The article points out that there is no existing curriculum and few training modules that teach about communicating with children. Further,  progress in developing such material is a lack of understanding about what comprises effective evidence-supported communication practice with children.

As we continue to become more committed to including the voices of children in our decision making processes and endeavor to engage them in the  decision making plans and their implementation, this shortage of knowledge and skill about communicating with children seems like an important shortcoming to address.