Best Practice in Social Work Interviewing: Processes of Negotiation and Assessment

In opening the second section of the book, this chapter continues with the interview between Sally and Adam from chapter 5 and, through a shift of focus, illustrates this continuity of practice and theory. The constructive perspectives of engagement and relationship building continue to be in evidence in this second part of the interview. In building upon these constructive ideas, the chapter has two broad aims. Firstly, to offer an illustration of how processes of negotiation and assessment can be seen to underpin skilled social work interventions. The second aim is to use this focus upon negotiative processes to explore key debates about how assessment in social work needs to be understood as part of complex interpersonal processes but has become increasingly characterised as ‘end product’ through frameworks and formats.