https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8421-2005
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Campbell Killick, Writing Analytical Assessments in Social Work (3rd Edition), Chris Dyke, The British Journal of Social Work, Volume 54, Issue 4, June 2024, Pages 1773–1774, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad228
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Extract
Gaining a clear understanding of social situations through assessment is a core function of social work. In their analysis, the practitioner makes sense of the situation so that decisions can be made in an informed manner. Practitioners appear to be effective at engaging key stakeholders and gathering information, but interpretating the information can be difficult. This is as true today as it was in 2016 when Chris Dyke wrote the first edition of ‘Writing Analytical Assessments in Social Work’. This has become one of the key texts for practitioners and students who appreciate the accessible writing style and the use of practice examples. The book includes a valuable overview of the assessment process with practical guidance on the use of chronologies eco-maps and genograms to structure information. The third edition builds upon the strengths of its predecessors, updating the material and adding two important additional chapters.
Material on analytical writing (Chapter 4) has been supplemented with an entirely new chapter on analytical thinking (Chapter 5). This explores the unconscious processes that social workers use within their assessment and decision making. Whilst intuitive shortcuts seem to be a part of social work decision making, there is a danger that bias can distort the way in which data are filtered and evaluated (Spratt, 2023). This could result in inaccurate understanding and discriminatory actions. Dyke outlines a range of such thinking processes and then applies this to the social work setting. He encourages practitioners to critically reflect on all sources of information including our own practice wisdom.
