The document discusses three key techniques of social casework: interviews, observation, and recording. It provides details on interviews, including their purpose and characteristics of a good interviewer. It also discusses the needs of a good interview and outlines the typical format of an interview guide. The document then briefly covers observation and highlights the importance of recording for organizing information, assessing clients, and evaluating work. It describes three types of recording: process recording, summary recording, and problem-oriented recording.

1. Techniques of Social Case
Work
BY SUMAYYA SAADAT

2.  There are three fundamental techniques of social investigation:
 Interview
 Observation and
 Recording

3. Interview
 The interview is the most frequently used in social work.
 The process of social investigation initiated and carried through by the process
of interview
 The interviews is used for securing information about the client as well as his
problems including his relationships with other person in his social and personal
environment
 It is the structured interaction between a worker and client
 It is the main medium of help without which the social casework process will
never be possible
 Interviewing is one of the important casework technique.

4. Needs of a good interview
 Professional skills in this area, not only theoretical knowledge about the
psychology of human behaviour but also considerable case work experience
 A clear objectives
 Should be conducted impartially
 Develops logically
 It shall be under the control of interviewer
 Appears spontaneous- fresh energetic- interesting

5. Characteristics of a good case work
interviewer
 Self-understanding
 Self-control
 Understanding of social work values and ethics
 Professional social work knowledge
 Empathy
 Respect
 Authenticity

6. Format of Interview Guide/Schedule
It included following information:
I. History of Problem
II. Personal History
III. Family History
IV. Analysis and Social Diagnosis
V. Treatment Plan

7. I. HISTORY OF PROBLEM
It includes:
i. Major complaints(problems)
ii. History of the problem
iii. Treatment or helps taken so far

8. II. PERSONAL HISTORY
i. Early development
ii. Process of socialisation
iii. Coping patterns of day to day stress
iv. Schooling- likes, dislikes, difficulties, academics achievements, extra curricular
activities, model teachers behaviour, significant incidences
v. Marital history: age at marriage, willingness for marriage, type of marriage, age of
the spouse, personality of the spouse, expectations from marriage, relationship
and compatibility with the spouse, with in laws, sexual gratification, birth of the
first child and its impact on the marital life

9. vi. Habits:
i. Drinking, gambling, smoking, addiction etc
ii. Reading, creative activities, music, writing, painting etc
iii. Social habits
vii. Occupational history : when and why started working, job satisfaction in every
work, relationship with the supervisors and colleagues, promotion, work
environment, reasons of changing occupation/job.
Income: income per month, level of satisfaction, needs and income, debt or
other problems.
vii. Sex experience: sexual perversion if any, failure in love, its effects, etc.

10. III. FAMILY HISTORY
1. Family structure
2. Economics status in community
3. Educational history
4. Occupational history
5. Marital history
6. Ethical and moral standards
7. Family habits

11. 8. Personality patterns
9. Interaction patterns
10. Patterns of decisions making
11. Existing role structure in family
12. Patterns of managing problem
13. Social support system
14. Interaction of the family members with the client

12. IV. ANALYSIS AND SOCIAL DIAGNOSIS : Problematic areas
V. TREATMENT PLAN

13. Observation
Observation is always coupled with interviewing. It makes possible to record the
behaviour of the client as it occurs. It yields clues as to pathological patterns of
communication, pathogenic relation and defective role playing and polarization of
power and authority among the family members who are of etiological significance.

14. Recording
 Recording is highly important technique in social work.
 The case worker has to know many clients intimately it is essential that interviews and
details should be recorded for all clients with their individual differences.
 Records identify the areas of strength and weakness .
 Recording can be used as a therapeutic tool.
 It helps to client for treatment.
 By the study a social worker record the facts related to their client.
 Recording helps in learning.
 Social Worker gets a chance to review and improve their own effective work

15. Purpose of Recording
 Recording helps in effective assessment and intervention of the person with problem.
 It enables more effective interviewing and intervention in the case work process.
 It helps to contribute to analytical reflection and improvement in case work practice.
 It is useful for organizing and structuring of information and for orderly thinking.
 It refreshes the memory of the worker and increases retrospective understanding.
 It enables better planning for subsequent interviews

16. Cont….
 It serves as an index for correction of polices.
 It ensures continuity if any caseworker discontinues the process with a client.
 It helps to assess the ability of caseworker and to evaluate the agency.
 It is useful for future reference.
 Recording can provide statistical data on social problems and help in social
research and planning.

17. Principles Of Recording
 The Principles of Flexibility
 The Principles of Selection
 The Principles of Readability
 The Principles of Confidentiality
 The Principles of Worker’s acceptance

18. Guiding principles of recording
There are some guiding principles for maintaining a good record. However there is no
such thing as an ideal or model record.
 A record is a flexible instrument, which should be adapted to the needs of the
case.
 Accuracy, objectivity, simplicity, clarity and brevity should be observed in
writing records.
 Facts and their interpretation should be distinguished between, as that leads to
real objectivity of the subject matter.

19. Cont.…
 The outcome should be drawn in a balanced manner without attempting to
influence the judgment of the reader.
 For example, frequent fights between the husband and wife might lead the case
worker to interpret that the wife dislikes or hates her husband.
 The record must be orderly in its arrangement. The caseworker should think in
advance what should be included and then set the material out in a logical
sequence.
 The case work records are not meant to be literary masterpieces, therefore they
should be written in simple language and simple style.

20. Cont.…
 A record should have readability and visibility and should contain a clear and
concise presentation of the material. For example, content can be organized under
topical headings such as interviews, home visits, and contact contacts.
 To maintain clarity and accuracy, avoid using words that are ambiguous.
 It should always be made clear who are involved in the situation, who is
addressing whom and what the sources of information are.
 The details of every significant subject or situation should be given

21. Classification of Casework Recording
 Process Recording
 Summary Recording
 Problem Oriented Recording

22. Process recording
Process recording is a form of recording used frequently by the caseworker. It is one
method by which the caseworker can record the content of an interview. It involves a
written record of all communication both verbal and nonverbal based on the worker’s
best recollections, and a record of the worker’s feelings and reflection throughout the
interview. In this type, the process of interview is reported and is a rather detailed
description of what transpired with considerable paraphrasing. It preserves a
sequence in which the various matters were discussed. It includes not only what both
the worker and the client said but also significant reaction of the client and changes
in mood and response. In this method, the interview and observation go hand-in-
hand. It may be verbatim or non-verbatim reproduction.

23. Summary Recording
Summary recording is a good device for organizing and analysing facts. It points to the
meaning and the relative importance of the materials gathered. A careful summary made
at appropriate intervals reduces any bulk writing, clarifies direction and saves the worker’s
time. Summative recording is a summary of all the formative assessment carried out over a
long period and makes statements about the client’s progress. It is commonly assumed to
be a review or recapitulation of material that has already appeared in the record. It may be
either topically arranged or may appear as condensed chronological narrative. Mrs.
Sheffield has defined summary in social casework recording as “A digest of significant facts
in the client’s history which has previously been recorded”. A summary can be an
assessment, a periodic summary or closing summary. The closing summary is a summary
made at the time the process of casework is terminated. To be most effective, it should be
written by the worker who was responsible for the intervention at the time of termination.
The periodic summary is simply the summary of information previously recorded and is
made at more or less regular intervals or at the end of more or less definite episodes in the
family history.

24. Problem oriented recording
 Problem-oriented recording is a method that focuses on specific problems. The
components of this method are
 (a) data base, which contains information required for each client regardless of
assessment or presenting problems,
 (b) problem list ,which contains the major problems currently needing attention,
 (c) plan , which specifies what is to be done with regard to each problem,
 (d) progress notes , which document the observations, assessments, and future plans,

25. Advantages of Recording
 Recording of the process of casework helps in assessment and treatment.
 It enables more effective interviewing and intervention in problem solving.
 It contributes to analytical reflection and improvement in casework practice.
 It is useful for organizing and structuring of information into orderly thinking
which refreshes the memory of the caseworker and increases retrospective
understanding.
 It enables better planning for subsequent interviews.
 It is useful as a guide to new caseworkers

26. Thank You!