Communication with parents in child welfare: skills, language and interaction
Christopher Hall,
Stef Slembrouck,
Corresponding Author
Christopher Hall
Reader in Applied Childhood Studies, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK, and
Christopher Hall,Centre for Applied Childhood Studies,University of Huddersfield,Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH,UKE-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorStef Slembrouck
Professor of English, Linguistics and Discourse Analysis, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorChristopher Hall,
Stef Slembrouck,
Corresponding Author
Christopher Hall
Reader in Applied Childhood Studies, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK, and
Christopher Hall,Centre for Applied Childhood Studies,University of Huddersfield,Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH,UKE-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorStef Slembrouck
Professor of English, Linguistics and Discourse Analysis, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
Search for more papers by this authorABSTRACT
This paper reviews the literature on communication between professionals and parents/carers in health and social care. It notes that there is considerable research on doctor–patient communication and counselling, but much less on professionals who visit families in their homes. While there is a large literature on good practice and communication skills, there is little research on the actual encounters themselves. What counts as ‘communication’ in such publications is explored. The paper suggests that there is much to be gained by considering research in discourse analysis and sociolinguistics on professional–client encounters. Examples of some of the key concepts are discussed and an engagement with this literature is recommended.
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