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Social work is inundated with more than its fair share of meetings, writes Nathalie Towner. But they do serve an important purpose as they will often be the only time different interest groups communicate face to face. These forums are used to make key decisions and to tell people about changes and developments so it is vital to make the most of them.

Prepare
Every meeting needs some preparation. Angela Baron, organisation and resourcing adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, says: "It is important to write a clear agenda and circulate it in advance of the meeting so that people attending have time to make agenda suggestions, know what to expect in the meeting and prepare for it." To make the most of the time allocated, read in advance any material that is circulated and, if you are chairing, seek input from colleagues who are not attending.


Communicate
You need to communicate your points clearly so that other people understand them. Do not interrupt other people or shout to get your point across as this rarely works. Paul Startup, district care manager for Cornwall social services, says: "Always take notes so if you need to go back to a key point you can do so without stifling the discussion." Pay attention to other people in the meeting. "Listen carefully to what they say and watch body language as people might have something to add and be shifting in their seat or making eye contact," adds Startup.

How to chair
"If you are chairing, start by outlining the purpose of the meeting," advises Startup. Introduce people where necessary, start on time and follow the agenda. Everyone is different and some people might be more reserved in meetings while others are more forthcoming. Baron says: "The chair can help get the most from the meeting by asking opening questions to encourage responses from more reserved people and interrupt others where necessary."

Creating a sense of trust
Peter Hanlon, senior practitioner in social work for Oldham social services, runs lots of meetings. He says: "Summarise all the points as it is important to appear balanced, particularly when there are lots of different groups, such as teachers and police. If people trust you as the chair it is easier to move the discussion forward." He also recommends sometimes giving away power and letting someone else chair.


Meetings with clients
In all meetings from first referral to case conference to court, it is important that service users feel you are working with them. Hanlon says: "If it does go to case conference it can be very daunting for service users. The police will be present, teachers and other social workers, so you need to let them know exactly what is happening, explain the process and advocate for them. It is important they feel informed, empowered and included."

Wrapping up
The chair should manage the time and structure of the meeting to avoid overrunning. Startup says: "You don't want a meeting to be overly long as people have limited attention spans and start losing interest."
Any action points should also be agreed and allocated in the meeting. At the end it is important to ensure everyone knows who is doing what. "It can happen that everyone has a different understanding of what has been agreed," says Startup. "It is worth going round the table outlining what each person is doing and, if necessary, arrange a follow-up."