Sally Riggall is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Lincoln where she teaches communication skills to students. She is a qualified counsellor and has many years experience working as a counselling trainer. Sally’s research interest is in finding ways of helping students to develop their practical communication skills with service-users in social work practice. Her most recent research project involves collaborating with social workers in training to evaluate how the Egan Skilled Helper Model equips students to develop effective, empathic communication skills which place service-users at the centre of decision making.