Social Work: An introduction to contemporary practice has quickly established itself as a leading & uniquely comprehensive introduction to the field. Essential knowledge & skills are examined with authority & depth & key debates approached in an accessible informative & engaging way. Underpinned by research & advice to make close illustrative links with practice it stimulates interest & actively engages the reader. Richly supported throughout with examples & real-life case scenarios the text encourages the reader to adopt a critical & reflective approach. Furthermore believing that social work exists to help people through complex & painful transitions in life the authors set the relationship at the heart of social work practice. This text is essential reading for social work students on undergraduate & postgraduate training programmes newly qualified social workers & practitioners in a variety of settings ...

Social Work: Themes Issues & Critical Debates one of the most respected & widely used textbooks in social work has now been completely revised & updated. With its accessible & clearly structured framework the book offers expert discussion of the core topics in social work by top writers teachers & practitioners in the field. It provides an essential grounding in the debates that shape the profession as well as a clear insight into the issues at the heart of practice. What makes this highly regarded & bestselling book stand out from other texts?
- Its range authority & theoretical integrity
- Its clear & effective structure which reflects major shifts in teaching & makes it easy to use across modules
- The importance it lays on practice-based learning & on developing core practice skills such as communication assessment & intervention
- Its value as a springboard to further reading (including extensive guidance on further print & electronic sources)
- Its compact size
- perfect for readers who are travelling between campus & practice settings. This is one of three interrelated books edited by the internationally renowned & widely published team Robert Adams Lena Dominelli & Malcolm Payne. The companion books are Critical Practice in Social Work (second edition) & Practising Social Work in a Complex World. Each book can be used alone or in combination with the other two as a uniquely flexible & comprehensive programme of study.





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Law & ethics are two vital aspects of social work
- all social workers need to practise according to the law & their codes of ethics
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It is necessary for social work students to understand fully how people develop & how the different stages of life from birth to older adulthood require them to use different skills & approaches. Covering all stages of the life course this essential guide looks at the ways in which people develop before birth as babies & children through to adolescence & on to young middle & older adulthood. With this knowledge embedded social workers are able to establish & maintain effective partnerships with both service users & other professionals. ...

This new edition provides a thorough grounding in the key issues in mental health. It highlights the key issues in this complex & sensitive area of practice & helps students to understand the latest policy & practice issues. The book looks at various aspects of Mental Health Law including the Mental Capacity Act 2005 & the recent amendments to the 1983 Mental Health Act. The author is careful to apply these laws to everyday practice in an accessible & user-friendly way. This new edition

Includes:: updates to key policy areas such as Putting People First (2007) & No Voice (2007).

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An understanding of social policy is vital for engaging practically with social work values dealing with political & ethical questions about responsibility rights our understanding of the good society. This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to social policy tailored to the needs of a social work audience. Jonathan Dickens analyses current policies & policy themes relevant to social work & locates them in the context of fundamental social policy principles & debates. He discusses the nature of social policy & its relationship to social work & covers essential themes such as: service user participation & involvement the balance between individual; societal & state responsibility for peoples wellbeing; the proper roles of the state; the private sector; voluntary organisations & the family; the relationships between needs rights & choices; the purposes & challenges of professional social work; & the meanings of inclusion & personalisation. Each chapter ends with activities for reflection & analysis & suggestions for further reading. Social Work & Social Policy" is invaluable for students undertaking social work qualifying courses all of whom are required to demonstrate an understanding of the social policy contexts of practice." ...

Neil Thompson is an authority on social work both as an author & trainer & has a massive student following reflected in sales of all his books. Social Work has around 8000 new students a year in the UK & was in the top 10 most popular degree subjects in the UK in 2006. With no A level available & a high proportion of mature non-traditional students accepted on courses social work students are often anxious to get a head start on their degrees
- this book fits that purpose. This is a practical user-friendly text addressing the anxieties & challenges faced by social work students at the start of their course. Offering wide-ranging yet accessible coverage of the core topics along with important advice on study skills this Companion is the essential survival guide for social work students. What does training to become a social worker involve? How can students best build their skills & academic portfolio to succeed in one of the most challenging & varied professional roles? This text is designed to support all social work students both in coping with the challenges of academic study & in rising to the pressures of practice learning. Designed to be as practical & user-friendly as possible the text offers: wide-ranging yet accessible coverage of the core areas of theory & practice studied on a typical social work degree; a wealth of advice & information regarding key concepts & theories alongside the principle of good practice; specific guidance about study skills & extensive signposting to other texts & further sources of information; & an overview of the range of possible career directions students might take & advice on applying for jobs. Packed full of case studies & helpful advice this text provides readers with a sound foundation for study & future practice. The Social Work Companion" is the survival guide for students on qualifying courses in social work."
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Social workers working with children & families are required to make complex & difficult decisions on a daily basis which often result in court proceedings. Social Work Decision-Making: A Guide For Childcare Lawyers is a comprehensive guide for childcare lawyers & other professionals seeking to understand the policies & procedures involved in such social work practice. This new edition has been thoroughly updated to take account of all recent developments including the: Reissued Public Law Outline Revised ' Working Together to Safeguard Children' (March 2010) New case law in respect of section 5 social work records & local authority duties Guidance relating to the Integrated Children's System (ICS) New guidance for secure accommodation provision ...

This path-breaking text constructs a new way of thinking about social work based on contemporary social theory & taking into account recent changes in social work. Working in a counter-tradition that is suspicious of a number of governing ideas & practices in social work it draws on themes in the work of theorists such as Beck Giddens Rose
- risk trust regulation identity governmentality
- to explore the impact of risk society & neo-liberalism on social work.

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Written with the non-lawyer in mind Social Work Law presents a comprehensive practical & accessible guide to the legal framework that any social worker or student of social work needs to know. The author provides a balanced account of the law as applied to children families & vulnerable adults alike & pays particular attention to the key areas of: the dynamic relationship between the law & social work practice; the crucial role of anti-discriminatory practice; & the continued growth in the importance of the Human Rights Act 1998. ...