You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
It is important for practising and trainee social workers to have a full understanding of the work they do and its role in society. This book provides an introduction to 'the essentials' of social work. Written from an international perspective, the author details the core theory, values and practice which unite social workers around the world. He covers professional standards, social work education and training and social work structures, and outlines a vision of the future of social work: where it is now, and what needs to be done to protect its identity. This accessible text will be required reading for social work professionals and students.
Based on the authors' twenty-five year experience of consultancy in the public services, this book develops an empowering approach to thinking about and doing consultancy with public services. It challenges the traditional view that the consultants are brought in as experts and instead examines ways of using consultancy to empower staff, patients, service users and members of the public, so that they can take part in developing, changing, innovating and ultimately transforming these services. The book includes chapters explaining consultancy, on preparing bids, on negotiations and on the importance of assessment and review which are geared towards the needs of those working in public and third sectors, either as or with consultants. It includes a glossary, abbreviations, helpful contacts and websites which are valuable for quick reference and to aid further understanding.
This practical guide provides a wealth of suggestions to help you to hit the ground running in the early stages of your new career. It provides a range of strategies for managing your time and workload, and offers suggestions for finding support, coping with stress, maintaining job satisfaction and ways of handling difficult situations.
Social Care Management, Strategy and Business Planning is a comprehensive guide to strategic social care management, covering all the knowledge and skills that managers in the 21st century must have, and showing how to make theory a practical reality. The book aims to make business planning a more accessible and user-friendly process, offering practical advice on how to tackle the everyday tasks which good social care management should involve. Topics covered include strategic planning, business development, commissioning and contracting, project management, decision-making, risk, and evaluation techniques. The book also acknowledges the challenges of working collaboratively within a complex...
This substantially revised, expanded and updated edition of the popular Handbook of Theory for Practice Teachers is a comprehensive summary of the theory, knowledge, research and evidence relating to practice learning in social care. Focussing on knowledge-based practice with a focus on improving outcomes, the five sections of the book cover: * the reasons and circumstances in which people may become social work service users * a holistic consideration of assessment in general and specific contexts, including risk assessment and management * methods of intervention, including cognitive behavioural social work, task centred practice, advocacy, crisis intervention, family therapy and group care * the legal, policy, research and evidence context in which assessment and intervention occur, as well as interdisciplinary work and organisational aspects of social work practice * reflective practice, evaluation and evidence based practice as integral parts of social workers' engagement with the complex needs of individuals outside the existing parameters of policy or research findings. This key text is essential reading for students, practitioners and teachers in social work.
Supporting Children and Families gathers together the lessons learned from perhaps the largest scale social experiment ever undertaken in England - Sure Start, the programme designed to improve the emotional development, health and education of children. It boils down the huge amount of knowledge and experience generated by the Sure Start programmes and local evaluation studies, with chapters encompassing child development and healthcare, partnership working with existing local services, parental employment and supporting families with young children, reaching out to marginalised groups and strengthening communities. In addition to summarizing the findings of numerous innovative projects, contributors draw on their experiences of the successes and challenges to offer advice for those engaged in current and future practice. Each chapter concludes with `three lessons for Children's Centres'. With its strong focus on practice implications, this book is indispensable reading for practitioners working in health, social and educational services for children and families, as well as students or researchers, and policymakers in these fields.
Formal education has finally ended, you've passed your exams and you're getting started as a newly qualified social worker (NQSW). As you make the transition from student to fully fledged practitioner, you'll soon discover a whole host of challenges as you hit the ground running in your new career. This handbook will guide you through the initial hurdles you will face in this transitional phase, helping you to fully understand your role and how to meet the requirements of NQSW status. The book explores the practicalities of starting work in a new organisation and the professional demands particular to adult and mental health services, such as working jointly with other professions and maintaining your professional identity. A range of strategies are provided for staying motivated, managing stress and developing support networks. The authors also explore the role of supervision and critical reflection, and give advice on continuing professional development. This survival guide is an essential support to students, newly qualified social workers, practice educators and post-qualification practitioners specialising in adult and mental health services.
Since the publication of the first edition of this classic text, the major reforms in social work education resulted in the National Occupational Standards Framework (NOSF), which requires all social workers to demonstrate competence in a number of key areas. This practical text book covers all areas of the NOSF including social work ethics, residential care practice, child protection, risk analysis and protecting adults with learning difficulties. Numerous case studies effectively convey competent practice in social work practice, and relate core areas of competence explicitly to the relevant section of the framework. Professionals and students involved in social work training, as well as new practitioners will value this book as an indispensable resource.
Relationship-based practice is founded on the idea that human relationships are of paramount importance and should be at the heart of all good social work practice. This book provides a thorough guide to relationship-based practice in social work, communicating the theory using illustrative case studies and offering a model for practice. Case examples cover the different service user groups including children, families, older people, refugees, people with disabilities and people with mental health difficulties. The book explores the ranges of emotions that practitioners may encounter, and covers working in both short-term and long-term relationships. It also outlines key skills for the individual such as how to establish rapport with the client and using empathy to build a relationship, and explores systemic issues such as incorporating service user perspectives and building appropriate support systems for practice, management and leadership. This book will be an invaluable textbook for undergraduate and post-graduate social work students, practitioners on post-qualifying courses and all social work and allied professionals.