Understanding Social Work: Preparing for Practice

✍ Scribed by Neil Thompson

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Year: 2024
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 257
• Edition: 6
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

What is social work? How is it carried out? What skills does it require? Focusing on the challenges of achieving good practice, this popular textbook reflects on recent developments in social work within the context of contemporary society, law and policy. Getting to the heart of what this profession is all about, it offers an excellent foundation for anyone wanting a better understanding of the social work role. Providing readers with a springboard for further learning and development, this book: - Equips students to tackle the main topics encountered in social work studies, including the legal and policy framework, skills and values. - Reflects on the changing landscape of social work, including the impact of Covid and hybrid working, the changing role of state funding and privatisation of services, renewed focus on the significance of loss and grief, and the decolonisation of social work discourse and practice. - Includes practical exercises to prepare students for work in the field and 'Voice of Experience' features to help readers place learning in context. - Provides guidance on doing expert witness work from a leading name in the field of social work. Accompanying online resources are available at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/the-effective-social-worker. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.

✦ Table of Contents

Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Figures
The Author
Preface to the Sixth Edition
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1: Making Sense of Social Work
Introduction
Differences
Commonalities
What is social work?
Forging a new perspective
The existential basis of social work
Conclusion
Guide to further learning
Chapter 2: The Legal and Policy Context
Introduction
The Constitution
The process of law
The status of legislation
Social policy
Agency policy
Professional practice
Conclusion
Guide to further learning
Chapter 3: The Knowledge Base
Introduction
What do social workers need to know?
Dialectical reason
Using knowledge
Thoughts and feelings
‘I prefer to stick to practice’
Conclusion
Guide to further learning
Chapter 4: The Skills Base
Introduction
Competent to practise
Expectations of practice
What is a skill?
What skills do social workers need?
How do we develop skills?
Conclusion
Guide to further learning
Chapter 5: The Value Base
Introduction
What are values?
Traditional values
Emancipatory values
Conclusion
Guide to further learning
Chapter 6: Achieving Good Practice
Introduction
Avoiding dangerous practice
Working in partnership
Being systematic
Emancipatory practice
Reflective practice
Using supervision
Conclusion
Guide to further learning
Chapter 7: Facing the Challenge
Introduction
Forget that college nonsense
Bloody social workers!
Political correctness
Stress and burnout
Workload management
A dying breed?
Conclusion
Guide to further learning
Conclusion
References
Index