This essential introduction to the core knowledge and skills necessary for social work students spans the entire curriculum, integrating theory, policy and practice throughout, as well as addressing regional variation across the United Kingdom.

Social Work: An Introduction is designed to help your students make the best start in their academic and professional careers. Mapped throughout to the most up-to-date professional standards, the book covers the full range of knowledge and skills students need to gain in the early stages of their social work course and as they prepare to go out on placement.

Key Learning Features:

Key Themes and Chapter Introductions – to set the scene and place each chapter in context.

Case Studies and Practice Vignettes – illustrate how theory, knowledge and policy translate to real-life practice. Also help students consider the service-user’s experience and develop a holistic approach to care.

Exercises, Activities and Reflective Questions - independent learning tasks to help students apply theory to their practice, and to develop their skills of critical reflection

Critical Thinking Boxes – support your students in their journey towards becoming critically reflexive practitioners.

Visit the companion website to access a range of resources to support both lecturers and students, including:

Vodcasts and podcasts from students, lecturers, service users and authors to introduce key topics to audio and visual learners

Activities and case studies from different fields and settings to show how theory translates into real life practice

Selected SAGE journal articles to help take learning to the next level

Up-to-date links to codes of ethics, frameworks and other useful resources.

 

About the editors

About the authors

Preface

Acknowledgements

Guided tour of the book

Introduction

Knowledge Base

Values and ethics

Law

Social policy & politics

Sociology

Material circumstances, poverty and social inequality

Psychology

Human growth and development

Communication and ICT

Research and development

Reflective practice

Assessment

Generic issues in assessment and managing uncertainty

Models of assessment

Risk assessment

Interprofessional practice

Service user & carer perspectives

Models of Intervention

Relationship-based

Crisis intervention

Cognitive behavioural

Task centred

Working in the life space

Person centred planning and personalisation

Narrative therapy

Motivational interviewing

Solution-focussed approach

Counselling

Interventions in Practice

Working with children and young people

Methods of intervention in working with individuals with substance problems

Mental health

Criminal justice

Learning disability

Disability and sensory impairment

Social work interventions with older people

Evaluation

Conclusion

Glossary