'... should be read by everyone who considers themselves to be doing youth work.' V.Ernest Cox, Times Educational Supplement

Recognising the centrality of the practice placement in preparing students to become effective social workers, this book offers practical guidance to both students and their practice teachers regarding how to enhance learning on placement in social work agencies. Distinguished by the coherence of its approach, the book presents an integrated approach to practice teaching with a clear methodological focus, practical help for practitioners and discussion of principles for students.

Criminology for Social Work critically reviews the major strands in criminological theory and research in terms of their implications for social workers in the criminal justice system. While acknowledging the complexity of the links to be made, it argues that they are able to enhance practice by making it more critical and realistic. Individual chapters discuss criminological psychology, the labelling perspective, the concentration of crime and victimisation in particular localities, the contributions of feminist criminology, and the evidence of racism in criminal justice. They also...

This book offers a comprehensive and critical account of the changes introduced into the UK youth justice system by the 1998 Crime and Disorder legislation, and its implications for youth justice managers and professionals. It identifies strategies for the practitioner that address the impact of crime, the social predicament of the young offender and the effectiveness of formal and informal mechanisms of social control and social support, thereby showing ways of coming to grips with one of the most serious problems besetting the poorest members of our society.

This second edition of a classic text offers experience-based, practical guidelines for social workers and others regarding long term work with sufferers from the psychoses (principally affective disorders, schizophrenia and dementia). It explores the context of practice: definitions of mental health and illnesses attitudes to psychiatry and psychiatric services and the influence of social policy. Using practice axioms, the book examines direct work with sufferers, work for sufferers with the clinical team, the social environment and work with the families affected.

All social work activity is influenced by the society in which it takes place. It is therefore inescapable that understanding sociology should help social workers to make a more effective contribution to people's welfare. The different perspectives which constitute sociology are examined and the book analyses the ways peoples' lives are powerfully influenced by social forces and 'social problems'. It is argued that sociology should help social workers to examine their assumptions and value judgements and develop their capacity to be questioning and discriminating about their methods and the...

This timely text examines the experience of feminists working with the effects of men's violence in a range of key areas: with rape survivors, with battered wives, with women whose children have been sexually abused, with prostitutes and with male abusers. Central policy changes and a multi-faceted political backlash have created new pressures for those committed to feminist practice. In each key area, the book explores the nature and impact of these changes for autonomous women's groups and for feminists working in, or with, a variety of social, medical or criminal justice agencies.

...successfully achieves its stated aim of being an introductory text for students and newly-qualified social workers...a valuable addition to their bookshelves.' Judy Yielder, BAAF