Social work

This book explores the sociological basis of contemporary society and shows how social workers experience tensions and contradictions in practice.

Understanding the dynamics of population turnover or migration driving area change is key to improving efforts at neighbourhood regeneration and developing mixed or sustainable communities. This report provides the first analysis of neighbourhood migration flows for the whole of England and Scotland.

A free pdf is available at www.jrf.org.uk

This book provides busy practitioners with a ready reference for the day-to-day problems relating to sex and sexuality that they are likely to face in key areas of engagement, such as promoting sexual health, preventing sexual violence, working with those subjected to sexual abuse, and engaging with the complexities of contemporary sexualities.

This book's striking message is that palliative care does not deliver on its aims to value people who are dying and make death and dying a natural part of life. Applying Social Role Valorisation, it argues for the de-institutionalisation of palliative care and recommends an alternative framework to current approaches.

This report follows the progress of twenty very different neighbourhood organisations across three countries to explore the opportunities and challenges of neighbourhood renewal from a community perspective.

A free pdf version of this report is available online at www.jrf.org.uk

Ethics has been addressed in health care, but relatively little attention has been paid to the subject in the social care sector. This book redresses the balance by examining theory, research, policy and practice in both fields. The importance of this approach is reflected in the growing emphasis on ethical issues in research and practice.

This book uses historical and contemporary materials to document the ways in which policy-makers, in different eras, have sought to use state powers and regulations to create better, more balanced, and sustainable communities and citizens. 

This report covers developments in 20 less popular and more problematic council estates, based on four waves of research since 1980.

It presents unique evidence of the impact of 25 years of social change and policy from Thatcher to Blair, a period in which the number of British council homes halved. 

A free pdf is available at www.jrf.org.uk

Current community care policies and increasing numbers of older people needing assistance mean that all social workers must be up-to-date in their knowledge, skills and attitudes towards people with dementia and their carers. This book, written by experienced social workers, provides guidance on best practice in a readable and jargon-free style.

Working in group care (ie residential and day services) is a challenging and complex task, demanding great skill, patience, knowledge and understanding. This book explains how best practice can be achieved through the focused and engaged work of individuals and teams who are well supported and managed. 

The book is a much-needed revised and updated edition of Elders and the law (PEPAR Publications, 1993). It describes the legal framework for working with older people following the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 and the modernising agenda in health and social care.

Placing health tackles the question of how health is affected by where people live, through an examination of England's Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and its health targets. It evaluates the evidence base for the strategy, compares experiences from similar countries, and explores the relevance of complexity theory to area-based health improvement.