Social Work and Community Development

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.

Involving citizens in policy decision-making has been a central goal of the Labour government since it came to power. But what happens when the public are drawn into debate with unfamiliar others in the unknown world of policy making at national level? This book sets out to understand the contribution that citizens can realistically make.

Recent trends and policy developments have called into question the divide between the provision of income support and social care services. This book addresses this theme with reference to key trends: individualisation, citizen responsibility, the decline of the married male breadwinner and new ways of supporting disabled and older people.

What is Professional Social Work? is a now classic analysis of social work as a discourse between three aspects of practice: social order, therapeutic and transformational perspectives. It enables social workers to analyse and value the role of social work in present-day multiprofessional social care.

This book provides the first comprehensive review of the increase in the UK and internationally in the number of disability related support services controlled by disabled people themselves. It highlights the need for greater user involvement in service provision and delivery.

Iin the aftermath of traumatic events, there is a need for improved understanding of the needs of individuals and communitie. This new edition consolidates the core elements of good practice, while bringing theory and practice issues fully up-to-date.

From a campaigning concept in the 1970s, direct payments - the substitution of cash for services - have become a key part of UK government social care provision. This book charts the change, critically evaluating progress, take-up, inclusion and access to direct payments by different user groups.

Current youth justice policy aims to introduce principles of restorative justice and involve victims in responses to crime. The challenges involved in delivering this in a form that is sensitive to victims are considerable. This report provides an evaluation of the manner in which one Youth Offending Service sought to integrate victims.

This book, by examining the landmark scandals of the post-war period, including more recent ones, such as the Victoria Climbie Inquiry, reveals how scandals are generated, to what purposes they are used and whose interests they are made to serve.

Growing interest in the social and therapeutic value of horticulture, has produced little evidence that demonstrates outcomes for vulnerable groups, including those with learning difficulties and mental health problems. This report addresses the gap in knowledge and presents the findings of the first study of horticulture projects across the UK.