Textbooks

This is the first book to explore the public policy process through 19 contributions from diverse scholars from all over the world, using empirical material to demonstrate how many of the key theories and concepts may be applied to its analysis.

Drawing on the authors’ extensive experience as educators, this book puts forward a new model of social work practice that both supports and protects service users across the lifecourse.

This book addresses the gap in social work education by providing a combination of research evidence, policy frameworks and practical hints and tips for good social work practice for all those in children's and adults' social work and social care settings who are working with people who use alcohol or other drugs. 

This unique textbook is designed to empower social work students and professionals to practise safely, responsibly and confidently. Candid accounts provide in-depth case studies in how to use theory and research in situations of pressure and dilemma.

The fundamental role of police officers in society is under fresh scrutiny in this stimulating book on ethical policing. Through a moral philosophical lens, Wood provides an up-to-date overview of police values and their impact. It is a timely contribution to police debate and essential reading for those studying and leading the profession.

This wide-ranging book is one of the first texts to deal with adult social care as a distinct entity and is an up to date source on contemporary government policies, debates and research.

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

This new edition of a widely-respected textbook examines welfare policy and racism, alongside institutional racism and community cohesion within a broad policy framework.

This textbook provides a straightforward introduction to the concept of agency and how it can usefully inform the practice of social welfare. Demonstrating a model of achievable change, it traces the origins of agency and explores the contributions of key thinkers from sociological and social policy perspectives.

Understanding childhood is a fresh look at how childhood has changed in recent years and reveals how children's needs and experiences have achieved a new visibility

This substantially revised edition of a highly topical text applies a critical approach to themes introduced in the first edition including economic development, heath and housing, and draws upon theory from Marx and Bourdieu to offer a clearer understanding of community in capitalist society.