ABSTRACT

The third edition of The Essential Social Worker has been radically revised and updated and contains an entirely new chapter providing a clear outline of the historical and policy-related framework within which social work operates in areas of particular practice - child care, disability, mental health, old age and criminal justice. The Essential Social Worker defends the idea of a broadly based profession seeking to maintain disadvantaged people in the community. It bravely confronts the shallowness of many short-term fashions and argues that social work is a uniquely humane contributor to the achievement of welfare in the 1990s and beyond. A careful reading of The Essential Social Worker will ensure that the student gains an understanding of the role of social work in a complex urban society and develops an awareness of the debates which surround it. Social work is often subject to public criticism, but, as the author shows, it has continued to grow in scale and in influence throughout the 20th century and although its structure will continue to evolve, social work will remain essential in any society which regards itself as democratic and humane.

part I|35 pages

A framework for the 1990s

chapter 1|4 pages

The historical context

chapter 2|29 pages

The policy context

part II|94 pages

The theory and practice of maintenance

chapter 3|9 pages

The social worker's role

chapter 5|15 pages

Towards a theory of maintenance

chapter 6|22 pages

The achievement of change

chapter 7|24 pages

Power and responsibility

chapter 8|12 pages

Pro-active involvement in the community

part III|67 pages

Dimensions of practice

chapter 11|13 pages

Speech: The social worker's basic tool

chapter 12|6 pages

The social worker's use of self

chapter 13|19 pages

Beyond the use of self

part IV|9 pages

In conclusion