
The Essential Social Worker
An Introduction to Professional Practice in the 1990s
Martin Davies(Author)
Ashgate Publishing Limited
3rd Edition
Published on 18. June 1994
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-85742-101-9 (ISBN)
Description
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.
Reviews / Votes
'...remains a sound introduction to social work.' Community Care '...here is a source of wisdom, compassion, analysis, quiet erudition and most important of all, it is a book of real value to practitioners.' British Journal of Social WorkMore details
Edition
3rd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Professional Practice & Development
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
371 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-85742-101-9 (9781857421019)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
12/2021
3rd Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download

E-Book
12/2021
3rd Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download
Person
Professor Martin Davies is the Executive Director of the School of Social Work at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. A qualified and experienced probation officer, he has spent much of his professional life engaged in social work research and education. He has been responsible for nine books, concerned either with probation practice or with the role of social workers in society.
Content
Contents: A Framework for the 1990s: The historical context; The policy context: child protection; Children with disabilities; People with learning disabilities; Elder-care; Mental health; Probation. The Theory and Practice of Maintenance: The social worker's role; Clients point the way: eight lessons to learn; Towards a theory of maintenance; The achievement of change; Power and responsibility; Pro-active involvement in the community. Dimensions of Practice: First encounter: the client enters an alien world; Who is the client? Who determines the action?; Speech: the social worker's basic tool; The social worker's use of self; Beyond the use of self. In Conclusion: Skills, knowledge and qualities in the essential social worker; Bibliography; Indices.