Donald Forrester

While social work theory tends to emphasise helping individuals and challenging social injustice, the reality of practice is characterised by challenge and conflict. This text offers a new concept of social work that explains the nature of these conflicts and moves beyond them, with an inspiring and practical vision of what social work is and should be. Placing rights at the heart of practice, this introduction to social work will be useful to practitioners and students with a substantive contribution to the theoretical literature that emphasises the role of social work when rights may be in conflict, enabling students and workers to become more confident in dealing with the uncomfortable realities of practice.

While social work theory tends to emphasise helping individuals and challenging social injustice, the reality of practice is characterised by challenge and conflict. This text offers a new concept of social work that explains the nature of these conflicts and moves beyond them, with an inspiring and practical vision of what social work is and should be. Placing rights at the heart of practice, this introduction to social work will be useful to practitioners and students with a substantive contribution to the theoretical literature that emphasises the role of social work when rights may be in conflict, enabling students and workers to become more confident in dealing with the uncomfortable realities of practice.

Drawing on 20 years of practical experience, research and teaching in the field, this book is a comprehensive guide on the use of Motivational Interviewing (MI) in child protection and family social work. MI increases the likelihood of behavioural change, working with client resistance to encourage a constructive environment when initiating difficult conversations. This makes it particularly effective for child and family social care. Drawing on over 500 studies spanning 11 local authorities, this book uses recordings of real meetings between social workers and families to explain what MI is, how it can be used in child and family social work and how to improve MI skills. An invaluable resource for frontline child protection and family social workers, this book will enable to help you to better understand the needs of the people you support and be more effective in providing the right kind of support.

Quantitative research makes a very important contribution to both understanding and responding effectively to the problems that social work service users face. In this unique and authoritative text, a group of expert authors explore the key areas of data collection, analysis and evaluation and outline in detail how they can be applied to practice.

Putting Analysis into Child and Family Assessment bridges theory and practice, and provides clear guidance to improve assessments in child and family social work. It addresses the issues of central concern to child and family social workers, including analytical assessment, outlines how to avoid common pitfalls, provides strong theoretical foundations, and demonstrates how the theory can be translated into practice. With reference to common and specialist assessments, the book covers every stage of the assessment process: planning and preparation, hypothesising, involving children, and making, recording and reviewing decisions. It features practice tools, case studies and practice development sessions and activities. This third edition has been fully updated with recent policy changes and new research findings. This book will be valued by practitioners, managers, trainers and lecturers looking for a grounded resource which provides practical guidance on how to improve assessments.

This book presents original research outlining the key elements in responding to parental misuse of drugs and alcohol. Offers a definition of “misuse” and “addiction” and the factors that influence the nature of misuse or addictionReviews extensively the nature and impact of parental substance misuse on children and families using the latest evidenceExplores how research and theories might help inform professionals or non-professionals assessing families affected by parents who misuse drugs or alcoholProvides an in-depth discussion of Motivational Interviewing, including a critical discussion of the challenges and limitations involved in using it in child and family settingsConsiders the wider implications of the findings for practice and policy and argues that these responses can be used across the field of work with vulnerable children and their families

This book presents original research outlining the key elements in responding to parental misuse of drugs and alcohol. Offers a definition of “misuse” and “addiction” and the factors that influence the nature of misuse or addictionReviews extensively the nature and impact of parental substance misuse on children and families using the latest evidenceExplores how research and theories might help inform professionals or non-professionals assessing families affected by parents who misuse drugs or alcoholProvides an in-depth discussion of Motivational Interviewing, including a critical discussion of the challenges and limitations involved in using it in child and family settingsConsiders the wider implications of the findings for practice and policy and argues that these responses can be used across the field of work with vulnerable children and their families