Social Work: An Introduction

by Joyce Lishman (Editor), Chris Yuill (Editor), Jillian Brannan (Editor), Alastair Gibson (Editor)

Overview

Help your students make the best starts in their careers as a Social Worker. Covering everything they need to know in their first year and beyond, this very practical book will guide them through their degree and into practice.

Packed full of case studies, activities and tools for real-life practice, it will:

• Help students get to grips with and build the essential knowledge and skills base
• Support them to develop a range of tools for practice with different service user groups
• Develop their critical thinking and help them to apply their learning in practice
• Provide them with a springboard for further learning and development.

To get the most out of this book and access more materials to support them throughout their degree, they can visit the companion website at https://study.sagepub.com/lishman2e

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473994560
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	03/12/2018
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	640
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Professor Joyce Lishman is now retired, and was previously Head of the School of Applied Social Studies, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK. She was also General Editor of the Research Highlights in Social Work series for many years.

Chris Yuill is a sociologist at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, whose work focuses on the sociology of health and the sociology of urban experiences. In addition to a variety of journal publications and research reports he has written and co-edited a number of textbooks for SAGE, one of his most recent being Sociology for Social Work co-edited with Alastair Gibson. Other texts include Understanding the Sociology of Health: An Introduction with Anne-Marie Barry, which is now in its third edition and has also been translated into Chinese. Chris has also served two terms on the executive of the British Sociological Association.

Alastair Gibson graduated with an MA in History before becoming frustrated as a hospital administrator and deciding to move into the more challenging and rewarding practice of social work. He worked in Aberdeen and Gateshead in a variety of health care social work settings and then taught at RGU. Developing his enthusiasm for inter-professional practice, he was a founder member of CAIPE and helped develop shared training for social work, health, education and police trainees. He has thoroughly enjoyed teaching Human Growth and Behaviour as well as being Course Leader of the BA (Hons) Social Work by Distance Learning before retiring in 2009. He is now an independent practice teacher.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Knowledge Base
Chapter 1: Values and ethics - Julian Bell
Chapter 2: Law - Heather Munro
Chapter 3: Politics and social policy - Mike Maas-Lowit
Chapter 4: Sociology - Megan Todd and Chris Yuill
Chapter 5: Material circumstances, poverty and income inequality - Chris Yuill
Chapter 6: Psychological approaches: their application and relevance to social work - Carmen-Maria Fyfe
Chapter 7: Human growth and development - Stewart Brodie and Clare Swan
Chapter 8: Communication and ICT - Sheila Slesser and Jenny Blair
Chapter 9: An introduction to social science research for social work - Chris Yuill, Natascha Mueller-Hirth, Sarah Buckler, Leslie Mabon, Iain Turnbull and Joyce Lishman
Chapter 10: Reflective practice - Angela Hart
Part 2: Assessment and Joint Working
Chapter 11: Generic issues in assessment and managing uncertainty - Jillian Brannan
Chapter 12: Models of assessment - Janine Bolger and Patrick Walker
Chapter 13: Risk assessment - Kirstin Parkes and Mike Shepherd
Chapter 14: Interprofessional practice - Ruth Taylor and Jillian Brannan
Chapter 15: Teamwork - Jillian Brannan, Jill Campbell and Alastair Gibson
Chapter 16: The voice of service users and carers - Jillian Brannan, Denise Cromar, Simon Gardner, Margaret Junner, Steve Morrison and William Rae
Part 3: Models of Intervention
Chapter 17: Relationship-based social work - Tuck-Chee Phung
Chapter 18: Crisis intervention - Angela Hart
Chapter 19: Cognitive behavioural therapy: its practice and its place in social work - George Allan
Chapter 20: Task-centred intervention - Dave Humphrey
Chapter 21: Working in the life space - Jeremy Millar
Chapter 22: Person-centred planning and personalisation - Neil Gibson
Chapter 23: Narrative therapy - Neil Gibson and Inga Heyman
Chapter 24: Motivational interviewing - Anne Shirran
Chapter 25: The solution-focused approach - Steve Smth, Jim Dressel and Jillian Brannan
Chapter 26: Counselling in social work - Fiona Feilberg
Chapter 27: Community practice in social work - Linda Harms-Smith and Sarah Buckler
Part 4: Practice Contexts and Application
Chapter 28: Generic issues in practice contexts - Jillian Brannan
Chapter 29: Working with children and young people - Sharon Munro and Patrick Walker
Chapter 30: Methods of intervention in working with individuals with substance problems - Claire Marsden
Chapter 31: Working with adults: mental health - Mike Maas-Lowit
Chapter 32: Working with adults: criminal justice social work - Isobel Townsend
Chapter 33: Working with adults: disability and sensory impairment - Sheila Slesser
Chapter 34: Working with adults: learning disability - Fiona Feilberg
Chapter 35: Social work interventions with older people - Iain Fisk and Rory Lynch
Chapter 26: Evaluation - Joyce Lishman
Conclusion - Joyce Lishman

Editorial Reviews

I have a degree in Criminology and I am currently in my first year studying Social Work. As I have previously studied at degree level, I understand the importance of a good core book that gives you a basic understanding of the significant areas in that field. For me Lishman et al has encapsulated the necessary information and identifies key aspects that I can read further into.

Core theories and ideologies run throughout the book, this is supported by exercises and case studies. I personally found the case studies really useful as it is a good way of applying what you have learnt to an unfamiliar situation. This ensures you have an understanding of what you have just learnt and if you are unsure you are encouraged to read further around the subject. What is great about this book is it advises where to go for further reading to underpin your learning.

Finally the companion website advertised in the book is very beneficial. It ensures immediate access to up to date information. I have learnt that the Laws surround social work are ever evolving and it is important to be as up to date as possible. This is a perfect way to keep up to date, not just with law but with codes of practice and framework's.

All in all I believe this book is a vital part of anyone studying or wanting to learn about the core modules of being a social worker. This book has clarified certain aspects of social work and I find myself referring to it to confirm my understanding.

Ellie Morton

[The book] gives the reader a clear understanding of the basic, but paramount, issues that need to be considered in each key area of social work practice. This will be invaluable not only for people who have started on courses but for people who are considering social work as a career. In an age where people constantly find it difficult to answer the question 'what is social work' this book goes a great way towards providing a firm foundation for making that clear.

Patricia Woolley

Many students of Social Work will understandably want to buy one big book to support their studies, and this text is not only big, but also weighty and substantial. The book offers a solid grounding in the underpinning knowledge base of social sciences, law and ethics, before considering models of assessment, intervention, evaluation and critical reflexivity. Most importantly, at this time, this is a welcome publication that acknowledges Social Work to be about relationships and politics and policy.

Nigel Horner

This book is a comprehensive introduction. It encompasses the knowledge and processes needed by contemporary social workers practising throughout the UK, and relevant far beyond. Led by some of the foremost Scottish social work academics it is a jewel in the discipline’s literary crown!

Professor Jonathan Parker