In recent years increasing attention has been paid to issues of social exclusion and the problematic transition from youthful dependence to adult independence. Often this has had severe consequences, ranging from under achievement and disruptive behaviour in school, through the misuse of alcohol and drugs, to serious or persistent offending. Seeking to address these issues has become a major focus of public policy and a variety of forms of intervention with disaffected youth have been set ...

Shortlisted for the NASEN/TES 2007 Book AwardIncreased partnership between professionals, particularly through the integration of services, indicates a major opportunity for child and parent participation, but one that seems in danger of being side-stepped. Drawing on substantial research evidence, this book looks at reasons for this situation; what is happening now, what developments and initiatives have been tried and what can be done to develop a culture of part...

The growing older people population and their increasing needs for care is now presenting significant difficulties to both national government and local authorities because of constriction of formal caregivers and family units. Inevitably a change of this magnitude within the complex system in which older people services operate everywhere attracts a range of responses from the very enthusiastic to the very dismissive and hostile response. Thus, family directed support care system would pr...

The number of children entering the child protection system has risen dramatically in the last three years with implications for children's services and partner agencies. This timely volume takes a critical look at the impact of the Munro Review (2011) on child protection and the Government's response. It looks at questions including how effective Local Safeguarding Children Boards are in providing the necessary scrutiny to ensure children are safe, how the early offer of help at local lev...

′An excellent introduction to the main themes of social work and mental health. It provides a comprehensive summary of contemporary debates and perspectives around mental health practice. I would recommend this to all social work students.′ - Philip O′Hare, University of Central Lancashire"This book is a timely restatement of the central role of social work in mental health. In this important work, Coppock and Dunn have developed a well written and closely argued case for retaining...

With the increase in legislation and the drive for ever-greater efficiency and accountability, health and safety in construction is becoming an increasingly important subject. This book covers the essential issues that apply specifically to construction projects, including the nature and causes of occupational injury or illness, project organisation and OHS, OHS risk management, OHS legislation, the psychology of OHS, behavioural safety management, using IT to manage OHS, and OHS training....

The importance of interagency cooperation within children’s services has been highlighted within recent government strategy, including the Every Child Matters agenda, the development of Children’s Centres and the expansion of Extended Schools. Following tragic cases such as Victoria Climbie, the need for effective multi-disciplinary teamwork and interagency co-operation across all education and care settings remains as pressing as ever.Working Together in Children’s Services

Substance misuse and its pervasive problems is a constant challenge for social work, health and related professionals today. With heightened political and policy emphasis on all aspects of substance misuse, it is paramount that professionals remain up-to-date on current issues and their responsibilities. Based on research and evidence, this book provides a sound basis for grounded and innovative practice.Leading international contributors outline holistic and specialist approaches ...

Evidence-based practice - what it might mean, how it can be achieved, whether it should be aspired to - is the subject of much debate and argument in social work. Covering areas of social work practice that are well established and those in which evidence is just beginning to become available, the authors address issues such as:* What is to count as evidence, and who decides this?* If relevant evidence is agreed on, how should it be used in practice?* How can the th...

This book aims to demystify the principles and practice of school improvement by demonstrating how successful classroom and school improvement occurs. It outlines the conditions, strategies and approaches that promote sustainable improvement and provides an overview of the main theoretical perspectives in this area.This accessible text will be useful for practitioners working within schools and with schools, offering clear guidance for those keen to raise standards and improve achi...

′This engaging and stimulating book is well placed to become a key text in many student social workers′ redaing lists′ - Journal of Interprofessional Care`[An] excellent book, abounding with conceptual insights, bursting with research and evidence-based reasoning, and pretty comprehensive in the spread of topics. [It] contains plenty of though-provoking material in nice sized chunks that challenged me to think about my practice in different ways and also made me want to find out mo...

Family Support introduces and explores the state of the art in preventative social work with children and young people. Drawing on contemporary thinking and research, the book aims to make a contribution to current debates about how we can best support families in need.Underpinning the book is an analysis of how family support is changing, having moved from ‘prevention’ through to contemporary debates about ‘family support’, ‘early intervention’ and ‘early help’. The autho...