Essential Social Worker: An Introduction to Professional Practice in the 1990's

This revised edition continues to defend the idea of a profession seeking to maintain disadvantaged people in the community. It includes a new chapter on the framework within which social work operates in practice - child care, disability, mental health, old age and criminal justice. The text argues that social work is a uniquely humane contributor to the achievement of welfare in the 1990s and beyond. It intends to provide students with an understanding of the role of social work in a complex urban society. Despite being the subject of public criticism, social work is growing in scale and influence in the 20th century. The author believes that social work remains essential in any society which regards itself as democratic and humane.