In the Shadow of the Law: Legal Context of Social Work Practice

Over 20 highly experienced social work practitioners, many of whom have achieved national and international recognition for their work, write in a clear, easy to read style on their experience of social work practice in a variety of significant legal settings. All those who work in the human services sector are constrained in what can be done by legislative and statutory requirements, and by the ethical and value imperatives of the legal system. Social and welfare workers, however, need to not just know the law, but to understand how law and legal systems can be utilised, and how lawyer and welfare worker can work in cooperation rather than in competition. The book utilises specific case examples of practice and ethical dilemmas with which social and welfare workers must grapple. Additional contributions examine such key practice concepts as confidentiality, report writing skills, and the applicability of administrative law concepts to social work practice.