Ann Brechin – författare

How can we make sense of the varying concepts of care and of the many forms care takes in practice? How can `good' care be defined and evaluated?

This book draws upon a range of academic disciplines including sociology, social policy, psychology, history, geography, social work and nursing to address these questions. The authors consider whether shared meanings in the concept of care can still be found across differences of: family and paid care; health and social care; perspectives `carer' and `cared for'; and the experiences of different `client' groups. Commonalities are identified in the form of concerns about personal empowerment, about choice and self-esteem and about the balance needed between independence, interdependence and dependency. What also emerges is the relevance of such issues for those giving as well as receiving care.

`A particular strength of the book is its orientation to the views of service users, carers and user movements... the chapers are all well written, well referenced and consistent in style. As an academic text, it is easy to read. It will undoubtedly be of value as a reference for students of the health and social care professions' - British Journal of Occupational Therapy

`The stand-alone but integrated structure allows the reader to dip in and cross-reference with ease. I immediately found the text accessible using this approach. Aimed at a wide audience, the tempo of the work is that of a phoenix rising from the ashes, seeking a new, `more negotiated order' for the practitioner. The task is set out in a clear and comprehensive manner…[T]his is OU material at its best and I am reminded of its influence on my practice over the time of its (the OU's) existence. I hope this volume will be attractive to practitioners across the board as it is a rare example of defensible practice' - Nursing Ethics

`The authors have provided a comprehensive and timely text given the wide ranging subject matter and the climate of ongoing change within health and social care services. …This book should prove to be a useful tool to enable professionals to develop critical practice, which is not defensive, but defensible' - Physiotherapy

This major new textbook will take a fresh look at professions and professionalism - what these terms mean and what they need to mean in the future in the health and social care field.

Written by experienced teachers, the textbook: reviews the evidence on team and inter-professional working, teasing out the new perspectives and the skills required; examines what professional development entails and what it means in different fields of practice; tackles ethical dilemmas of practice alongside changing concepts in society of accountability; explores current debates about how professionals can be supported in their practice and how their performance is best regulated; and highlights the contribution that practitioners can make - alongside others - to policy development at local level.

Critical Practice in Health and Social Care will be essential reading for students and practitioners in social work, nursing and health studies, and for those involved across the caring professions within the health and social sercice sector.

This is a course text for the Open University course K302 Critical Practice in Health and Social Care.