Mark Lymbery – författare

Social work practice is becoming increasingly complex, with social workers struggling to hold onto their ideals and values in a pressurized and challenging social, political and organizational environment. This book provides an analytically coherent approach to the impact of macro, mezzo and micro factors upon practitioners'' daily experiences. In taking a positive view of social work''s potential and capacity to deliver beneficial services, detailed guidance is offered of cutting edge, creative practice with a variety of user groups.

Social work practice is becoming increasingly complex, with social workers struggling to hold onto their ideals and values in a pressurized and challenging social, political and organizational environment. This book provides an analytically coherent approach to the impact of macro, mezzo and micro factors upon practitioners' daily experiences. In taking a positive view of social work's potential and capacity to deliver beneficial services, detailed guidance is offered of cutting edge, creative practice with a variety of user groups.

Social Work: An introduction to contemporary practice has quickly established itself as a leading and uniquely comprehensive introduction to the field. Essential knowledge and skills are examined with authority and depth, and key debates approached in an accessible, informative and engaging way. Underpinned by research and advice to make close illustrative links with practice, it stimulates interest and actively engages the reader.

Richly supported throughout with examples and real-life case scenarios, the text encourages the reader to adopt a critical and reflective approach. Furthermore, believing that social work exists to help people through complex and painful transitions in life, the authors set the relationship at the heart of social work practice.

This text is essential reading for social work students on undergraduate and postgraduate training programmes, newly qualified social workers and practitioners in a variety of settings

′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 more. The range of contributors is impressive and students could do a lot worse than digest and reference their work in assignments′ - Professional Social Work

`a comprehensive account of the issues related to social workers′ personal development and latest developments in social work practice. I have no doubt that this book will provide an invaluable reference guide for social workers who are interested in the development of the profession′ - Social Policy and Social Work (SWAP)

`[This] book is put together in an accessible and engaging way, which serves to stimulate the reader by posing questions, and creating opportunities for reflecting on the key learning points of each chapter. [It] should be an essential reading item on the book list of every social work student and act as a training resource to those training future social workers, and those already established within the profession′ - Health & Social Care in the Community

`In recent years, social work has been devalued by politicians and the media. However it requires practitioners equipped with key skills to empower individuals and communities and rooted in values which stimulate them to promote social justice. It is heartening that social work educators are at the forefront of equipping social workers with the skills and values to promote a better society. This book will open hearts and minds to achieve these ends′ - Bob Holman, former Community Worker and Professor of Social Policy

Social Work: A Companion to Learning is an exciting and definitive new book that will equip readers with the core knowledge and skills they need to successfully complete their social work training, and go on to be an effective practitioner. The text takes a holistic and critical approach, not only enabling students and practitioners to understand how to practise social work effectively, but also how to locate this practice within its societal context.

Written and edited by leading experts in the field, each chapter skilfully explores key themes, issues, and concepts underpinning social work theory and practice in an engaging, authoritative and accessible way. The selection of topics serves to establish:

- the contexts through which social work education can best be understood

- the core requirements and processes that characterise social work courses

- the issues involved in continuing professional development.

The chapters comprise a wide range of key issues, such as communication skills, partnership working, the values of social work, supervision, management, law, and research mindedness, as well as two unique chapters written exclusively from service users′ perspectives.

Case studies, interactive questions, key points and further reading sections are used throughout the book to bring the material to life and aid readers′ understanding. Social Work: A Companion to Learning will be a core text for students and practitioners at all levels, providing the most up-to-date and comprehensive companion they will need to help them progress in their careers.

Mark Lymbery has taught social work at the University of Nottingham since 1995. He is the author of Social Work with Older People (2005), also published by SAGE. Karen Postle is a lecturer in social work at the University of East Anglia. Both authors have a background as social work practitioners.

This book provides an up-to-date and authoritative overview of the development of social work with older people in the UK. The coherent structure draws together the key themes involved in working with older people, and clearly demonstrates how to translate these into real-life practice.

Key features of the book include:

-Establishes an understanding of the policy context within which social work takes place, with particular attention to key topics such as inter-professional collaboration and ethics.

-Goes beyond other textbooks to challenge the restricted nature of social work practice, and adopts a positive view of its potential to benefit older people.

-An engaging and practice-led approach which includes student-friendly features and detailed practice scenarios.

-Satisfies the curriculum benchmarks and National Occupational Standards that structure social work training and practice.

Written by a leading academic, this is a key text for social work trainees. Its analytical depth will ensure that it will also be valuable for students undertaking post-qualifying courses, and for those in related disciplines such as health and community care, social policy and social gerontology. Its practice-based and inter-professional approach will mean it is also useful for health and social care practitioners seeking to improve the quality of practice with older people.

`Drawing on both theory and research as well as the author′s clear knowledge of current practice, this book is able to deal with practice realities in ways which many texts cannot. It offers social workers realistic options for how to approach their work′ - Karen Postle, University of East Anglia

Health and social care reforms and cuts in services and finances are part of the everyday fabric of the social work landscape. This book takes a critical approach to the transformation agenda and the implications for adult health and social care.Fully informed by theory, research, policy and legislation the book uses a problem-based learning approach through the application of case studies to explain and explore the overlapping roles of social care and social policy.The book argues for the continued significance and importance of social work within the context of adult social care. It shows that social work can make a difference in the lives and experiences of many of the people who are perceived as being the most vulnerable people in society. This text is essential reading for students of social work and social policy, health and social care courses and other professional disciplines, social work educators and practitioners, and managers working in social care.