Terry Bamford – författare

As social work adapts to the challenge of a mixed economy of welfare, this book offers a reassertion of the vital contribution of social work in the welfare structures of the 1990s. Drawing on the recent history of social work, Terry Bamford argues that the values of the profession can share a vigorous and creative response in smaller, more flexible employment structures. New strategies for organisation and training are advanced to equip social workers for a more entrepreneurial role.

This essential guide to commissioning and purchasing in social care provides case studies, guidelines, and checklists to help readers to assess need, develop care plans and select suppliers of care. It clearly explains:the reasons for the shift to commissioning and purchasing away from direct provisionthe distinction between commissioning and purchasinghow to ensure that the commissioning and purchasing process fully reflects the views of users and carerscontracts and tenderscosts and prices in relation to providing quality carehow safeguards can be built into the commissioning and purchasing process.This is an invaluable resource that focuses on the practical skills required to deliver effective care. It has been written for social care students, frontline staff and their managers to help them through the process.

This essential guide to commissioning and purchasing in social care provides case studies, guidelines, and checklists to help readers to assess need, develop care plans and select suppliers of care. It clearly explains:the reasons for the shift to commissioning and purchasing away from direct provisionthe distinction between commissioning and purchasinghow to ensure that the commissioning and purchasing process fully reflects the views of users and carerscontracts and tenderscosts and prices in relation to providing quality carehow safeguards can be built into the commissioning and purchasing process.This is an invaluable resource that focuses on the practical skills required to deliver effective care. It has been written for social care students, frontline staff and their managers to help them through the process.

Drawing on lessons from the recent history of social work to identify how and why it has lost its privilege and influence, this book challenges social work students to understand why social work has failed to maintain its position as a driver of social reform. Bamford looks forward to a new model of practice that places a commitment to put social justice back at the heart of professional practice.The book contributes to the topical debates about social work education and the identity of the profession, encouraging critical thinking about organisation models, practice content and meaning of professionalism in social work. Students are asked to consider questions such as ‘why has social work found it so hard to define its role? ‘, ‘is the neoliberal tide irreversible?’, and ‘do the jibes of political correctness have any substance?’.The book provides students of social work, history of social work and social policy, with a greater understanding of how social work became an unloved profession, whilst simultaneously charting a more hopeful course for the future.

Drawing on lessons from the recent history of social work to identify how and why it has lost its privilege and influence, this book challenges social work students to understand why social work has failed to maintain its position as a driver of social reform. Bamford looks forward to a new model of practice that places a commitment to put social justice back at the heart of professional practice.The book contributes to the topical debates about social work education and the identity of the profession, encouraging critical thinking about organisation models, practice content and meaning of professionalism in social work. Students are asked to consider questions such as ‘why has social work found it so hard to define its role? ‘, ‘is the neoliberal tide irreversible?’, and ‘do the jibes of political correctness have any substance?’.The book provides students of social work, history of social work and social policy, with a greater understanding of how social work became an unloved profession, whilst simultaneously charting a more hopeful course for the future.

This collection charts the key developments in the social work field from 1970 to the present day and shows how by fully understanding social work’s past, we can make better progress for practitioners and service users in the future. It brings together a broad collection of experts from across social work who trace how thinking and approaches to practice have changed over time, examine key legislative developments in the field, look at the impacts of major inquiries and consider the re-emergence of certain specialisms. Providing students and practitioners of social work and social policy with a full picture of the evolution of social work, it also shares important insights for its future directions.