Social Work and Social Policy An Introduction

Jonathan Dickens analyses current policies and policy themes relevant to social work, and locates them in the context of fundamental social policy principles and debates. He discusses the nature of social policy and its relationship to social work, and covers essential themes such as:
service user participation and involvement
the balance between individual, societal and state responsibility for people's wellbeing
the proper roles of the state, the private sector, voluntary organisations and the family
the relationships between needs, rights and choices
the purposes and challenges of professional social work
the meanings of 'inclusion' and 'personalisation'.
Each chapter ends with activities for reflection and analysis, and suggestions for further reading. Social Work and Social Policy is invaluable for students undertaking social work qualifying courses, all of whom are required to demonstrate an understanding of the social policy contexts of practice.