Subjects:

Family Law

For 18 years, Law for Social Workers has been the leading text in its field, providing students with exactly what they need in order to understand the legal framework in which social workers act.

This book covers the laws that protect people from harm and enable social workers to assess needs and provide services to meet those needs. It provides clear information on key issues in social work law, such as the role of human rights and professional ethics, the potential conflict between a social worker's duties to society and the user, and the new focus on partnership working; law and the legal system (with detailed help on issues of discrimination, service users' capacity, and responsible information handling), plus the workings of the courts; working with children, including in the civil and criminal courts; working with adults; and legal issues relating to violence, family breakdown, housing, and immigration and asylum.

Each part begins with an introduction to the unifying theme that runs through the following chapters. Individual chapters open with a case study based on a recent case or enquiry, highlighting the vital issues that the chapters will explore. Key learning points are set out early in the chapter, and each chapter contains questions for discussion, further reading, and web links.

• The most established social work law textbook available, written by an author team with a strong background in teaching and practice
• Detailed use of case studies from recent enquiries and high court appeals provide practical, real-life examples, engaging students in the subject-matter
• Features in-depth coverage of the law relating to children providing specialists of child law with an invaluable resource
• Engaging chapter layout and colour design enriched with learning features and headings guides students through each topic
• An accompanying Online Resource Centre encourages students to engage interactively with the subject-matter, and features video podcasts providing expert advice on key court skills, guidance on answering questions in the book, glossary, web links and updates to the law. Lecturer resources include multiple choice questions for assessment, lecture outlines, and notes and guidance for lawyers and social workers teaching law

New to this edition

• Revised content and structure focused on the core topics and key skills required by students of social work law, breaks the subject down into manageable chunks
• New four colour design and engaging layout provides additional guidance through the subject-matter for students with no legal background
• Video podcasts available on the Online Resource Centre provide expert tips and advice on key court skills from leading figures in the field of social work. Ideal as a practical aid in the classroom, they also greatly assist self-study by helping students learn how to deal with all aspects of the social worker's role in court, overcome nerves and avoid common errors. No other textbook on this subject offers a similar resource