Scotland has changed, politically and culturally, in recent years, with persistent demands for independence culminating in a referendum in 2014. On this fluid political landscape, social welfare can be co-opted towards a wider 'nation-building' project. As a result, social work in Scotland is increasingly divergent from the rest of the UK. This book offers a comprehensive, critical and timely account of the profession in these changing times, charting its historical development, current practice and future directions.
Bringing together a range of academic and practice experts, it considers social work as it is currently but also as it might be. Divided into three parts, the first part sets a context, identifying historical, philosophical, policy and legal influences on current practice. The second part picks up on current themes in policy and practice, addressing key issues of professional identity in an increasingly integrated policy context. The final part contains chapters on current domains of practice, identifying key areas of legislation, policy and practice.
Social Work in a Changing Scotland is essential reading for social work students, offering an accessible yet critical overview of the profession. It will also inform current practitioners to understand better the changing contexts within which they practise, while prompting further academic debate about Scottish social work.
Social Work in Scotland offers a comprehensive and timely account which charts the profession's history; locates present day social work within a changing political and cultural context; outlines the topography of current services, identifying key policy and practice features across different sectors; and considers the implications for the future of social work in Scotland.
By bringing together expert contributions to address key themes in social work policy, practice and ideas, this book, with its strong theoretical and practice synthesis, captures this changing context and provides expert guidance to students and practitioners as to how they might understand and practise within it.
'What a wonderful book! Not just essential reading for anyone interested in social work in Scotland, but a thought provoking set of insights into how social work could and should be. A book that should be read across the UK and beyond.' -
Donald Forrester, Professor of Child and Family Social Work, Director, CASCADE - Centre for Children's Social Care Research and Development
