Book review: Vulnerable Adults and Community Care (Post Qualifying Social Work Practice)

Learning Matters (2nd edition)

ISBN 1844453626

Price: £21

This edition has been fully updated in order to cover recent legislation and developments in the field of adult social care. It contains two new chapters, one concerning the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the other on learning disabilities and considerations of vulnerability for this service-user group. These are useful additions, but the other chapters have also been updated, leading to a well-rounded text.

The material is presented as a series of self-contained chapters, written by different authors, but providing coverage of the range of client groups that use adult social care.

This approach takes the reader beyond pure facts and presents many different and thought-provoking perspectives and, despite differences in content and style between contributors, it remains easy to read.

The book is informative, packed with helpful tips and really encourages readers to engage with their client groups and to reflect on their practice in a meaningful way. It also adopts a critical approach, and contains useful discussion of this important area.

Overall, this is an accessible text, which, although principally designed for those studying at post-qualifying level, would also be well suited to undergraduate levels of study. A timely addition to the existing literature.

Bridget Penhale is reader in mental health at the University of East Anglia