Collaborative Social Work Practice

Collaborative Social Work Practice
Ann Quinney, Learning Matters
ISBN 1844450147,
£15

STAR RATING 2/5

This book is clearly designed for social work degree students, writes Richard Tipping.

Case studies offer sound examples of collaborative practice while research summaries offer relevant pieces of information in easily digestible paragraphs. There are also some 43 activities. Further reading and website references at the end of each chapter are well presented and informative. The descriptions of services with which social work operates and collaborates with will be useful to students, although the choice of services to include appears random.

For instance, the role of social work in Sure Start warrants just a page compared with the “Youth  services and connexions” chapter, with no reference at all to the
Children’s Fund.

Another omission  is the lack of reference to the 1981 Education Act in a chronology of Education legislation.

The book will help students with their practice because it has plenty of activities, but nobody else is likely to take it off the shelf.

Richard Tipping is integrated services officer, children and younger adults’ department, Derbyshire Council