Health and Social Care 

Practice Skills in Social Work and Welfare has established itself as the essential text to prepare students for the wide-ranging challenges they will face in today's human service sector.

This new fourth edition continues the text's core strength of connecting theory with practical examples to build the reader's confidence and expertise in key areas of practice.

Part 1 outlines the critical social work and strengths-based practices that underpin the book's approach and provides the context for learning practice skills in a group setting, during community development projects and with individuals and families. Part 2 focuses on developing effective relationships with service users, illustrating through realistic scenarios how social work and human service practitioners can apply their practice skills in a range of settings. In Part 3, the essential elements of client assessment are explored, including risk assessment and cross-cultural perspectives. Issues surrounding intervention are examined in Part 4 from working with families and groups to challenging constructively and safely, while research, evaluation and facilitating closure are covered in the final part.

This fourth edition is fully revised and updated and features new material on working with technology, Pasifika communities, LGBTQI+ service users and culturally responsive practice. 

Part 1: The theory and context for learning practice skills

Chapter One - The integrated framework
Jane Maidment and Ronnie Egan

Chapter Two - Critical social work practice
Ronnie Egan and Angelika Papadopoulos

Chapter Three - Learning and teaching practice skills in social work and welfare
Haidee Hicks and Susie Costello

Chapter Four - Decolonisation for social work practice: preparing to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) peoples
Lorraine Muller

Chapter Five - Technology and social work practice
Sharlene Nipperess and Nic Cornthwaite

Part 2: Engagement

Chapter Six - Developing the helping relationship
Ronnie Egan and Wendy Rollins

Chapter Seven - Engagement with families involved in the statutory system
Robyn Miller

Chapter Eight - Community-engaged social work practice
Uschi Bay and Raewyn Tudor

Chapter Nine - Communication in health care
Nicole Hill

Part 3: Assessment

Chapter Ten - Assessment: Frameworks and components
Jane Maidment

Chapter Eleven - Risk assessments and critical social work
Jo Clarke and Christine Morley

Chapter Twelve - Intersectional approaches to culturally responsive assessment practices
Christina David, Sonali Owen and Sharlene Nipperess

Chapter Thirteen - Working with families
Yvonne Crichton-Hill

Chapter Fourteen - Assessment with Māori
Sharyn Roberts

Part 4: Intervention

Chapter Fifteen - Taking action: change and intervention
Ronnie Egan and Christine Craik

Chapter Sixteen - 'Direct, with respect': challenging constructively
Shelley Turner

Chapter Seventeen - Social change through group work
Ken McMaster

Chapter Eighteen - Social work with older LGBTQ+ adults
David Betts

Part 5: Evaluation and closure

Chapter Nineteen - Research and evaluation in social work practice
Raewyn Tudor

Chapter Twenty - Facilitating closure
Hannah Mooney and Michael Dale 

Note: Include references and index.