How to Be a Social Worker

Introductory textbook that takes a sociological approach, looking at the knowledge base of social work and equipping students with the tools to develop their social work identity.

This textbook equips social work students with the tools to develop a social work identity. It provides a critical examination of the knowledge base of social work – from human growth and development to social work research – and explores how a practitioner's own values, principles and experience combine to shape their social work identity and practice alongside this.

Linked to a range of core modules on pre-qualifying social work programmes but written also for those practitioners committed to nurturing their own social work identities, this is a must-have text from one of social work's most up-and-coming authors that brings together all areas of the classroom and practice curriculum to make learning a novel, creative and interactive process.

New to this edition:
· Addresses themes and issues that have become more relevant in contemporary practice such as anti-racism, ageism, adultification, AI and digital social work, gender identity, sexuality and the political context of social work.
· More on task-centred practice, relationship-based practice, trauma-informed practice and anti-oppressive practice.
· New content on bureaucracy, burnout and self-care, spirituality, as well as grief and loss.
· Discussion on responding to reluctant service users or challenging situations.
· New reflections and case study examples.