Overview

An introduction to psychology for social care professionals, this comprehensive and accessible textbook will be invaluable to both students and practitioners. It identifies central developments in psychology which underlie current patterns of need in the social care sectors. The areas covered relate strictly to the knowledge, skills and values defined by CCETSW(Central Council for the Education and Training of Social Workers), and include: * the wider psychological context of social care work - organisational and multicultural settings * work with clients - working with groups; assessing risk; working with prejudice and discrimination * children and young people - separation; child abuse and neglect; physical and learning disability; adolescence and society * specific issues - mental health; addiction; HIV infection; dementia; criminality and bereavement. Each chapter clearly highlights the key practical issues; each contains case studies or practical examples, points for discussion, and a further reading section. Psychology and Social Care will be an invaluable resource for those working and training in the fields of social work, probation, occupational therapy and community care who wish to improve the quality of their service to their clients and deepen their understanding of the core psychological issues involved in their work. It will facilitate the coordination of work between psychologists and social care professionals coming into contact over shared clients or working in multidisciplinary teams.

Full Product Details

9781853027628

Table of Contents

Reviews

`This book is aimed at students and professionals who engage in social and psychosocial interventions - that is to say, social workers, professionals in social services departments, probation officers, workers in voluntary or private organizations. It provides a broad psychological approach to social work and psychosocial intervention in the UK. ... The book does not intend to be exhaustive in covering all the different domains of activity in welfare services. On the contrary, it offers a selection of topics, including the most common and general ones (children, family, disabled people, older people, crime and crime prevention) and some specific and currently worrying social problems, such as HIV and substance abuse... The editors adopt a pluralistic perspective and accept that different theoretical standpoints in psychology each contribute important theories, which are relevant to social care professionals. To provide coherence, they summarize the main theoretical paradigms in the introduction and discuss how psychology is relevant to social care professionals in practice. Recent theoretical approaches and research findings are taken into account in the different chapters of the book. A commitment to making connections between theories and practice is reflected in the discussion points in each chapter and also the boxes incorporated in the text with practical examples... Although the book is focused on the British system, in my opinion it is highly recommended to readers from other welfare service systems because most of the analyses and proposals contained are applicable in many different contexts... this is a useful book, offering a broad, plural, rigorous approach to psychology for professionals and for future professionals involved in social and psychosocial programs in the context of social policies.' -- European Journal of Social Work `This useful book presents itself as an introduction to psychology for social care practitioners. Its 24 varied chapters identify and explain briefly historical and current developments in psychology which underlie and inform current patterns of need and responses to those needs in various social care sections...For me as a long-serving social work practitioner some of the content was a readable overview of concepts that I once knew but had filed away in a dusty corner of the mind to be faded and corrupted by years of neglect, and which pleasantly surprised me by their continuing relevance.' -- Quakers in Criminal Justice `This multi-author work aims to serve as an introduction to psychology for students and practitioners of social care work. It covers a wide range of issues and makes interesting reading.' -- Addiction Today `All the contributions are concise, information-rich, and very well-referenced, both within the text and within the bibliography. Tables and diagrams are helpful and well-positioned. There is an educational feel to the texts, with some suggesting seminar questions and others giving pointers for the reader's further consideration. This is a lively book, useful in the workplace to inform and anchor practice, for undergraduate study, and as a source book for literature on special topics. It is by no means a book just for social workers and, in bringing psychology closer to practice in social reality, it is certainly value for money.' -- British Journal of Occupational Therapy `...Psychology and Social Care, a book of readings edited by David Messer and Fiona Jones, does the business. The editors sensibly use their introduction to deal in broad and uncluttered terms with what psychology is, its methods and theoretical orientations, and how it can be of use to those involved in social work activities. This permits the authors of the 24 chapters which follow to leave methods aside and introduce only such theories and findings as are needed to make meaningful their specialist topic. And the topics themselves-issues, settings, specific groups of people - are all synonymous with contemporary social work.' -- British Journal of Social Work

`…Psychology and Social Care, a book of readings edited by David Messer and Fiona Jones, does the business. The editors sensibly use their introduction to deal in broad and uncluttered terms with what psychology is, its methods and theoretical orientations, and how it can be of use to those involved in social work activities. This permits the authors of the 24 chapters which follow to leave methods aside and introduce only such theories and findings as are needed to make meaningful their specialist topic. And the topics themselves-issues, settings, specific groups of people - are all synonymous with contemporary social work.' -- British Journal of Social Work `All the contributions are concise, information-rich, and very well-referenced, both within the text and within the bibliography. Tables and diagrams are helpful and well-positioned. There is an educational feel to the texts, with some suggesting seminar questions and others giving pointers for the reader's further consideration. This is a lively book, useful in the workplace to inform and anchor practice, for undergraduate study, and as a source book for literature on special topics. It is by no means a book just for social workers and, in bringing psychology closer to practice in social reality, it is certainly value for money.' -- British Journal of Occupational Therapy `This multi-author work aims to serve as an introduction to psychology for students and practitioners of social care work. It covers a wide range of issues and makes interesting reading.' -- Addiction Today `This useful book presents itself as an introduction to psychology for social care practitioners. Its 24 varied chapters identify and explain briefly historical and current developments in psychology which underlie and inform current patterns of need and responses to those needs in various social care sections...For me as a long-serving social work practitioner some of the content was a readable overview of concepts that I once knew but had filed away in a dusty corner of the mind to be faded and corrupted by years of neglect, and which pleasantly surprised me by their continuing relevance.' -- Quakers in Criminal Justice `This book is aimed at students and professionals who engage in social and psychosocial interventions - that is to say, social workers, professionals in social services departments, probation officers, workers in voluntary or private organizations. It provides a broad psychological approach to social work and psychosocial intervention in the UK. … The book does not intend to be exhaustive in covering all the different domains of activity in welfare services. On the contrary, it offers a selection of topics, including the most common and general ones (children, family, disabled people, older people, crime and crime prevention) and some specific and currently worrying social problems, such as HIV and substance abuse… The editors adopt a pluralistic perspective and accept that different theoretical standpoints in psychology each contribute important theories, which are relevant to social care professionals. To provide coherence, they summarize the main theoretical paradigms in the introduction and discuss how psychology is relevant to social care professionals in practice. Recent theoretical approaches and research findings are taken into account in the different chapters of the book. A commitment to making connections between theories and practice is reflected in the discussion points in each chapter and also the boxes incorporated in the text with practical examples… Although the book is focused on the British system, in my opinion it is highly recommended to readers from other welfare service systems because most of the analyses and proposals contained are applicable in many different contexts… this is a useful book, offering a broad, plural, rigorous approach to psychology for professionals and for future professionals involved in social and psychosocial programs in the context of social policies.' -- European Journal of Social Work

`...Psychology and Social Care, a book of readings edited by David Messer and Fiona Jones, does the business. The editors sensibly use their introduction to deal in broad and uncluttered terms with what psychology is, its methods and theoretical orientations, and how it can be of use to those involved in social work activities. This permits the authors of the 24 chapters which follow to leave methods aside and introduce only such theories and findings as are needed to make meaningful their specialist topic. And the topics themselves-issues, settings, specific groups of people - are all synonymous with contemporary social work.' -- British Journal of Social Work `All the contributions are concise, information-rich, and very well-referenced, both within the text and within the bibliography. Tables and diagrams are helpful and well-positioned. There is an educational feel to the texts, with some suggesting seminar questions and others giving pointers for the reader's further consideration. This is a lively book, useful in the workplace to inform and anchor practice, for undergraduate study, and as a source book for literature on special topics. It is by no means a book just for social workers and, in bringing psychology closer to practice in social reality, it is certainly value for money.' -- British Journal of Occupational Therapy `This multi-author work aims to serve as an introduction to psychology for students and practitioners of social care work. It covers a wide range of issues and makes interesting reading.' -- Addiction Today `This useful book presents itself as an introduction to psychology for social care practitioners. Its 24 varied chapters identify and explain briefly historical and current developments in psychology which underlie and inform current patterns of need and responses to those needs in various social care sections...For me as a long-serving social work practitioner some of the content was a readable overview of concepts that I once knew but had filed away in a dusty corner of the mind to be faded and corrupted by years of neglect, and which pleasantly surprised me by their continuing relevance.' -- Quakers in Criminal Justice `This book is aimed at students and professionals who engage in social and psychosocial interventions - that is to say, social workers, professionals in social services departments, probation officers, workers in voluntary or private organizations. It provides a broad psychological approach to social work and psychosocial intervention in the UK. ... The book does not intend to be exhaustive in covering all the different domains of activity in welfare services. On the contrary, it offers a selection of topics, including the most common and general ones (children, family, disabled people, older people, crime and crime prevention) and some specific and currently worrying social problems, such as HIV and substance abuse... The editors adopt a pluralistic perspective and accept that different theoretical standpoints in psychology each contribute important theories, which are relevant to social care professionals. To provide coherence, they summarize the main theoretical paradigms in the introduction and discuss how psychology is relevant to social care professionals in practice. Recent theoretical approaches and research findings are taken into account in the different chapters of the book. A commitment to making connections between theories and practice is reflected in the discussion points in each chapter and also the boxes incorporated in the text with practical examples... Although the book is focused on the British system, in my opinion it is highly recommended to readers from other welfare service systems because most of the analyses and proposals contained are applicable in many different contexts... this is a useful book, offering a broad, plural, rigorous approach to psychology for professionals and for future professionals involved in social and psychosocial programs in the context of social policies.' -- European Journal of Social Work

Author Information

David Messer and Fiona Jones are at the University of Hertfordshire.

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