Competence in Social Work Practice

This book tackles the complex issue of competency-led social work training and focuses particularly on the six key roles of social work practice and the national occupational standards. It provides a helpful analysis of the changes to social work that have been brought about as a result of social policies and legislation, regulatory frameworks, new registration requirements, public inquiries and training to bring it in line with European education. Perhaps most importantly, it also considers the role of the service user in delivery and training. This book is easy to read and uses several detailed case studies to challenge traditional views of competency-led training. These cover a number of key social work areas such as mediation, child abuse, mental health, adults with learning disabilities, working with families and risk analysis. The case studies illuminate several complex issues that get to the heart of what competency-led training actually involves. Meanwhile, the analyses make the point that it should not just be a tick-box approach. In fact, what the case studies emphasise most of all is that the application of core values and ethics, within a skills and knowledge-based framework, is central to social work training. The second edition of this book is timely and it sits well alongside current debates about training and the future of social work. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it for anyone working in the profession.

The contributors to the book look at the competence required in a variety of settings and which includes risk analysis, family mediation and child abuse. There is a thought provoking chapter on applying ethics in social work training and this is definitely worth a read'.

Competence in Social Work Practice: A Practical Guide for Students and Professionals lives up to its title. Kieran O'Hagan has edited a practical, highly accessible and user-friendly book. The book is divided into twelve discreet chapters with contributions from a mixture of academics and practitioners. Each chapter is inter-linked to current social work assessment: the National Occupational Standards (NOS) and its underpinning values, skills and knowledge base.

Praise for the first edition: 'This material will be invaluable to anyone working with social work students...'

This book is highly recommended. It would be a very useful text for all those involved in assessment of students both in social work and allied professions.

Keiran O'Hagan's updated collection of papers presents a rubust and, in my view, convincing case for the concept of 'competence' in social work education and training. His contributions range across the National Occupational Standards Framework and include both children and adult-focused social-work practice. The strongest and possibly most useful feature for both practice teachers and students is the detailed case studies where apparently small scale work is shown to be rich in learning.

The content of the book is a thorough look at what constitutes 'competence led training' in the context of the new requirements within the social work degree…The contributors to the book look at the competence required in a variety of settings and which includes risk analysis, family mediation and child abuse. There is a thought provoking chapter on applying ethics in social work training and this is definitely worth reading.

This book is aimed at all those involved in the assessment of competence in a practice learning environment from both a teaching and learning perspective. It is a well-written, easy to read comprehensive guide to the application of the key roles and outcomes required to evidence competence in social work across a wide range of practice settings. I would recommend this book as one to keep not only for anyone involved in student teaching and learning in practice, but also to assist any practitioner across all of the health and social care disciplines in compiling a portfolio demonstrating continued professional development.