The Enlightened Social Worker - by Donald Forrester

Book Synopsis

While social work theory tends to emphasise helping individuals and challenging social injustice, the reality of practice is characterised by challenge and conflict. This text offers a new concept of social work that explains the nature of these conflicts and moves beyond them, with an inspiring and practical vision of what social work is and should be.

Placing rights at the heart of practice, this introduction to social work will be useful to practitioners and students with a substantive contribution to the theoretical literature that emphasises the role of social work when rights may be in conflict, enabling students and workers to become more confident in dealing with the uncomfortable realities of practice.

Review Quotes

"Acknowledging contemporary practice challenges while traversing the social and the individual, Forrester positions social work as central to the promotion of human rights. A must-read for students and practitioners." Henry Smith, Lecturer in Social Work, University of Sussex

"Covering the 18th century to the current day, Forrester leads the reader on an essential intellectual journey towards defining the true purpose and value of the social work profession." Isabelle Trowler CBE, Chief Social Worker for Children and Families

"In this comprehensive and thought-provoking book, Forrester reconsiders a number of taken-for-granted ideas about social work and then shines a new light on them. The book is of interest not just to students but also to more experienced social workers and their supervisors." David Shemmings OBE, Emeritus Professor, University of Kent and Royal Holloway, University of London