Critical practice is at the core of all activity undertaken with service users, carers and their communities. Conveying the diverse nature of this work The Critical Practitioner in Social Work and Health Care takes a comprehensive and reflective look at key areas of practice and the challenges professionals face in training and in their working lives. The chapters focus on the skills and values fundamental to the caring role and helps readers understand the importance of being able to adapt to changing demands and expectations.

Key features of the book include:

" a multiprofessional approach, incorporating examples from health, social work, and social care

" an integrated approach to theory and practice

" a range of case studies to illustrate key themes and issues

" coverage of core topics such as: ethics, management, supervision, teamwork, interprofessional working, practice with service-users, research, policy issues, accountability

" strongly supports underpinning knowledge for the National Occupational Standards and subject benchmarks.

The book encourages the reader to develop the confidence and analytic skills to achieve best practice across all areas of their work. It will be required reading for all those studying social work, nursing, and allied caring professions. It will also be of great help to practitioners wishing to reflect on and develop their own practice.

This Reader includes revised and updated material from Brechin et al's Critical Practice in Health and Social Care also published by SAGE (2000).

Sandy Fraser is a Lecturer in Social Work, Faculty of Health and Social Care at The Open University. He co-edited Doing Research with Children and Young People and The Reality of Research with Children and Young People (both 2004) published by SAGE Publications in association with The Open University.

Sarah Matthews is a Staff Tutor in The Open University regional office in Manchester. She is also a Mental Health Act Commissioner and runs a training and consultancy business. She worked for 20 years as a qualified social worker, latterly as a senior manager.

Introducing Critical Practice - Ann Glaister
Social Work, Professionalism and the Regulatory Framework - Mike Burt and Aiden Worsley
Practice With Service-Users, Carers and their Communities - Hilary Brown and Sheila Barrett
Working With Complexity - Keith Edwards, Chris Hallett and Phil Sawbridge
Managing Workload and Surviving in a Changing Environment
Counting the Costs - Colin Guest and Philip Scarff
Reflections on Past Social Work Practice - Barbara Prynn
The Central Role of Relationship
Values and Ethics in Practice - Maureen Eby and Ann Gallagher
Practitioner Research - Celia Keeping
The Challenge of Working in Teams - Linda Finlay and Claire Ballinger
Organisations and Organisational Change - Janet Seden
Accountability - Maureen Eby and Alun Morgan
Understanding the Policy Process - Celia Davies
Continuing Professional Development - Barry Cooper
A Critical Approach
Social Work in New Policy Contexts - James Blewett
Threats and Opportunities