Social Work Law books and resources

The Pocket Guide to Restorative Justice

Pete Wallis and Barbara Tudor

'Restorative justice… puts the emphasis on repairing the harm caused, holding offenders to account before their victims… It is not a soft option. It is tough for an offender to continue denying the consequences of their actions when they sit across the table from their victim. This explains why restorative justice is effective in cutting re-offending. Such face-to-face meetings… can also help the victim.'

Challenges to the Human Rights of People with Intellectual Disabilities

Edited by Frances Owen and Dorothy Griffiths

'A book such as this both demonstrates the progress that has been made over recent years, and will also serve to enhance respect for the human rights of persons with intellectual disabilities in the years to come'
- From the Foreword by Orville Endicott

Children, Families and Violence

Challenges for Children's Rights

Katherine Covell and R. Brian Howe

This book examines the risk factors surrounding children at risk of experiencing and perpetrating violence, and looks at the positive role that children's rights can play in their protection.
The authors propose that violence in childhood is not spontaneous: that children are raised to become violent in poorly functioning families and child-unfriendly environments. They may be exposed to toxic substances in utero, to maltreatment in infancy, to domestic violence or parental criminality as they grow up. Each of these risk factors is empirically linked with the development of antisocial and aggressive behaviour, and each reflects a violation of children's rights to protection from maltreatment. The authors show how respecting children's rights and safeguarding them from exposure to violence can shift the balance between risk and protective factors and, as a result, reduce the incidence and severity of childhood violence.

Community Care Practice and the Law

4th edition

Michael Mandelstam

This fourth edition of Community Care Practice and the Law has been fully updated to reflect the rapid and continuing legal, policy and practice changes affecting community care.

It provides comprehensive and jargon-free explanations of community care legislation, as well as other areas of law directly relevant to practitioners, including the NHS, disabled facilities grants and housing adaptations, asylum and immigration, mental capacity, human rights, disability discrimination, health and safety at work and negligence - and a range of legal provisions relevant to the protection and safeguarding of adults.

Apart from the burgeoning legal case law and ombudsman investigations, changes from the last edition include coverage of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, legal implications of 'self directed care' and 'individual budgets', changes to direct payments and 'ordinary residence' determinations. In particular, new guidance applies to the high profile issue of NHS continuing health care.

The book is an essential guide for practitioners and managers in both the statutory and voluntary sectors, policy makers in local authorities and the NHS, advocates, lawyers and social work students.

The Ethic of Traditional Communities and the Spirit of Healing Justice

Studies from Hollow Water, the Iona Community, and Plum Village

Jarem Sawatsky

'I want to congratulate Jarem for the way he has written this book. He has freed himself - and his readers! - from the professional jargon that so often characterizes research of this kind... This is not the work of a cheerleader for "justice-as-healing" but the informed reflections of a deeply curious human being who wonders if there might be better ways for all of us to behave towards each other. At the same time, he is not in the least hesitant to express misgivings or pose unanswered questions as he goes. Like all tales of penetrating explorations, this book leaves the reader more deeply intrigued and curious at the end than they were at the beginning.'
- Extract from the Foreword by Rupert Ross, Assistant Crown Attorney for the District of Kenora since 1985, and author of Dancing with a Ghost: Exploring Indian Reality, and Returning to the Teachings: Exploring Aboriginal Justice.

What is healing justice? Who practices it? What does it look like? In this groundbreaking international comparative study on healing justice, Jarem Sawatsky examines traditional communities including Hollow Water - an Aboriginal and Métis community in Canada renowned for their holistic healing work in the face of 80 per cent sexual abuse rates; the Iona Community - a dispersed Christian ecumenical community in Scotland known for their work towards peace, healing and social justice, rebuilding of community and the renewal of worship; and Plum Village - a Vietnamese initiated Buddhist community in southern France, and home to Nobel Peace Prize nominated author, Thich Nhat Hanh.

These case studies record a search for the kind of social, structural, and spiritual relationships necessary to sustain a healing view of justice. Through comparing cases, Sawatsky identifies the common patterns, themes, and imagination which these communities share. These commonalities among those that practice healing justice are then examined for their implications for wider society, particularly for restorative justice and criminal justice.

This innovative book is accessible to those new to the topic, while at the same time being beneficial to experienced researchers, and will appeal internationally to practitioners, students, and anyone interested in restorative justice, law, peace building, and religious studies.

Good Practice in the Law and Safeguarding Adults

Criminal Justice and Adult Protection

Edited by Jacki Pritchard

Good Practice in the Law and Safeguarding Adults provides an up-to-date summary of developments in the legislative framework and best practice relevant to the area of adult protection work.
It explains legislation that can be used in adult protection work, covering criminal and civil law, and crucial national guidance such as Achieving Best Evidence. Issues covered include confidentiality and information-sharing in adult protection work, capacity issues, police investigations, financial abuse, advocacy, witness support and honour-based violence. The book is illustrated throughout with case studies and good practice points.

The Nearest Relative Handbook

2nd edition

David Hewitt

Praise for the first edition:
'An excellent, comprehensive and thoughtful guide to the rights, powers, and duties of nearest relatives under the Mental Health Act. This is the definitive work on the subject.'
- Phil Fennell, Professor of Law, Cardiff Law School

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and the Law

Michael Mandelstam

The protection of vulnerable adults is a fast emerging area of work for local authorities, the NHS and other agencies. Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and the Law, sets this within a comprehensive legal framework. The relevant law and guidance is extensive. It includes Department of Health guidance (No Secrets), human rights, the regulation of health and social care providers, the barring of carers from working with vulnerable adults, care standards tribunal cases, mental capacity, undue influence, assault, battery, wilful neglect, ill treatment, manslaughter, murder, theft, fraud, sexual offences, data protection and the sharing of information.

The book focuses on how these areas of law apply to vulnerable adults, and brings together an extensive body of case law to illustrate this. Also covered is how local authorities and the NHS may themselves be implicated in the harm - through abuse, neglect or omission - suffered by vulnerable adults. For example, in terms of the gross lapses in standards of care, infection control, nutrition and basic dignity sometimes to be found in hospitals.

All those working in community care, adult social work, health care and housing will find this book invaluable. Local authorities, the NHS, voluntary organisations and students will find this to be essential reading.

The Social Worker's Guide to Children and Families Law

Lynn Davis

The Social Worker's Guide to Children and Families Law is an accessible, jargon-free guide to the key elements of the law that concern practising social workers in children and families teams in England and Wales.

This resource for everyday practice includes explanations of the fundamental concepts of parental responsibility and human rights, and the detailed provisions of private and public law, including adoption. The legal issues raised by atypical families (such as those in gay relationships, of mixed heritage or with children or parents with disabilities) are also covered throughout the text. It includes bullet lists, checklists and charts for quick and easy reference, as well as highlighted points for practice and illustrative case scenarios to put the law into context.

This guide will be an invaluable resource for practising social workers, as well as trainees, students and those studying for post-qualifying awards.

Street Wise

A Programme for Educating Young People about Citizenship, Rights, Responsibilities and the Law

Sam Frankel

Designed to equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need to be street wise - to understand their rights and responsibilities - this resource challenges young people to engage in relevant moral questions through raising awareness of the criminal process and how it applies to them, so that that they can take a lead in developing better relationships within their communities.

The Child's World

The Comprehensive Guide to Assessing Children in Need
2nd edition

Edited by Jan Horwath

This new and updated edition of the best-selling book on assessing children in need and their families integrates practice, policy and theory to produce a comprehensive and multidisciplinary guide to all aspects of assessment.

The Child's World not only provides an explanation of...