Critical thinking as a process can appear formal and academic, and far-removed from the everyday practitioner experience. This book enables post-qualifying students to develop their analytical skills in line with their everyday experiences.

Critical thinking as a process can appear formal and academic, far removed from everyday life where decisions have to be taken quickly in less than ideal conditions. However, now more than ever, it is seen as a vital part of social work, and indeed any healthcare and leadership practice within the current agenda for integration, and in the post Francis inquiry health care context. This Fourth Edition now reflects this wider arena, but also includes new material in response to the continuing review of social work professional standards. It continues to take a pragmatic look at the range of ideas associated with critical thinking, focusing on learning and development for practice. The chapter on professional judgement has been extended to provide a wider discussion on practical reasoning and judgement in relation to developing expertise, while other chapters and reading lists have also been updated, and activities revised to enhance learning. The authors continue to emphasise the importance of sound, moral judgement based on critical thinking and practical reasoning; while also acknowledging the tensions for staff and teams facing complex, uncertain situations and sometimes oppressive workplace cultures. Their hope is that increased and informed attention to your thinking can help nurture wise deliberation and action in such challenging times.

Critical thinking as a process can appear formal and academic and far-removed from everyday practitioner experience. This second edition of enables post-qualifying students to develop their analytical skills in line with their everyday experiences. By placing emphasis on writing, communication and critical reflection, this book challenges the view that theory and critical awareness are the preserve of the classroom and instead gives the reader the confidence to better enhance their social work skills.

This highly practical guidebook will help you develop the critical and analytical skills essential to your successful social work education and evidence-informed, reflective practice. Key features include: Theoretical break down and simplification of key theories How to avoid common pitfalls Activities to help you cement your learning Case studies applicable in practice. This will support you right from the very beginning of your programme through to the end of your final placement and into practice.

Professional judgement and decision making are central to social work, both in everyday professional practice and in public perceptions of social work as a profession. This book examines key issues that are relevant today. The chapters cover child protection, mental health, and elder care settings in Europe, Australia and Canada. They discuss organisational and cultural contexts for professional judgement; the role of experience in the development of expertise and professional discretion; understanding variability in decision making; and the role of legal frameworks in decision making. This book will enable practitioners, managers, policy makers, and researchers to appreciate the complexities of professional judgement and decision making in different social work settings and to apply this understanding to their own practice. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Social Work Practice. The book is linked to sister text Risk in Social Work Practice: Current Issues, which examines key debates around the understanding of risk in contemporary social work practice.

Critical thinking as a process can appear formal and academic, and far-removed from the everyday practitioner experience. This new edition enables post-qualifying students to develop their analytical skills in line with their everyday experiences. By placing emphasis on professional judgement, communication and critical reflection, the book challenges the view that theory and critical awareness are the preserve of the classroom. This edition is fully-updated to include guidance for social workers following the Munro Review.

At a time when accountability and the avoidance of risk are increasingly demanded of social workers, the ability to make clear and informed decisions is essential. This book, written for practicing social workers undertaking their ASYE and compulsory CPD, has been designed to help professionals make sound judgments in increasingly complex contexts and under pressure. The focus is on empowering front-line professionals through reflective practice, so that they are able to draw on multiple factors and perspectives and make sound problem-solving judgements. The book begins with the core concepts, client focus, and legal background before moving on to consider the collaborative processes and the nature of individual judgements. It then considers particular dimensions of social work decision making, such as safeguarding, taking risks, assessment and dynamic decision tools and processes. It then concludes by look at the organisational context of decision management, with a focus on supervision, training and effective communication.