First published in 1989 Interpreting Residential Life raises questions like – a) what makes residential establishments tick, b) what is going on beneath the surface of the daily routine, c) why is change so difficult to create and even more difficult to sustain, and d) how can residential social workers evaluate their work? James Atherton provides a set of tools to enable residential workers to answer these questions in their own establishments. Simply and directly, he provides a framework which shows how policy and practice relate to each other and reinforce or hinder each other, in crises as well as in routines. He examines the whole residential establishment as a social system, concentrating on daily life within it, and demonstrating how values are implicit in all aspects of practice. He draws on the experiences of residential staff at all levels to uncover the working myths and offers ways of understanding how establishments function and indicates the pathways to change. This is an essential read for students of social work and sociology.

First published in 1989 Interpreting Residential Life raises questions like - a) what makes residential establishments tick, b) what is going on beneath the surface of the daily routine, c) why is change so difficult to create and even more difficult to sustain, and d) how can residential social workers evaluate their work? James Atherton provides a set of tools to enable residential workers to answer these questions in their own establishments. Simply and directly, he provides a framework which shows how policy and practice relate to each other and reinforce or hinder each other, in crises as well as in routines. He examines the whole residential establishment as a social system, concentrating on daily life within it, and demonstrating how values are implicit in all aspects of practice. He draws on the experiences of residential staff at all levels to uncover the working myths and offers ways of understanding how establishments function and indicates the pathways to change. This is an essential read for students of social work and sociology.

This text provides an overview of the field of sign language interpreting and interpreter education, including evaluation of the extent to which current practices are supported by research, and will be of use both as a reference book and as a textbook for interpreter training programmes.

`A critical reflection on practice made accessible for all. Youth in Context... will be of interest to both students and a wide range of professionals. In many ways, the textbook format with its regular commentary, key points, case studies and activities, makes the content more accessible by offering the reader a structure within which to reflect critically in their practice' - Young People Now 'The series Youth: Perspectives and Practice provides a distinctive and rare combination of expert commentary, new research, original theorising and critical reflection on how we should understand youth and work with young people. These books deserve a wide readership ... the way they are written and organised will make them particularly appealing to students' - Professor Robert MacDonald, University of Teesside 'I have found that these books have enlightened and further developed my understanding of young people and are an excellent point of reference to support my work in this field' - Carolyn Moore, youth worker Youth in Context: Frameworks, Settings and Encounters offers a critical and up-to-date overview of the theoretical and practical issues involved in work with young people. It helps readers situate current practice issues within the context of a rapidly changing field, and demonstrates how critical reflection can be used as a tool to transform individual and collective practice. The book is divided into three parts: " Part 1 provides conceptual tools for understanding changing policy and practice in relation to young people. " Part 2 considers the changing contexts in which work with young people takes place. " Part 3 explores the diverse ways in which services for young people are planned and organised. The book offers a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to understanding the changing experience of work with young people, presenting complex issues in an accessible and interactive way. It will be essential reading for students on courses in youth work, youth studies, education, social work and social policy, and for professionals working with young people in a wide range of settings. Together with its companion volume, Understanding Youth: Perspectives, Identities and Practices it is a core text for The Open University's third level undergraduate course Youth: Perspectives and Practice (KE308). Martin Robb is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Social Care at The Open University. He is co-editor of Relating Experience: stories from health and social care (Routledge, 2005); Communication, Relationships and Care (Routledge, 2004); and Understanding Health and Social Care (SAGE, 1998), and has published articles and book chapters on a wide range of topics, with a recent focus on issues of fatherhood, masculinity and childcare. Before joining the OU he worked in informal and community education projects with adults and young people.

′Comprehensive and user-friendly. The book is helpfully constructed around a number of key themes, starting with a good attempt to define social work from historical and international perspectives and moving on to address key issues concerning the practice, knowledge, values and skills required from contemporary social work in the UK. I believe social work students, newly qualified and experienced social workers will find ths a valuable resource, especially when one is confronted by challenges in practice′ - Professional Social Work ′Social Work is a good overview that should refresh learner and tutor alike. Pratice assessors may find this book a useful update for their work with students and also a neat refresher. It is a well-written and up-to-date text, with a good sense of where future challenges lie for the social work profession in the UK. Higham is confident enough to voice the profession′s uncertainties as well as mapping the changing organisational landscape that social workers might populate. [This book] is likely to appear on many social work reading lists. [It has] the potential to provide good learning opportunities for post-qualifying as well as pre-qualifying training′ - Health and Social Care in the Community `The unique aspect of this book which distinguishes it from other competitors is that it is constructed explicitly around the key roles and benchmark statements... this book will offer something new and interesting to the growing field of social work education literature and is likely to be relevant to both students and practitioners in the UK and elsewhere′ - Dr Caroline Skehill, Queens University Belfast What is the role of social work? What does it mean to be a social worker? What are the changes affecting social work training? Social Work: Introducing Professional Practice addresses these questions and provides an understanding of the knowledge, values, and skills requirements of professional social work. The author has played a key role in constructing the subject benchmarks for the social work degree and offers a reflective and thoughtful commentary upon training, education and practice. Written in a lively and readable style, the book captures the essence of the changes sweeping through social work and engages the reader in these debates. Key features of this book include: - Comprehensive content structured around the guidelines for training and practice - Bridges the gap between theory and real-life practice - Student-friendly features such as case-studies, discussion questions, further reading and a glossary This exciting publication will be a core textbook for trainee social workers as they progress through the qualifying social work degree, or as they begin their practice as newly qualified workers seeking to consolidate their learning.

A comprehensive and in-depth history of the 20th century English home, how it has been created, and how it works for people. It focuses on the various influences bearing on the development of domestic space since 1914 and covers both design and housing policy. Current debates from participation to co-operative housing are examined and several themes not previously brought together are linked, e.g. urban development/house design; technology at home/women and home; social meaning of home.

The relationship between ageing and crime has been a much neglected issue, the focus rather being on youth. This books aims to redress this imbalance, bringing together a group of leading authorities to address key issues on the subject of crime and ageing, considering older people as both victims and perpetrators of crime, and looking too at conditions faced by older prisoners. The book draws upon both criminology and gerontology, as well as sociology and social policy, to help understand the complex relationship between ageing and the criminal justice system, and argues that the needs of elders must be far more firmly on the penal policy agenda than is the case currently. Ageing, Crime and Society will be concerned with 'unsilencing' a group who because of their age and status have been muted by the criminal justice system.