Introduction

Abstract

When the first edition of Social Work Practice was published I expressed the opinion that this was the book I had always wanted to write. At that point I was not aware that it was going to become a best seller. I had been teaching on qualifying social work courses for over ten years and the focus of my teaching had been variously constructed around what was then called social work methods. These experiences made me aware that, for good or ill, what students wanted was a text which brought together the core approaches to social work practice; an introduction to the literature and a summary of the ideas in a meaningful form. The combination of Veronica Coulshed’s experience and forthright style with the format of the BASW Practical Social Work series was powerful, and the need for a third edition is testimony to the relevance of the text.