Reviews of previous edition:

The book reflects the high spirit of a team of authors and their sustained group efforts. Respective contributors, in their distinctive book chapters, care to document in details (a) the target population being served (b) programme and service models (c) legal/administrative/organisation context, and (d) critical issues in the related fields of practice.
          Probably, this book is one of the most impressive publications I have read in recent years. The book could either be used as a text book or one of the essential reading for undergraduate or generalist graduate programmes (Social Work, Social Policy & Administration or Human Services) in colleges or universities where English is the major language of instruction. The bibliographies that close each chapter are tightly focused, up-dated and accessible.

The Hong Kong Journal of Social Work, Vol 41, Nos 1 & 2, Summer & Winter 2007

This is an excellent text for social work and human service students. The critical study of practice over a range of fields is ideal reading for students researching the breadth of practice and as preparations prior to fieldwork practicums. For the more experienced practitioner each chapter is well developed and a succinct summary of contemporary issues is provided for reflections and critique of practice. The inclusion of useful websites and the extensive reference lists at the end of each chapter encourage further reading and research for the motivated reader. … This book is a great resource and makes a useful contribution to the social work literature. It is a book which not only examines best practice but also provides useful exemplars for social worker and human service workers. The authors present an accessible framework from which practitioners can take an active and critical approach to practice.

Allyson Davys, Social Work Education, Vol 27:4, 2009

Overall, the book’s strengths are many-fold. I found the theoretical and practice overviews of each field and ‘what works’ sections very useful. The text is easy to read and each chapter has a clear structure. The broad range of practice fields enable the reader to select topics of interest for focus. The text would be valuable for social work students in particular since it provides an introduction to these fields of practice. In addition, teachers of social work and human services should find the text very useful in illustrating theoretical and practice aspects of the aforementioned fields of practice.

Journal of Family Studies, Volume 14, Issue 1 – 2008

[This book] is a practical guide for social work, human services and welfare students and practitioners, but it has wider appeal. It will resonate with civil libertarians because it tackles areas in which the client populations are particularly vulnerable to abuses of their civil and political rights. Social work traverses diverse fields including the legal, health and welfare systems and many of us will collaborate with social workers as professionals or clients.
         Each chapter explores a key area of social work and human services practice: child protection, young offenders, mental health, disability, healthcare, ageing, working in rural and remote communities, Indigenous Australians, and migrants and refugees. The authors consider contemporary best practice models, as well as theoretical, legal, political and historical aspects. Don’t expect somersaults, surprises or sensational examples. This is a source book written by people with a broad range of practice, teaching and research experience – of a consistent quality and a steady pace. It provides a clear, comprehensive and accessible synthesis of existing knowledge and offers practical advice. …

Civil Liberty, September 2006