Tackling Social Exclusion: Promoting Social Justice in Social Work (Social Work Skills Series)

The concept of social exclusion is a central focus of goverment policy and is rapidly moving to the core of practitioner activity. This textbook shows how social workers can combat the social exclusion experienced by service users and at the same time promote social inclusion. Tackling Social Exclusion covers: the meanings of social exclusion and the common elements of practice needed to reverse it the skills needed when working with specific groups of people including children and families, young people and vulnerable adults the neighbourhood dimension in social exclusion the link between 'race' and ethnic minorities and social exclusion and the implications of the Macpherson Report for practice how service agencies can change their organisation to promotie inclusion how to work with communities to effect change Each chapter is grounded in real practice examples and explores through activities, case studies and exercises how the perspective of social exclusion is changing social work today.

The concept of social exclusion has been a central focus of government policy for the past ten years and is now at the core of much practitioner activity.

Thoroughly updated, this much needed second edition shows how social workers can combat the social exclusion experienced by service users and at the same time promote social inclusion. It clearly and accessibly demonstrates how concepts and theories of social exclusion can be used to improve practice. Tackling Social Exclusion covers:

• social work perspectives and approaches promoting social inclusion


• contemporary issues such as preventative work with young children and families, anti-social behaviour and tensions relating to ethnicity, immigration and faith


• the role of the voluntary sector and how service agencies can change their organisation to promote inclusion


• the skills needed when working with specific groups including children and families, young people, vulnerable adults and communities as well as new material on social exclusion in more rural areas.

Each chapter is grounded in up-to-date practice examples and explores through activities, case studies and exercises how the perspective of social exclusion is changing social work today.

Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of figures......Page 11 Case studies......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 13 Introduction......Page 14 What social exclusion means......Page 18 Social exclusion: perspectives and approaches to practice......Page 36 Five building blocks for tackling exclusion......Page 58 Working with socially excluded families......Page 84 Working with socially excluded adults......Page 153 Working with disadvantaged neighbourhoods......Page 180 Racism and social exclusion......Page 206 Social work agencies and joined-up action......Page 230 Activities: pointers to the issues......Page 251 This study looks at the growth of enterprises and initiatives whose main aim is the integration of unemployed and disadvantaged people into work. It presents its findings to show how the voluntary sector, and others like it, is changing in response to rapidly changing work and welfare systems. This textbook shows how social workers can combat the social exclusion experienced by service users and also promote social inclusion. Each chapter contains examples and explores how the perspective of social exclusion is changing social work today Tackling Social Exclusion shows how social workers can combat the social exclusion experienced by service users and at the same time promote social inclusion This chapter begins with an overview of the concept of social exclusion and the different meanings that people find in it.