Books Belated credit to a core text for legal guidance W Law for social workers (12th edition) Hugh Brayne and Helen Carr, Oxford University Press, 2014 hen I was doing my training Brayne and Carr was on its fifth edition and, if Im brutally honest, I have only looked at it a few times in the past 15 years, choosing instead to rely on specialist books that focus on particular aspects of law rather than dipping into a generic one. For this edition, I was particularly interested in how much the book had changed over the years. It occurred to me that if I was looking for general law information I may not have given enough credit to this book, viewing it previously as a means to an end to help me pass the law exam that was then, as now, an important part of qualifying training. The text covers the key frameworks in both adults and childrens social work, starting with an overview of the legal system and how it works, the roles and responsibilities of the social worker and a whistlestop tour of the global frameworks of human rights, equality and information sharing. As most university reading lists demonstrate, Brayne and Carr deservedly remains a core text for students and this edition upholds the books reputation as a useful resource on a range of legal frameworks. I was pleased that it had kept itself relevant and current, linking to the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) and continuing to provide case law updates in keeping with previous editions. As the need for a 12th edition suggests, the law is always evolving, and this edition is already a victim of that fact. It does not deal with recent judgments on Bite-sized contributions provide all-round vision E Contemporary social work practice: a handbook for students Barbra Teater (editor), Open University Press, 2014 very so often I am asked to review a book that does exactly what it says on the cover. This is one of them. It is a wide-ranging introduction and resource for an increasingly diverse profession. Perhaps it should even be required pre-reading for social work training, as well as a recommended book for university libraries. Barbra Teater has brought together a range of perspectives resulting in a book with bite-size contributions from social work academics, practitioners and managers, and people who use social care services. The whole spectrum of contemporary practice is covered, including youth work, working with refugees and asylum seekers, offender rehabilitation, domestic violence and abuse, fostering and adoption, and physical disability. In fact 16 areas of social work practice are covered in total. Teaters own practice chapter covers housing and homelessness. She includes analysis of work with rough sleepers, the hidden homeless, those statutorily accepted as homeless (primarily those who have been legally accepted as unintentionally homeless and in priority need), as well as those in second stage supported accommodation or hostels (including ex-offenders and women escaping domestic violence). The coverage includes a dissection of the Housing Act 1996. Many qualified social workers may have only a hazy notion of what the legislation means in practice for their work and yet so much of our work is about supporting people to meet their basic human needs, of which housing is one. Two case studies provide illustrative examples; the second study is accompanied by four questions for further consideration and reflection on knowledge and skills development. A chapter by Malcolm Payne and Sue Taplin covers social work in health care settings. Much local authority social work in the UK is, of course, about working with people with complex health and social care needs. It has kept itself relevant and current, linking to the PCF and continuing to provide case law updates the Mental Capacity Act/Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards or with the Care Act 2014. But I do think I may have been a little keen to dismiss this book as a resource and will pick it up more often in future when Im considering which frameworks to work with. Daisy Bogg is practice development adviser at The College of Social Work As this chapter confirms, the main roles of social workers in primary care, hospitals, hospices, and so on are to prevent social factors hindering effective health care provision and to use social and psychological interventions to facilitate dialogue and discussion between health care staff, the patient, and the patients wider family and community support networks. All the chapters have a section on antioppressive practice considerations, case studies, questions for reflection, and suggestions of print and web-based resources for further follow-up. Greg Slay is quality assurance lead for adults services at West Sussex county council. The whole spectrum of contemporary social work practice is covered, 16 areas in total