Going Local Developing Effective Neighbourhood Practice

All good social work is local. Neighbourhoods and geographical communities deeply affect the lives of the people who live in them, as much research has shown, but recently social work has tended to focus on individuals and their choices, rather than their interaction with local environment. In line with current government policy, this volume underscores the importance of neighbourhoods and communities as a principal arena of practice.Going Local explains how social work students and practitioners can develop approaches to neighbourhood work, to engage communities and neighbourhoods more purposefully and to work with citizens and other mainstream and community service providers to build the capacity of neighbourhoods to tackle social problems on their own. Each chapter includes objectives and key points, as well as case studies and activities where appropriate, and the topics discussed include:- What we can learn from past social work practice- Principles, skills and tools to enhance local working- Joined up practice- Care and services for children, families, young people, older people and other vulnerable adults- Social cohesion and the role of practitioners in overcoming local religious and ethnic division.Going Local will appeal to practitioners working in neighbourhood based services, and is essential reading for students of social work, youth and community work, and probation work.Pierson, John is the author of 'Going Local Developing Effective Neighbourhood Practice', published 2007 under ISBN 9780415347808 and ISBN 0415347807.