Social Work and the Law - by Chris Maylea (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This exciting new textbook introduces students to the key aspects of the law and legal frameworks essential for social work practice in Australia. Simple and easy to read, it communicates the complex legal concepts in practice in ways students can easily understand. With a focus on human rights and ethical conduct, it's both concept based, examining the ways of thinking and understanding law and social work interactions, and topic based, exploring the different specific areas of law which social workers are most likely to come into contact with.

This is essential reading for any student taking a unit in Social Work Law. Specific to Australia, it accounts for Australian jurisdictions, and can be easily integrated into the classroom context, with case studies, questions for discussion and links to further resources, including interactive resources and a website to support further learning and provide updates to changes in the law between editions.

Review Quotes

"This textbook highlights the importance of understanding the legal context for ethical and effective social work practice. Written in an accessible manner, it covers areas of law that are particularly relevant to social workers. The inclusion of people's experiences of the law helps to illustrate the tensions and opportunities that the legal context creates in practice." --Dr Jemma Venables, University of Queensland

"The strengths of this book are the focus on Australian law, the topics and their relation to each other, the fit with semester and its scope. It is well structured and covers all the main areas for social work." --Dr Lynelle Watts, Curtin University

"This book provides an accessible guide to ethical practice and makes a good link between understandings of justice and human rights. The level is appropriate, the structure is appealing, and the focus on advocacy is particularly useful for students in social work and new graduates." --Dr Prue Atkins, La Trobe University

About the Author

Dr Chris Maylea is a social worker, lawyer, academic and consultant who specialises the in the intersections of social work and law. He has published on social work in involuntary mental health settings, refugees and asylum seekers and has worked extensively in mental health and homelessness, with experience as a youth worker and in Aboriginal specific services. He works pro bono as a lawyer, regularly consults at state and federal levels, and teaches social work at RMIT University.
Dr Chris Maylea is a social worker, lawyer, academic and consultant who specialises the in the intersections of social work and law. He has published on social work in involuntary mental health settings, refugees and asylum seekers and has worked extensively in mental health and homelessness, with experience as a youth worker and in Aboriginal specific services. He works pro bono as a lawyer, regularly consults at state and federal levels, and teaches social work at RMIT University.