Book Reviews : Helping in Social Work
| Published date | 01 September 1979 |
| Date | 01 September 1979 |
| Author | Peter Raynor |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455057902600309 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
what we are looking for when we turn
to friends or family for help. The fam-
BOOK REVIEWS
iliar themes of good listening, honest
communication and willingness to
share in the good and bad parts of
another person’s experience are for
Helping in Social Work
once placed in a recognisable human
Bill Jordan
context, instead of in a precious and
Routledge & Kegan Paul, £4.95 (£2.50
rarefied atmosphere of &dquo;techniques&dquo;
p/b)
and &dquo;skills&dquo;. The result is to narrow
The aim of this book, in the author’s
the credibility gap which is too often
own words, is &dquo;to write a single, prac-
inherent in this kind of writing. As the
tical and positive account of what I
author reminds us, &dquo;while there is a
see as the elements which could make
real discipline and an important skill
up good practice in the sort of work
in professional help, its best basis lies
which statutory social workers do&dquo;. It
in the subtlety and sensitivity that we
is deliberately not an &dquo;academic&dquo;
employ to understand and deal with
book--there are no references and the
our own problems and those of others
main ideas are not elaborated in a
close to us&dquo;.
theoretical way but are thoroughly il-
Further chapters continue to ex-
lustrated by examples from practical
plore, in a clear and ordinary lan-
experience. Bill Jordan is in a good
guage, and theme of helping. A chap-
position to provide these, having been
ter on &dquo;worker and client&dquo; looks at
a probation officer, a psychiatric Social
the problems of being trapped in un-
worker and a university social work
helpful ways of working and a chap-
lecturer, as well as working for a time
ter on &dquo;compulsion and supervision&dquo;
in a borstal, being secretary of a
contains some disturbing material on
Claimants’ Union and the author of
the abuse of power in social work,
five earlier books on various aspects of
which will interest many readers of
social work and social policy.
this journal. As always, it...
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