Review: The Post-Qualifying Handbook for Social Workers Wade Tovey (ed.) Jessica Kingsley, 2007; pp 296; £18.99, pbk ISBN-13: 978—1—84310—428—5
| Date | 01 September 2008 |
| Published date | 01 September 2008 |
| DOI | 10.1177/02645505080550030703 |
| Author | Raymond Taylor |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
The Post-Qualifying Handbook
for Social Workers
Wade Tovey (ed.)
Jessica Kingsley, 2007; pp 296; £18.99, pbk
ISBN-13: 978–1–84310–428–5
Wade Tovey’s book, The Post-Qualifying Handbook for
Social Workers, is an important publication which provides
a comprehensive overview of contemporary themes in
social work practice in the United Kingdom. The book is
an edited collection of papers by academics and prac-
titioners who are, in the main, connected to the School of Health and Social Care
at the University of Teeside.
Tovey presents a stimulating set of papers clustered around four themes; Context,
Practice, Issues and Doing PQ. Each section has much to commend it. I especially
warmed to Maggie Jackson’s chapter entitled ‘Thinking About Loss and Making
Sense of Our Self’; by her own admission this is not terribly new information, but
it is terribly important.
The text is aimed at practitioners with a wide range of motivations. Those who
seek a stimulus for reflection and consolidation of their professional training, prac-
titioners involved in formal PQ programmes and who are pursuing career goals
and, equally importantly, social workers who wish to maintain their professional
registration. It is worth noting that much of the content is of equal relevance to
educators, managers and training officers.
All of the chapters which focus on practice issues, but especially those on mental
health and children and families social work, will be of interest to probation officers
and criminal justice social workers. The book is of particular relevance to workers
in the probation field registered with any of the UK’s four Care Councils, who seek
opportunities to undertake self-directed post-registration training and learning.
The impact of the modernization agenda on social work has been significant.
Marked changes have taken place in social work education within the UK in recent
years. Following devolution, each of the four countries has established the new
degree in social work. A high degree of uniformity remains in relation to qualifying
training as a result of the fact that each country has based the new courses on
UK-wide National Occupational Standards for Social Work.
It is in the area of PQ education that we see the greatest divergence. The UK
Post-Qualifying Framework is being dismantled and replaced by very different
arrangements which reflect national priorities within England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland. The last section of the book (Appendix 4) provides a concise
summary of these changes. If the publishers are planning a future edition they
should consider including some form of analysis of the likely impact of these
changes in the coming years.
Given the difficulty of developing a UK-wide vision of what is referred to vari-
ously as social work, social services or social care, Michael Preston Shoot provides
a thoughtful commentary on continuing professional development within the sector.
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