Working with families, carers, groups and communities is something all social work students must prepare for. Written to guide you through these varied and complex groupwork situations, this book explores the knowledge, skills and values required for groupwork practice. Divided into two parts, the first provides an understanding of groupwork, its concepts and contexts, while the second takes you step-by-step through groupwork practice, from planning and preparation, to starting out, facilitating and finally ending work with a group.

Different service contexts including work with children, with users who have learning disabilities, in mental health settings, and more, are covered throughout the book, with case studies, activities and reflective opportunities helping you to understand the complexities of these contexts.

This text is a comprehensive and contemporary guide to groupwork in social work today.

This book is great introduction for people new to groupwork, particularly in social work. It provides an informative history of groupwork, outlines key theories in groupwork practice, and is full of helpful examples and practical advice. The activities and discussion points will be especially useful for social work educators and students.

-- Dr Steve Kirkwood
It is good to see social groupwork back on the map with this book. Social workers who are planning to lead structured groups in contemporary social work settings will find many helpful ideas and practical tips in these pages. -- Professor Mark Doel
For the beginner to groupwork theory and practice, this is a valuable publication which covers many of the main issues experienced by practitioners when developing and delivering this type of social work intervention... Practice educators will find this a helpful resource to assist students they are working with to explore theories underpinning groupwork, presented in an easily accessible format. Social work educators will find the layout and format of the text helpful, as it lends itself well to introducing students to the key practical and theoretical issues to consider when establishing, delivering and evaluating groupwork as a social work intervention. -- Joanne Westwood, University of Stirling

Karin Crawford is a Principal Teaching Fellow in the School of Health and Social Care and Director of Teaching and Learning for the Faculty of Health, Life and Social Sciences at the University of Lincoln.