This ground-breaking book provides invaluable insight into the diverse nature of social work practice within the British Isles. It is written at a time of significant change, when there is devolution within the United Kingdom and also development of closer cross-border governmental structures with Ireland. It also comes at a time when national identity is a key issue.

Far from presenting a unified picture of social work in these regions, the contributors show how varied practice provision can be, reflecting the importance of lessons that can be learnt from within and without national boundaries, promoting a more subtle understanding of the interweaving of culture, history and social care. The contributors explore key differences in social work's role and character, and the legal systems and organisational structures in which it operates in the different regions. This fascinating and important book is essential reading for social workers in the British Isles and all over the world.

The focus and main value of this text is the comparison of how history, culture and national identity affect the provision of social care and social work practice in the different countries.

The book is clearly written, with writers keeping to a similar structure for their chapters.

The best recommendation I can give for this book is that three colleagues have already borrowed it in the short time it has been on my desk! This text is very easy to read and sets in context political climate, social history, legal aspects, policy and procedure and issues of discrimination. This book serves it's purpose well, and it will be interesting to see how social work in Britain develops as national identity continues to grow. -- Journal of Practice Teaching
The focus and main value of this text in the comparison of how history, culture and national identity affect the provision of social care and social work practice in the different countries... The book is clearly written. -- Community Care
This is an excellent source book which brings together the legal, administrative, political and professional aspects of social work across the region. It does so very well, particularly through the manner in which it exposes and explains the differences in systems between these (largely) English speaking neighbours... The editors have done a good job of bringing together writers who provide a wide and relevant range of material, clearly and fluently written. This is not in the words of the author of one of the chapters, a book of `dumbing-down-blandness' (p. 156) but a coherent collection of essays on the state of the art in social work. -- Child and Family Social Work

Malcolm Payne is Professor and Head of Department of Applied Community Studies at the Manchester Metropolitan University and has previously been the United Kingdom's representative on the Board of the International Association of Schools of Social Work. Steven M. Shardlow is Professor of Social Work at the University of Salford and is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Social Work. He has represented the United Kingdom on the European Association of Schools of Social Work.