This revised edition updates the complex and potentially confusing range of theories informing the process of assessment and the practical dilemmas of doing it. It offers a clear framework of theories, each one of which is carefully discussed and evaluated in turn

This revised edition updates the complex and potentially confusing range of theories informing the process of assessment and the practical dilemmas of doing it. It offers a clear framework of theories, each one of which is carefully discussed and evaluated in turn, with the aim of helping the reader to develop thorough and meaningful analyses of service users' situations and needs and to promote confidence in a world where social workers are increasingly having to back up their judgements with evidence.

Introduction - From Traditional Practice to New Complexities - Decision Outcomes and the Assessment Process - Anti-Oppressive Practice - Selecting a Map - A Map of the Ocean: Psychodynamic Approaches - An Ordnance Survey Map: Behavioural Approaches - The Handy Tourist Map: Task-Centred Approaches - The Navigator's Maps: Solution-Focused and Narrative Approaches - Making and Finalising the Judgement - Conclusion - References - Index