Going Local

Presenting information in a clear and accessible way, this core text helps to explain how social workers can develop valuable skills essential for neighbourhood work, engage with users and their locality, and contribute to strengthening local communities. Going Local explains how social work students and practitioners can develop approaches to neighbourhood work, to engage communities and neighbourhoods more purposefully and to work with citizens and other mainstream and community service providers to build the capacity of neighbourhoods to tackle social problems on their own. Each chapter includes objectives and key points, as well as case studies and activities where appropriate, and the topics discussed include: what we can learn from past social work practice principles, skills and tools to enhance local working joined up practice care and services for children, families, young people, older people and other vulnerable adults social cohesion and the role of practitioners in overcoming local religious and ethnic division. Going Local will appeal to practitioners working in neighbourhood based services, and is essential reading for students of social work, youth and community work, and probation work.