The Ethical Foundations of Social Work

. . . a thought-provoking text that masterfully draws on classic and contemporary theory to demonstrate the centrality of conscious ethical reasoning for social work practice today . . . with currency for students at all levels of study, social work practitioners and those in academe. 
Professor Sandra Drower, University of Winchester

. . . a committed, accessible and timely text which deserves to be on the reading list of every social work programme . . . Pullen and Cowden remind us that social work is first and foremost an ethical profession.
Dr Iain Ferguson, University of Stirling

The Ethical Foundations of Social Work provides an accessible, theoretically rigorous and practice-based grounding in social work ethics. The authors examine when, how and why principles and debates historically emerged, and then explicitly map them onto everyday ethical challenges and situations in social work practice. As such, the book promotes an ethically conscious approach where principles can be applied flexibly and confidently, as tools for critically responding to problems.

Key features:

• Real life case studies illustrate contemporary ethical dilemmas and help explore the process of critically analysing a situation.
• Demonstrates the relationship between ethical theory and practice.
• Shows how contemporary Codes of Practice have emerged from debates.
• Looks at how individuals and groups relate to each other as well as to social institutions. 
• Boxed material focuses on key issues and summary points and further reading supports and extends the reader.

The Ethical Foundations of Social Work is essential reading for social work students and practitioners looking for a thorough grounding in ethical issues and practice. It will also be of interest more widely in social care and the social sciences.

Annie Pullen-Sansfaon is Associate Professor at the Universit de Montral's School of Social Work, in Canada, and formerly worked at Coventry University and the University of Gloucestershire in the UK.

Stephen Cowden is Senior Lecturer in Social Work in the Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies, Coventry University.