Social Work and the Law: A Guide for Ethical Practice

This exciting new textbook introduces students to the key aspects of the law and legal frameworks essential for social work practice in Australia. Simple and easy to read, it communicates the complex legal concepts in practice in ways students can easily understand. With a focus on human rights and ethical conduct, it's both concept based, examining the ways of thinking and understanding law and social work interactions, and topic based, exploring the different specific areas of law which social workers are most likely to come into contact with.

This is essential reading for any student taking a unit in Social Work Law. Specific to Australia, it accounts for Australian jurisdictions, and can be easily integrated into the classroom context, with case studies, questions for discussion and links to further resources, including interactive resources and a website to support further learning and provide updates to changes in the law between editions.

Dr Chris Maylea is a social worker, lawyer, academic and consultant who specialises the in the intersections of social work and law. He has published on social work in involuntary mental health settings, refugees and asylum seekers and has worked extensively in mental health and homelessness, with experience as a youth worker and in Aboriginal specific services. He works pro bono as a lawyer, regularly consults at state and federal levels, and teaches social work at RMIT University.