Publisher's Synopsis
Over the past fifteen years social work education has been subject to detailed scrutiny, debate and re-organization. However what has been wrong has been far from clear. This book, based on a study undertaken by the Universities of Sheffield and Edinburgh between 1992 and 1995, examines, in England, Wales and Scotland, the readiness of newly qualified social workers and probation officers to practise. It is based on the perceptions of supervisors/seniors and the newly qualified staff themselves. It concerns the ways that education and training, on both courses and in agencies in the first year, fits the perceived tasks and problems encountered in present day social services and probation practice. It provides a detailed review of the state of courses and the reality of practice in the first year. It looks at the perceived abilities of newly qualified practitioners alongside the support available in policy and action and it highlights the expectations and tensions of this crucial period of professional development.
