Featuring contributions from key commentators including Lena Dominelli, Sarah Banks, Peter Beresford, Michael Flood and George Ritzer, this diverse text explores an array of concepts and themes that are vital to our understanding of the value base in social work.

Each chapter contains a range of exercises and activities that are intended to encourage students to take a creative and active learning approach to defining and understanding values. Among the key themes examined in the book are the tensions between values such as social justice, anti-oppressive practice, compassion, empathy and the contemporary preoccupation with cost codes, performance management, the obsessive cult of managerialism and the allure from those with power in public life for the emerging 'free market'.

Also included are chapters on:

• anti-oppressive practice
  
• service user values
  
• anti-social care
  
• violence prevention
  
• valuing equality

The Value Base of Social Work and Social Care is a key text for students undertaking the qualifying social work degree, and for those studying youth work, youth justice, education welfare, probation, health care, counselling and community work. Due to the range of contributors and the current emphasis placed on interprofessional working, it is also relevant to an international audience of practitioners and professionals within the field of social care.