In this book, Joyce Lishman, Chris Yuill and Jill Brannan provide an essential introduction to the core knowledge and skills necessary for students embarking on their social work degree. Spanning the entire curriculum, the text is split into four sections: part one establishes a broad knowledge base; part two considers methods of assessment; part three outlines methods of intervention; and part four examines social work practice. Chapters clearly integrate theory, policy and practice throughout and particular attention is given to addressing regional variation across the United Kingdom, offering a balanced and comprehensive understanding of social work. Packed with learning features, the book offers: - A full companion website, with teaching materials for lecturers and learning resources for students - Exercises for individual and group study to challenge readers to reflect critically - Further reading so that students can explore the issues in more depth - Glossaries with definitions of key terms - Case studies to bring the discussion to life and illustrate the dilemmas of working in practice. Social Work: An Introduction will be essential reading for all undergraduate social work students.