This fully revised fourth edition of a well-respected textbook seeks to build social workers' confidence in legal interpretation and implementation - practitioners must not only know the law; they must also have a critical appreciation of its implications for human rights, civil liberties and social justice. With a focus on promoting knowledge and skills in recognising, locating and articulating legal issues, it also demonstrates how the law can be used to inform practice standards and deliver positive outcomes for service users. This is essential reading for social work law modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Practitioners and educators will also find it an invaluable resource to guide them through a complex, yet vital, aspect of their work.