Book Review

Putting Analysis into Assessment
Undertaking assessments of need - a toolkit for practitioners

2nd edition

Ruth Dalzell and Emma Sawyer

As social workers are striving to push back the excessive levels of bureaucratisation and increase the space for professional practice, this excellent book offers easily understood ways to improve critical reasoning skills and will be useful for individuals, teams, and agencies.
Professor Eileen Munro
Social Policy Department, London School of Economics

One of the most useful recent tools that can be used by trainers, supervisors and mentors.
The Children's Workforce Development Council recommended the first edition as additional reading for newly qualified social workers.

I found the sections on resilience particularly helpful - and when I made use of the section on how to use research skills (e.g. developing hypotheses and cultural awareness) it received excellent feedback from students. Students commented on how it helped them to make sense of research skills, which they had previously struggled with and which with the best will in the world they had often seen as being somewhat distanced from their practice.
Ruth Neville, Principal lecturer, Division of Social Work, University of Huddersfield

The authors have pulled together a variety of sources and interpreted legislative and practice guidance into user-friendly, practical tools to be used before, during and after assessment. Although essentially a toolkit for practitioners, it does not ignore the challenges, complexities and tensions often present in social work with children and families. Relevant and realistic attempts are made to interpret the context of assessment work before suggesting practical advice, which definitely adds to its value.

The book is aimed at fine-tuning social work skills and improving the confidence of social work practitioners. It is recommended for newly qualified social workers and more experienced practitioners alike, with particular merit for those studying towards a post-qualifying award. If used as a 'team' resource this book could be helpful in developing and maintaining consistency among colleagues in completing assessments of need.
Eve Desjardins, Adoption Social Worker
PSW (April 2012)