Contents:
Contents 1. Introduction Section One: Rethinking Service User Movements in Relation to Women Survivors of Violence 2. Women Survivors of Domestic Violence as Service Users: The Silenced Group 3. The Obstacles to Empowerment - What Kind of Power for Women Section Two: Women's Views and Voices in Domestic Violence Services 4. What Abused Women Think of the Service They Receive 5. How Much Do Agencies Listen to Domestic Violence Survivors? Section Three: How to Engage in Survivor Participation and Consultation 6. How To Do It: Empowerment and Stigma 7. How To Do It: Policies, Sensitivities and Resources 8. Practical Ways Forward and Innovation, Including Domestic Violence Forums 9. Further Innovatory Practice: Women's Aid, Women's Advocacy Organisations and Campaigns 10. Other Methods of Survivors Participation and Getting Agencies to Take Action 11. Conclusion

Domestic violence is in the public eye as never before, but how often are abused women consulted or involved in the new services and policies? This book investigates, and reveals that the voices of survivors of domestic violence are often simply not heard; silenced, the women themselves become invisible.
Is Anyone Listening? draws on the experiences of other service user movements to provide a strong conceptual framework for thinking about abused women's participation in policy and service development. It discusses empowerment issues and the women's movement against gender violence, exploring how far refuge organisations and other women's movement services have influenced statutory services and vice versa. It includes many practical ideas for involving women in the improvement of both policy and practice and gives examples of inspiring and innovatory projects.
Based on a study carried out as part of the Economic and Social Research Council's Violence Research Programme, Is Anyone Listening? offers a unique analysis of the sensitive and complex issues involved in developing service user participation within the domestic violence field. The insights it provides will enable policy-makers, activists, students, practitioners and women who have experienced domestic violence to move forward together.

Thinking about gender can enrich the work of all groupwork practitioners and can make a real difference in people's lives. Based on practice experience in both the UK and the USA, Gender and Groupwork brings together the best of groupwork knowledge, skills and values in a true transatlantic partnership.
The book summarises the history of gender-based groups for both women and men and outlines a wide range of exciting and challenging examples of groups in different contexts. Often moving, and always engrossing, these accounts encompass groups for older women and women facing inequalities in health care. Innovative work with homeless people, with caregivers and lesbian and gay youth is described in detail and there is a particular focus on domestic violence, where groups can often the intervention of choice.
Gender and Groupwork demonstrates that, despite the challenges of post-structuralism and postmodernism, the practice of groupwork is alive and well. It provides new ideas and new models to help move practice forward, making it a welcome addition to the groupwork literature.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203113195

Thinking about gender can enrich the work of all groupwork practitioners and can make a real difference in people's lives. Based on practice experience in both the UK and the USA, Gender and Groupwork brings together the best of groupwork knowledge, skills and values in a true transatlantic partnership.
The book summarises the history of gender-based groups for both women and men and outlines a wide range of exciting and challenging examples of groups in different contexts. Often moving, and always engrossing, these accounts encompass groups for older women and women facing inequalities in health care. Innovative work with homeless people, with caregivers and lesbian and gay youth is described in detail and there is a particular focus on domestic violence, where groups can often the intervention of choice.
Gender and Groupwork demonstrates that, despite the challenges of post-structuralism and postmodernism, the practice of groupwork is alive and well. It provides new ideas and new models to help move practice forward, making it a welcome addition to the groupwork literature.

Domestic violence is a notoriously sensitive area of social work practice, and social workers have been scapegoated by the media for their handling of certain cases. This handbook aims to help social workers to understand the seriousness of domestic violence and to rethink their typical responses. It outlines and clarifies the available legal measures, housing and benefit rights for women, and existing community based resources, and pays particular attention to the role of the social worker in relation to domestic violence. This text should be of use to social work pracitioners, teachers and students.

Talking about Domestic Abuse is an activity pack for children of nine years and above and adolescents where families have experienced domestic abuse, to help and encourage them to open up to their mothers about their distressing experiences. Based on the authors' work with families who have experienced domestic abuse, the activities are designed around four important themes: building self-esteem; naming feelings; facilitating communication between mothers and children; and talking about personal experiences, including domestic violence, and are accompanied by photographs which act as prompts for discussion. The authors explain the need of young people to communicate with their parents about painful memories. They also establish practical 'ground rules' on how mothers can enter into that communication successfully and how to make the most of the activities provided. Further information is also given on support services that are available to families coping with domestic abuse. This will be an essential tool for families including young people who have lived through domestic abuse, as well as social workers and other professionals working with them.

Talking to My Mum is an activity pack for five-eight-year-olds whose families have experienced domestic abuse to help and encourage them to open up to their mothers about their distressing experiences. Based on the authors' work with families who have experienced domestic abuse, the book is full of illustrated worksheets featuring animal characters who encourage the young reader to explore a range of memories, such as changes in the family's living arrangements or happy memories with siblings or favourite toys that each prompt a particular emotion. These activities are accompanied by guidance on how to use them appropriately. Talking to My Mum is designed for children and their mothers to complete together, and will assist both child and mother with improving communication about the past, present and future. This activity pack will be an essential tool for families with children who have lived through domestic abuse, as well as social workers and other professionals working with them.

This book contains 14 papers written to celebrate the European Year of Older People and Solidarity between Generations in 1993. Issues of ageing are considered from the perspectives of demography, economics, social policy, sociology, community care, Buddhist philosophy, literature, and gender studies. The contributors from Germany, France and the UK include some of Erurope's most distinguished gerontologists.

No Text This standard text has stood the test of time, and is still in demand, 15 years after its first publication. It shows what works to help people identify what is wrong in their lives and how they can bring about change. Social and community workers, teachers, youth workers, community nurses, and workers in faith-related settings helped develop the approach and will be keenly interested in the ideas contained here. .".. a most important book which should become required reading for intended and experienced groupworkers alike. ... it describes an approach to groupwork developed and refined in practice and challenges much traditional thinking ... this practice paradigm is firmly rooted in an analysis of oppression, power and change and in clearly articulated values which inform a commitment to empowerment, anti-oppressive methods of work and social change. "Issues in Social Work Education

15 years on from first publication, this new edition of Empowerment in Action builds on a classic groupwork model that has stood the test of time and continues to be used as a paradigm for empowerment across the world today. Through fresh examples and the latest research, the authors have substantially updated the model to reflect contemporary social issues and new applications to groupwork.
Offering a step-by-step method that is applicable across all settings, this book will help people to identify, take control and bring about change in their own lives.
This is an essential read for anyone interested in groupwork, whether as a student, practitioner, trainer, service user or community member.

The third edition of this textbook has been thoroughly revised to meet the needs of today's social work students, professionals and service managers. It illustrates current legislation, policy, procedure and concerns, with additional material included to develop readers' confidence and skills in the context of learning organisations. This book is essential reading for students and practitioners alike, particularly those who need to understand organisation and management theory for study purposes and those who aspire to move into social work management or have been recent promoted.

Addressing the alienation of practitioners from positivist and quantitative research, this book shows how research can be compatible with how practitioners collect and understand data. Drawing on research approaches that take account of subjectivity and employ participative methods, the authors develop an approach to practice for the research- minded practitioner. Whilst useful for practitioners wanting to do research, the primary intention of this book is to explore ways in which practitioners may be research-minded in their work.

Domestic violence is encountered by disabled women more frequently than non-disabled women, yet disabled women are less likely to receive appropriate services, and there has been little research on their experiences and how this problem can be addressed. This book, drawing on the first UK national study of disabled women who have suffered domestic violence, highlights the experiences of these women, the nature of the violence perpetrated against them, and the seriousness and range of its impacts. The book draws attention to the gaps in services for disabled women and discusses how professional responses should be developed and improved, pointing to current examples of good practice. It includes first-hand accounts from disabled women and includes contributions from leading disabled women activists. This book will be important reading for students, practitioners, policymakers and academics in the fields of disability and domestic violence.

`This book offers accessible and interesting reading. It is well written as one would expect from these authors.... There are a lot of pointers for the way forward in terms of both policy and practice. This is likely to become a seminal text' - Research Policy and Planning

'This is a useful and challenging read for all of us who seek to work effectively and ethically in this complex area of practice' - Professional Social Work

`Just looking at the authors of this book tells the reader that they are about to embark on a pioneering piece of academic research... a comprehensive and authoritative piece of work' - Domestic Abuse Quarterly

`A vital tool for all those working with children' - ChildRight

How do children who live with domestic violence cope? How do they make sense of their experiences? Do they receive the right sort of help from formal and informal sources?

Drawing on the newest research designed to hear the voices of children and young people, this important book examines children's experiences and perspectives on living with domestic violence. The authors explore:

- the effect of domestic violence on children

- what children say would help them most in coping with domestic violence

- the advice children would offer other children who find themselves in similar circumstances, their mothers and the helping professions.

This accessible book written for students, their teachers, researchers and all those working with children - across social work, health, child psychology and psychiatry, the law and education - will provide a vital insight into children's own perspectives on domestic violence.