Previous edition: Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Now in its fifth edition, this textbook is a classic in its field. Written by one of the leading names in social work, it provides a comprehensive and critical overview of the main practice theories that will act as a companion for students throughout their course and their career as a practitioner. In this substantially reworked and updated edition of his text, Malcolm Payne presents clear and concise evaluations of the pros and cons of major theories that inform social work practice, and comparisons between them.