Working with Adults at Risk from Harm

Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care

ISSN: 1757-0980

Article publication date: 23 March 2012

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Citation

Sewell, H. (2012), "Working with Adults at Risk from Harm", Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 29-29. https://doi.org/10.1108/17570981211286769

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


The editors state that Working with Adults at Risk from Harm is intended to be a rich resource into which readers may dip or read sequentially. It achieves this. Organised into two parts the book first covers theory and practice and second narratives, captured in case studies. Those interested in particular constituencies may dip into chapters such as mental health, physical disability parenthood and much more. The range of subjects covered is excellent and this is largely a well‐written book that provides a number of opportunities to reflect and consider application of the ideas to practice and real life situations. As a compendium of analyses this is a very good book.

As with most edited volumes, the book struggles with consistency of concepts. For example, the way in disability is presented is neither clearly within the social model of disability nor traditional deficit or impairment models. One drawback is that a reader dipping in may gain a skewed perspective. The chapter on physical disability does not present a discrete definition of social models of disability but this is presented in the chapter on sensory impairments. For students perhaps new to different conceptualisations this inconsistency across chapters may prove problematic.

The introduction rightly presents the changes in the predominant language in health and social care from terms such as vulnerability to safeguarding. Underpinned by the concept of risk and the management of it, the book at different points (even within the same chapter) draws on the language of vulnerability, disability, safeguarding, risk, harm. This variability is accentuated by the differences in contributors' styles – some presenting information rooted more in procedural approaches whilst others are more exploratory.

The book is rich in drawing on a wealth evidence and literature and is largely well informed. Perhaps the only shortfall is that a few more new sources might have given the book a fresher contemporary feel.

The strength in the book is its less typical viewpoints, addressing parenthood, insecure accommodation and “culture, identity, disability, addiction”. Written in accessible language throughout, the chapter summaries, scenarios for reflection and learning exercises immediately reinforce knowledge. Perhaps the greatest achievement is the superb recognition throughout that people have complex identities and face multiple discriminations. The introduction states accurately that a central theme of the book is intersectionality, though this contemporary conceptualisation is sadly not referenced throughout the book.

In summary this is a very good book that provides unique perspectives and which enables readers to gain an understanding about how to work well with adults at risk from harm. Many serious indecent reports highlight the risks of practitioners being constrained by procedure, with the consequence of stunting the development of judgement. It is refreshing therefore to see a book that takes the reader into real life situations, supported by research evidence and literature on how to fulfil safeguarding responsibilities well, based partly on internalised knowledge which can inform professional judgements.

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