Law, policy and practice in looking after young people

In any area of social work practice, there are good reasons for social workers to know about the law. Some laws are important because they impinge on social work clients and their lives: laws on housing, employment, race relations, as well as family law and education law. Other laws are important because they directly govern social work practice. These include community care law, mental health law, criminal justice law, and of course child care law.