Neil Thompson, under exclusive licence to Macmillan Education Limited 2000, 2005, 2009, 2015, 2020
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Neil Thompson PhD, DLitt is an independent writer, educator and adviser. A key part of his role is as the programme director for his subscription-based, innovative professional development programme which allows members to be part of his online tutorial group (www.apdp.org.uk). He has held full or honorary professorships at four UK universities and has over three hundred publications to his name, including bestselling textbooks, papers in learned journals, training materials and e-learning courses. His recent books include:
Applied Sociology (Routledge, 2018)
Effective Communication (Palgrave, 3rd edn, 2018)
Promoting Equality: Working with Diversity and Difference (Palgrave, 4th edn, 2018)
The Critically Reflective Practitioner (with Sue Thompson, Palgrave, 2nd edn, 2018)
The Social Workers Practice Manual (Avenue Media Solutions, 2018)
Social Work Theory and Methods (co-edited with Paul Stepney, Routledge, 2018)
The Managing Stress Practice Manual (Avenue Media Solutions, 2019)
Mental Health and Well-being: Alternatives to the Medical Model (Routledge, 2019)
Promoting Resilience: Responding to Adversity, Vulnerability, and Loss (co-edited with Gerry R. Cox, Routledge, 2020)
Neil has over 42 years experience as a practitioner, manager, educator, consultant and expert witness in social work. He is very well respected for his ability to communicate complex ideas in an accessible way without oversimplifying them.
He has been a speaker at conferences and seminars in the UK, Ireland, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Hong Kong, India, Canada, the United States and Australia, and has qualifications in social work, management (MBA), training and development, mediation and dispute resolution, as well as a first-class honours degree in social sciences, a doctorate (PhD) and a higher doctorate (DLitt). In 2011 he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by BASW Cymru. In 2014 he was presented with the Dr Robert Fulton Award for Outstanding Work in the field of Death, Dying and Bereavement by the Center for Death Education and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the United States. In 2019 he was presented with an Ambassador Award by the Social Workers Union.
Neil is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the Higher Education Academy and a Life Fellow of the Institute of Welsh Affairs and the Royal Society of Arts (elected to the latter on the basis of his contribution to workplace learning). In addition, he is a member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement.
Neil has extensive experience as a journal editor and currently edits the free e-zine, THE humansolutions BULLETIN (www.humansolutions.org.uk). He is a soughtafter conference speaker, consultant and workshop facilitator and an experienced developer of e-learning courses and the director of the Avenue Professional Development Programme, an innovative online learning community based on principles of self-directed learning and geared towards developing critically reflective practice.
He also acts as a consultant to CaringBusinessBuilder, a service helping independent caring professionals to effectively promote their services in the digital age.
Neil has a strong online presence, including the Social Work Focus Facebook group that he runs, his Learn with Neil Thompson YouTube channel and his involvement in Twitter. Details of how to connect with him can be found at his website at www.NeilThompson.info. It contains his blog and information about the free learning resources he provides. His Manifesto for Making a Difference: From Surviving to Thriving can be found there.
Social work is by its very nature a difficult and challenging occupation, and sometimes the organizations in which it is carried out can make it even more difficult, especially in times of cutbacks and a lack of commitment to investing in public services. It involves trying to help people who are struggling with one or more aspects of their lives. This book has been written and developed to provide an introductory overall picture of what social work is; how it is carried out; what its practitioners need in order to be effective; what is (and what is not) good practice; and what obstacles stand in the way of such good practice. It is, of course, a personal view, but one which is grounded in over more than four decades of experience in social work as a practitioner, manager, educator and adviser. It is not intended as a definitive statement on social work, but rather what I hope will serve as the basis for much discussion and debate about the important range of issues covered to act as a foundation for learning.
My work in recent years as an independent writer, educator and adviser brings me into regular contact with social work students, practitioners, managers, policymakers and educators. This enables me to have insights into many aspects of policy and practice. This means that I regularly come across examples of practice that range from good to excellent, and this is a heartwarming part of my work. However, it also sadly brings me into more examples of bad practice than I would like to see, which is something that I find very disheartening. This book is therefore intended as a contribution to making sure that the good and excellent practices continue to flourish, while the bad practice becomes less common.
