ROBERT ADAMS is Professor of Human Services Development, attached to the Policy Studies Research Centre, University of Lincoln, and Visiting Professor of Social Work, University of Teesside. He has worked in social work and criminal justice settings and is the author of a number of books, including Social Policy for Social Work and Quality Social Work.

• List of FiguresIntroductionQuality Assurance in Social WorkApproaches to Quality Assurance in Social WorkChallenging Managerialism in Assuring Social Work QualityQuality Education for Social WorkersMaintaining Quality: Standardisation and Proceduralism in Criminal Justice WorkRectifying Quality: Beyond an Error-driven Approach in Mental HealthEnhancing Quality 1: Professional Audit and Progressive Practice in Child CareEnhancing Quality 2: Monitoring and Evaluating for Quality in Community CareMaximising Quality in Social WorkAppendixBibliography Index.

'It is heartening to see (at last) sound social work texts deconstructing managerialism in the social services. Adams goes further here and offers us a possible model of quality that is grounded in a more authentic process of improving service to users, their carers, practitioners and managers.' - Social Work Review