Lucy Rai is a senior lecturer in social work at The Open University and also Director of PRAXIS, the Scholarship Centre for the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies. Lucy has been researching social work writing since 2012 and has published widely on the subject of academic writing in social work. Lucy began her career as a qualified social worker, primarily working with children and families and has been teaching social work since 1995. Lucy was the chair of the Impact Advisory Group for the ESRC funded Writing in Social Work research project and is author of Professional writing in social work: Making a difference (2014) and ‘Writing skills for social workers’ in Parker, J. (Ed) Introducing Social Work (2020). Lucy is a Principle Fellow of the Higher Education Authority, now Advance HE.

• Chapter 1: How to be an effective writerPart One: Academic and assessed writingChapter 2: Before you writeChapter 3: Writing an essayChapter 4: Reflective writingChapter 5: Writing about practiceChapter 6: Writing about researchPart Two: Writing in social work practiceChapter 7: Case recordingChapter 8: Assessments and reportsChapter 9: Writing for courtChapter 10: Therapeutic writing