Social Work Law in Scotland provides a practical guide to the legal framework within which social work operates. The book provides coverage of key areas of law in social work including those relating to children, families and adult services. The Fifth Edition of this highly regarded text covers important recent developments including: - Widespread actual and proposed changes brought about by the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 principally to the Children's Hearing system - Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019, which changes the age of criminal responsibility from age eight to twelve - Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019, which amends rules on disclosure of a previous criminal record and tightens the requirements for checking applicants for posts where the employee is working with children and other vulnerable service users - Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, which is designed to improve the response of the justice system to domestic abuse and to recognise the different forms domestic abuse may take in addition to physical violence, eg coercive control and psychological abuse Students studying for a degree in social work, as well as those in the profession, will benefit from this up to date guide. This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's Scottish General Practice and Scottish Law online services.