The SAGE Handbook on Decision Making, Assessment and Risk in Social Work provides a comprehensive overview of key strands of research and theoretical concepts in this increasingly important field. With 49 chapters and four section summaries, this Handbook describes the 'state of the art'; discuss key debates and issues; and gives pointers on future directions for practice, research, teaching, management of services, and development of theoretical understandings.

Foreword - Annamaria CampaniniIntroduction to the Handbook - Brian J TaylorSection 1: Professional JudgementIntroduction to Section One - Emily Keddell & Aron Shlonsky Sub-section A: Heuristics& BiasesChapter 1: Confirmation bias in social work - Trevor SprattChapter 2. Blame & emotion in professional judgement - Alessandro SicoraChapter 3: The influence of optimism on analysis in professional judgement - Martin KettleChapter 4: Heuristics in professional judgement: between proximity & distance - Jacob Magnussen & Annemette Matthiesen Sub-section B: Professional Judgment in ContextChapter 5: Collective cultures, risk, and individual judgement - Tracie Mafile'o, Jean Mitaera & Halaevalu VakalahiChapter 6: Social & relational contexts of professional judgement in organisations - David Hodgson,Lynelle Watts & Donna Chung Sub-section C: Knowledge Use in Judgement ProcessesChapter 7: . Intuition in social work practice - Laura CookChapter 8: Challenges to using knowledge (evidence) in professional judgement - Paul McCaffertyChapter 9: Critical thinking and professional judgement - Eileen Gambrill Sub-section D: Discretion & ReasoningChapter 10: Sense making in professional judgement - Duncan HelmChapter 11: Theories of professional judgement - Christian Ghanem & Joel Gautschi Sub-section E: Prospects & DevelopmentsChapter 12: Methods for studying professional judgement in social work - Joel Gautschi & Christian GhanemSection 2: Assessment, Risk and Decision ProcessIntroduction to Section Two - Campbell Killick Sub-section A: Contextual Aspects of Decision Making and Working with RiskChapter 13: Cultural aspects of assessment and decision-making processes - Prospera TedamChapter 14: Legally-literate decision making and management of risk in social work - Michael Preston-ShootChapter 15: Interprofessional decision making - Ravit Alfandari, Jaroslaw Przeperski & Brian J TaylorChapter 16: Decision making in organisational contexts - Mark GregoryChapter 17: Assessment and risk: recognising the circularity of child-adverse-events and psychiatric disorders in children and adults - Colin Pritchard & Richard Williams Sub-section B: Engaging Children and Families in Assessment and Decision ProcessesChapter 18: Engaging client families in assessment and managing risks - Lorna Montgomery, Mandi MacDonald & Eddy J WalakiraChapter 19: Engaging children in assessment and decisions - Janne Fengler & Peter SchäferChapter 20: Reimagining participation of young people in decision making in contexts of vulnerability - Mónica López López, Leo Wieldraaiher-Vincent & Mijntje ten Brummelaar Sub-section C: Engaging Adults in Assessment and Decision ProcessesChapter 21: Engaging adults in the assessment - Gavin Davidson, Katherine Greer, Aodán Mulholland & Paul WebbChapter 22: Shared decision making with clients - Anna Olaison & Sarah DonnellyChapter 23: Decisional capacity in mental health social work - Jim Campbell & Ross CampbellChapter 24: Risk, desistance and engagement: working with adult service users in Probation - Hazel Kemshall Sub-section D: Prospects & DevelopmentsChapter 25: Studying risk-managing, decision-making & assessment processes - Campbell Killick & Brian J TaylorSection 3: Assessment Tools and ApproachesIntroduction to Section Three - John D Fluke & J Christopher Graham Sub-section A: Foundations of Assessment Tools & Predicting HarmChapter 26: Foundations of valid assessment - J Christopher Graham & John D FlukeChapter 27: From validity to validation and beyond - J Christopher Graham & Doug KlinmanChapter 28: Standardized risk assessment tools: methods, development & applications - Julie L Crouch & Joel S Milner Sub-section B: Assessment and the Use of ToolsChapter 29: Implementing assessments using structured tools - Kresta M SørensenChapter 30: Decision aids, decision supports and managing risk - Pascal Bastian & Mark SchrödterChapter 31: Legal aspects of decision-making processes in social work - Donald C Bross & Henry PlumChapter 32: Data visualization as an assessment tool - Kelly G Stepura Sub-section C: Approaches to AssessmentChapter 33: Big data analytics for making decisions and managing risk - Beth Coulthard & Brian J TaylorChapter 34: The devil in the detail: algorithmic risk prediction tools and their implications for ethics, justice and decision making - Emily KeddellChapter 35: Natural language processing: opportunities and challenges - Beth CoulthardChapter 36: Understanding risk through social epidemiology - Emmaline Houston, Barbara Fallon & John D FlukeSection 4: Developing and Managing PracticeIntroduction to Section Four - Andrew Whittaker Sub-section A: Learning & Teaching Decision MakingChapter 37: Complexity and troublesome knowledge: teaching decision-making in social work - David SaltielChapter 38: Improving high-risk decision-making in situations of risk and uncertainty: the role of deliberate attention - Cheryl Regehr Sub-section B: Continuing Professional DevelopmentChapter 39: Developing professional expertise: transitions and thresholds in complex organisational contexts - Louise O'Connor & Kate LeonardChapter 40: The contribution of reflective practice to developing professional judgement and decision-making knowledge and skills - Danielle Turney & Gillian RuchChapter 41: Supervising professional judgement - David Wilkins Sub-section C: Contextual & Organisational AspectsChapter 42: Accountability for risk decision-making in social care - David Carson & Judith MullineuxChapter 43: Getting evidence into organisations to support decision making and risk work - Anne McGladeChapter 44: Accountability, management & professional discretion - Jochen Devlieghere & Rudi Roose Sub-section D: Managing Services in a Risk ContextChapter 45: Managing risk and decision-making processes - Denise Harvey & Arlene P WeekesChapter 46: Regulating risk in care services - Mary McColgan, Suzanne Cunnningham, James Laverty & Insa OsterhusChapter 47: Risk and regulation of the social care workforce - Marian O'Rourke, Helen McVicker & Catherine Maguire Sub-section E: Prospects & DevelopmentsChapter 48: Studying the effectiveness of interventions to improve decision making and work with risk - Joanne Hilder & Andrew WhittakerSection 5: Concluding Section / AfterwordChapter 49: Challenges in less developed welfare systems and professional contexts - Janet Ananias, Rajendra Baikady & Vivian LouGlossary