Values in social work law: strained relations or sustaining relationships?

This article considers the relationship between social work values and the law, focusing on the second component of the definition of social work law (Preston-Shoot et al., 1998). It considers the location of values in social work practice and in law, and explores areas of convergence and divergence. Implications of the introduction into English law of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms are addressed.