Julie Bywater is a senior lecturer at the University of Chester on the BA (Hons) Social Work programme. She has over 25 years' experience working within the fields of social care as a manager working with older adults, and as a social worker in the areas of child protection and child and adolescent mental health and family therapy. Julie has been teaching in the areas of sexuality and social work practice since 1999, and has a deep commitment to social justice and issues of equality.
Sexuality remains a neglected and largely taboo area within practice, but it can be a demanding aspect of social work. Social workers may be familiar with the importance of issues such as racism and ethnicity, but sexuality is also a very significant part of people's lives, closest relationships and sense of identity. This valuable resource introduces the topic, using a combination of perspectives to consider sexual diversity and examining related issues across the life course, including sexual orientation, disability, HIV, sexual abuse, mental health and sexual exploitation.
