Walter Lorenz is Professor of Social Work at the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, Italy, and was previously Jean Monet Professor at University College, Cork, Republic of Ireland. His research focuses on the interface between social policy and social work practice in different European contexts. Ian Shaw is Professor Emeritus at the University of York, UK. He was the inaugural chair of the European Social Work Research Association, and his most recent book is Social Work Science.