Social Policy for Social Work

276 Pages·2002·3.094 MB·English

by  Robert Adams

SOCIAL POLICY
FOR SOCIAL WORK
ROBERT
ADAMS
Social Policy for Social Work
Other titles by Robert Adams:
A Measure of Diversion? Case Studies in IT(with S. Allard,
J. Baldwin and J. Thomas)
Prison Riots in Britain and the USA
Problem-solving with Self-help Groups(with G. Lindenfield)
Protests by Pupils:Empowerment,Schooling and the State
Quality Social Work*
Social Work:Themes,Issues and Critical Debates* (edited with
L. Dominelli and M. Payne)
Self-help,Social Work and Empowerment
Skilled Work with People
Social Work and Empowerment*
The Abuses of Punishment
The Personal Social Services:Clients,Consumers or Citizens?
Critical Practice in Social Work*(edited with L. Dominelli and
M. Payne)
*Also published by Palgrave
Social Policy for
Social Work
ROBERT ADAMS
Consultant Editor: Jo Campling
© Robert Adams 2002
All rights reserved.No reproduction,copy or transmission of
this publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced,copied or
transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with
the provisions of the Copyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988,
or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying
issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,90 Tottenham Court
Road,London W1T 4LP.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this
publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil
claims for damages.
The author has asserted his right to be identified as
the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2002 by
PALGRAVE
Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire RG21 6XS and
175 Fifth Avenue,New York,N.Y.10010
Companies and representatives throughout the world
PALGRAVE is the new global academic imprint of
St.Martin’s Press LLC Scholarly and Reference Division and
Palgrave Publishers Ltd (formerly Macmillan Press Ltd).
ISBN 978-0-333-77473-1 ISBN 978-0-230-80178-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-0-230-80178-3
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and
made from fully managed and sustained forest sources.
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.
10 09 08 7 06 05 4 03 02 01
11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02
For Yasmeen
Contents
Introduction x
PARTI:CONTEXTS
1 Changing Perspectives on Social Policy and
Social Work 3
Social work consists of more than merely 4
implementing the law
How do social workers use social policy in their practice? 5
What changing contexts affect social policy and 6
social work?
What are social policy,social administration,social security, 26
social services,social care and social work?
How does social policy relate to social work? 29
PARTII:POLICIES
2 Social Security 37
Policy context 38
Key policy changes and related issues 45
Implications for social workers 53
3 Employment 55
Policy context 55
Key policy changes and related issues 61
Implications for social workers 69
4 Housing 72
Policy context 72
Key policy changes and related issues 74
Implications for social workers 89
vii
viii Contents
5 Health and Community Care 92
Policy context 93
Key policy changes and related issues 94
Implications for social workers 107
6 Family and Childcare 110
Policy context 110
Key policy changes and related issues 112
Implications for social workers 124
7 Youth Justice and Criminal Justice 127
Policy context 129
Key policy changes and related issues 137
Implications for social workers 146
PARTIII:ISSUES
8 Tackling Divisions and Inequalities 151
Contexts 152
Key aspects 152
Implications for social workers 171
9 Organising and Delivering Social Services 173
Policy context 173
Key changes and related issues 177
Implications for social workers 184
10 Financing Social Services 186
Contexts 186
Key aspects 188
Implications for social workers 197
11 Who Controls Social Services? 200
Contexts and key aspects 200
Implications for social workers 211
12 Future Trends 213
How have social conditions changed since 1981? 213
Can government policies deliver improvements 217
to the people?
What are the implications for social workers? 224
Contents ix
APPENDICES
1 Abbreviations 229
2 Key Dates:Legislation 234
3 Internet Addresses of Main Sources of Information 237
on Policy and Research
Bibliography 239
Index 263
Introduction
Several approaches are possible with a book of this kind,which sets out
to provide a particular professional group – social workers – with rele-
vant aspects of social policy. The chapters on each policy area could
take a historical approach and the first chapter could attempt a general
historical introduction to social policy. Alternatively, the book could
undertake a systematic examination of theories and interpretations of
social policies. Or the book could go through each area, detailing the
legal enactments and procedures and specifying what the practitioner
could,or should,be doing.
But in practical terms none of these approaches would be possible in
a book of this length. There would not be space to give the required
attention to detail in each area. As far as the history was concerned, in
the introduction it would be impossible to attempt a complete history of
welfare policy since the welfare state began in the 1940s, or to present
a history of a more recent period. More important, neither approach
would engage necessarily with social work concerns. Examination of
general welfare theories and theories and perspectives on each area
would be fraught with problems of inadequate space. The problem of
relevance, or lack of obvious relevance, to practice would be just as
acute. Finally, lists of laws and procedures would consume far more
space than the book allows. Any attempt to offer commentary would
collapse in the face of the vast body of material in each policy area.
Added to this,of course,is the reality that merely listing and describing
legislation does not stimulate the reader to reflect and develop a more
critical practice. A better basis for this would be to evaluate practice
against key European and UN Declarations of Children’s Rights,
Women’s Rights and Human Rights.
Returning to social policy in Britain, there are limits on what can be
achieved in the relatively small space, but there is an even more press-
ing problem, expressed in the question: in what way is this relevant to
social work?
I decided to keep asking myself this question while I was writing. I
finished up providing a little of each of the above approaches in every
chapter, drawing on historical, theoretical and legal aspects where
appropriate. So, the book is not a history, but it is historical. It is not a
review of theory, but it refers to theories, perspectives and approaches.
x