New Labour, children’s services and the third sector

2020 ◽  
pp. 17-34
Author(s):  
Alison Body
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Poverty ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Voluntary Sector ◽  
New Labour ◽  
Children's Services ◽  
Labour Government ◽  
Financial Investment ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Children’S Services

In chapter 1 we provide an overview of the concept of prevention within child welfare, particularly under the New Labour government (1997-2010). Coming to power in 1997, Labour placed considerable focus, and financial investment, on reducing child poverty and social exclusion, and increasing universal early intervention support and coordination between services. The role of the voluntary sector became mainstream in the provision of children’s services, with the launch of several high-profile initiatives. Focusing on the concept of ‘prevention’ within child welfare and building on these shifting understandings of childhood and the concerns for children, this chapter explores how social policy operationalised under the Labour government; from how Labour developed strategies to tackle issues surrounding children and young people who are considered disadvantaged, vulnerable or at risk and how they mobilised the voluntary sector within this response.

Contemporary preventative services, coalitions and the Conservatives

2020 ◽  
pp. 35-60
Author(s):  
Alison Body
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Voluntary Sector ◽  
Children's Services ◽  
Big Society ◽  
Children’S Services ◽  
Preventative Services

In chapter 2 we explore contemporary children’s services, and how the persuasive logic of prevention has been adopted in more modern service delivery and the role of the voluntary sector in providing these services. Focusing specifically on the early 2010s, we map the shift from the Conservative flagship project of the Big Society, to the renewed localism project of the Civil Society Strategy. We draw out the links between the societal hardening in focus, shifting from universal to targeting of preventative services, and discuss the role of the voluntary sector in delivery of these services.

The Politics of Children's Services Reform

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Purcell
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Children's Services ◽  
Family Service ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Children’S Services ◽  
Local Agencies ◽  
Welfare Agencies

Comparative research has identified two broad types of child welfare system. In child protection systems the principal remit of welfare agencies is to identify and respond to actual or potential incidences of child abuse or maltreatment. In contrast family service systems are characterised by a stronger spirit of partnership between the state and families and an emphasis on working to prevent the need for coercive state intervention. This book examines the development of children’s services reform in England over recent decades to explain a shift from family service polices towards a narrower child protection approach. Successive waves of reform in England have invariably been framed as responses to high-profile child abuse inquires and media generated scandal including the cases of Victoria Climbié and Baby P. However, this book challenges the idea that it is the apparent failings of local agencies, including child and family social workers, that drive successive waves of reform. Instead, it turns the spotlight on the process of policy-making at the national level, and highlights the role played by party political leaders and senior government ministers in driving reform. The book is informed by 45 interviews with key decision-makers including ministers, senior civil servants, children’s charity leaders, local authority directors and social work researchers.

Putting children's services in their place: A call for universal children's services to prevent child abuse and neglect in Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail Winkworth
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Children's Services ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Childhood Intervention ◽  
Children’S Services

This paper discusses the need for a national early childhood intervention policy in Australia, including a universal approach to children's services as a platform for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, supporting families and enriching the lives of all children.It considers the literature on early intervention, including the theoretical and research base of successful programs and the link between early intervention and the prevention of child abuse and neglect. It examines the way the child welfare and children's services sectors have grown and the imperative at the beginning of the 21st century for a closer alignment of services.The United Kingdom's ‘Sure Start’ early intervention strategy is considered in so far as it attempts to develop a more comprehensive approach to child welfare by developing programs which are based on the research. Finally the paper asserts that recent strategies introduced by Federal and State Governments to promote childhood health and wellbeing are positive first steps, but need to go further to seriously address increasing numbers of children reported as suffering harm through abuse and/or neglect.

Picking up the pieces: local government reorganisation and voluntary sector children's services

2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Craig ◽  
Malcolm Hill ◽  
Jill Manthorpe ◽  
Kay Tisdall ◽  
Bernadette Monaghan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Voluntary Sector ◽  
Children's Services ◽  
Children’S Services

Assessing the impact and implications for social workers of an innovative children’s services programme aimed to support workforce reform and integrated working

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 81-90
Author(s):  
Nigel Malin ◽  
Jane Tunmore
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Child Poverty ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Children's Services ◽  
North East ◽  
Children’S Services ◽  
The Impact

This article reports findings from an independent audit and evaluation of an innovative children's services programme (CSP) funded 2009-2011 by twelve Local Authorities under the auspices of the North-East of England's Improvement & Efficiency Partnership (NEIEP) to manage improvements and efficiencies across the children's services sector focusing upon messages for social workers. The overall purpose of the CSP was to make demonstrable progress in tackling the challenges of child poverty by delivering high quality support to the growing number of children with social care/health needs through regional improvement. The key objectives of the CSP included supporting workforce reform and integrated working; development of personalised services; family support to reduce the need for residential care; and provision of tools to aid commissioners with needs analysis. The audit identified key outputs, for example, improvements to best practice on Whole Family approaches, safeguarding and leadership training evolved through a skills framework; and included a regional model of social work supervision training along with a provision of options to increase the range and quality of foster care placements. The evaluation considered actions arising from the above findings, including demonstrated improvements to inter-disciplinary working and pooling resources to produce better outcomes for families; setting up a data-base to improve the balance between fostering, residential care and family support; and creating opportunities for social workers to explore the practical implementation of using personal budgets.

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