1 / 16

The impact of policy: a National Perspective

The impact of policy: a National Perspective. Nick Frost, Professor of Social Work (Childhood, children & families) Leeds Metropolitan University n.frost@leedsmet.ac.uk. Aims of the paper. To address ‘child welfare’ policy in relationship to vulnerable children

ulmer
Download Presentation

The impact of policy: a National Perspective

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. The impact of policy: a National Perspective Nick Frost, Professor of Social Work (Childhood, children & families) Leeds Metropolitan University n.frost@leedsmet.ac.uk

  2. Aims of the paper • To address ‘child welfare’ policy in relationship to vulnerable children • Pitch between ‘macro’ level (welfare policy)& between ‘micro’ level (i.e. safeguarding policy) • Explore policy models for working with vulnerable children and young people

  3. Vulnerability • A complex and contested concept • ‘Universal’ & ‘targeted’ approaches • Children as ‘active agents’ and ‘passive victims’ • Children in need & children in need of protection • Children, young people & participation

  4. The New Labour intervention model

  5. Re-modeling childhood New Labour and childhood: • Social investment in cash benefits and services • Workforce re-modeling • Integrated and holistic approaches • Regulation, targets and inspections – the ‘audit society’ / ‘strong state’ culture • Progressive universalism leading to a new form of childhood shaped by the five outcomes.

  6. The Coalition – policy shifts • Re-naming of DCSF to Department for Education • Bonfire of quangos – CWDC , GSCC, NSDU…… • Abolition of – Child Trust Fund, Contact Point…… • Restrictions to local authority expenditure • Reforms to health and education: fragmentation • Adoption reform • ‘Troubled families’ / social investment bonds • Changes to Serious Case Reviews • De-regulation of Children's Trusts and Children's Plans • The four reviews – Allen, Field, Tickell and Munro • Early intervention

  7. Theoretical perspectives New Labour attempted to re-construct childhood through a strong State-led, social investment programme which operated through a regime of regulation, targets and inspection. The Coalition attempts to limit the State’s role in childhood through de-regulation, localisation and withdrawal of social investment leading to a more private and individualised experience of childhood, except where more authoritarian interventions are seen as necessary.

  8. Two models of childhood The New Labour child experiences more – regulation: assessment and measurement: social investment: holistic approaches: professional involvement: planned and strategic approaches.

  9. Two models of childhood The Coalition child experiences - less regulation: and less social investment: is the ‘educated’ child rather than the ‘holistic’ child: a more ‘privatised’ and less ‘public’ existence: more localised variation: with authoritarian interventions for ‘vulnerable’ children & young people

  10. New Labour ‘progressive universalism’ • Those children and young people who need it should receive additional support to address the persistent gap in outcomes between the lowest and highest socio-economic groups. This means offering a continuum of support according to need with greater personalisation of services to meet every child’s and family’s requirements (DfES, 2007a: 5) Aiming High for Disabled Children

  11. Coalition targeted services • Children and Families Bill (3rd reading) • Adoption • Family proceedings • Child care / parental leave • Education, Health and Care plans

  12. A coherent narrative? • ‘all children....should have the opportunity to realise their potential and to succeed’ • ‘we have a fundamental responsibility as a Government to look our for the most vulnerable children and to not only protect their welfare but safeguard their interests and their future’ [Edward Timpson, HC Hansard, 25 /2/2-13, col 45]

  13. The UNICEF judgement Report Card 7 (2007) United Kingdom 21st from 21 rich countries [18th on material well-being dimension] Report Card 11 (2013) United Kingdom 16th from 29 rich countries [14th on material well-being dimension]

  14. The adoption example- social authoritarianism in action • The misuse of social statistics • Fast track adoptions- financial and transparency tools • ‘A rush to permanence’: adoption breakdown • An attack on birth parents? • Ethnicity and culture

  15. CSE example- multi-disciplinarity in action • A programme of action around perceptions of vulnerability • From ‘child prostitution’ to ‘child sexual exploitation’ (CSE) • Multi-disciplinarity as central • Addressing a social problem

  16. Rhetoric and reality? • Progressive policies – Health and Well-being Boards, elements of Munro, CSE • Regressive policies- child poverty, adoption, ethnicity and culture • Working with not doing to ‘vulnerable’ children and young people

More Related