"This is a forensic dissection of New Labour's approach to transforming children's services. Garrett brings together politics, policy and plans in a resolutely critical engagement with the futures currently being made both for social workers and for the families and children who may need those services." John Clarke, Professor of Social Policy, The Open University "Paul Michael Garrett writes with verve, commitment and clarity. His new book on transforming Children's Services will make a significant and lasting impression on the social work literature." Stephen Webb, Director of Institute of the Advanced Study for Humanity (IASH) University of Newcastle, Australia "This is an excellent book and one of the best I have read for some time. It is a must have for all social work and social policy students and practitioners. Policy makers and managers should also read and digest this, even though they will probably find large parts an uncomfortable read." Steve Rogowski, Professional Social Work (Dec, 2009) "Paul Michael Garrett’s designedly critical analysis is timely, offering a fast-paced, hard-hitting, thought-provoking critique ... this book is sure to satisfy those looking for less of 'surface' and more 'depth' explorations ... I am sure that 'Transforming' Children's Services? will become essential reading for social work and social policy students throughout the UK and, indeed, internationally given that Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand share in cognate systems of child welfare and protection." Karen Broadhurst, Critical Social Policy (forthcoming, 2010) This book provides an accessible overview of the 'transformation' of Children's Services in England. In doing this, it draws on social theory, critical social policy and takes account of developments in other countries. Paul Michael Garrett argues that the many changes which have taken place within, and beyond, Children's Services are related to the politics of Neoliberalism which, it is maintained, lie at the core of the Change for Children programme. Readers will find detailed discussion on: The Laming Report which examined the death of Victoria Climbié The case of 'Baby P' Social work's 'electronic turn' and the use of ICTs in Children's Services Controversial plans to introduce Contactpoint (a database on all children) More pervasive patterns of surveillance How 'ASBO politics' has influenced the 'transformation' agenda So-called 'Problem Families' and the measures put in place to respond to such families Controversial plans to set up 'Social Work Practices' for children in public care Transforming Children's Services will be a vital text for social work and social policy students. Furthermore, the book directly addresses a range of issues of direct concern to practitioners. The book will also find an audience amongst academics, policy makers and all those who are interested in critical reflection and in applying theoretical insights to practice issues. After each chapter a 'Reflection and Talk' box is included to prompt further discussion on the key themes examined.

This edited volume examines how opportunities to realise children’s rights and the experience of childhood itself have been changed by the pandemic. It brings together the voices of leading scholars, policy advisors, psychologists, charities engaged in empowering children, and children and young people themselves. By exposing children’s own perspectives and ideas for change, the book aims to suggest ways in which children could be better supported during this crisis. Chapters connect the experiences of under-represented groups, including children with disabilities and housing-distressed children. Authors illuminate ways to see and hear children more clearly and enable children’s participation during and beyond COVID-19. This book is part of a mini-series that explores the effects of COVID-19 on children’s education, rights and participation. These books will expose and connect the struggles faced by particularly vulnerable children, including children with disabilities, housing-distressed children, and refugee and displaced children. They will explore how best to listen to and support children in diverse situations, in order to enable them to realise their rights more effectively.

"All nurses have a duty to inform and alert appropriate personnel if they suspect a child has been abused, and to know where they can seek expert advice and support if they have concerns. This comprehensive text providing the link between legislation, policy, research and practice will enable students and practitioners to expand their knowledge and understanding of the key issues involved in safeguarding children and young people." Fiona Smith, Adviser in Children and Young People's Nursing, Royal College of Nursing, UK "Once again, Catherine Powell has produced a superbly useful text which will prove invaluable to students and health practitioners. The organisation and layout is highly user-friendly and it represents an up to the minute guide absolutely rooted in practice. The case studies are an excellent addition and enable the reader to really absorb the concepts within the context of their practice experience. It is first rate." Jan Nelmes, Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton, UK Nurses, midwives and health visitors have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. In this clear and invaluable guide, Catherine Powell focuses on the practical aspects of safeguarding and how healthcare professionals should respond to safeguarding children concerns. The book covers the full spectrum of safeguarding children work; from prevention and early help through to statutory intervention and serious case review. The book includes: Realistic case scenarios, concerning unborn babies, infants, toddlers, school-age children and adolescents, with examples of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect The roles and responsibilities of nurses, midwives and health visitors working in a range of settings, including those working primarily with adult clients Crucial chapters on integrated working and supervision and support in safeguarding 'Points for Practice', 'Practice Questions' and 'Markers of Good Practice' to stimulate further thinking and application to real-life practice The book also offers an insight into the inter-agency aspects of safeguarding and child protection and the roles of other key players such as children's social care, the police and education services. The safety and welfare of the child or young person is placed at the centre of care delivery.Written by a leading expert, Safeguarding and Child Protection for Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors is an essential tool for all nursing, midwifery and health visiting students and will be invaluable for practising nurses, midwives and health visitors who face an array of complex and sensitive issues in the field of safeguarding.

This book promotes a radical alternative impact on youth policy in Europe to overcome the situation of vulnerability and discrimination of a growing number of youngsters in their transition from school to work. It follows a Human Development perspective in using the Capability Approach (CA) as analytical and methodological guiding tool to improve the social conditions of the most socially vulnerable young people in European societies. The mission of the interdisciplinary authors is to expand the actual chances of the young to actively shape their lives in a way they have reason to choose and value. This book is based on the research of the EU Collaborative Project “Making Capabilities Work” (WorkAble), funded by the EU within the Seventh Framework Programme. It is the first empirical project to pursue a justice theory perspective on a European level. It also contributes to a fundamental change in the currently mostly insufficient attempts within the human capital approach to use the labour market to ensure desired lifestyle forms and a secure income for vulnerable youth.

The Routledge Handbook of Critical Pedagogies for Social Work traverses new territory by providing a cutting-edge overview of the work of classic and contemporary theorists, in a way that expands their application and utility in social work education and practice; thus, providing a bridge between critical theory, philosophy, and social work. Each chapter showcases the work of a specific critical educational, philosophical, and/or social theorist including: Henry Giroux, Michel Foucault, Cornelius Castoriadis, Herbert Marcuse, Paulo Freire, bell hooks, Joan Tronto, Iris Marion Young, Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci, and many others, to elucidate the ways in which their key pedagogic concepts can be applied to specific aspects of social work education and practice. The text exhibits a range of research-based approaches to educating social work practitioners as agents of social change. It provides a robust, and much needed, alternative paradigm to the technique-driven ‘conservative revolution’ currently being fostered by neoliberalism in both social work education and practice. The volume will be instructive for social work educators who aim to teach for social change, by assisting students to develop counter-hegemonic practices of resistance and agency, and reflecting on the pedagogic role of social work practice more widely. The volume holds relevance for both postgraduate and undergraduate/qualifying social work and human services courses around the world.

Critical social work encourages emancipatory personal and social change. This text focuses on the challenge of incorporating critical theory into the practice of social workers and provides case studies and insights from a range of fields to illustrate how to work with tensions and challenges. Beginning with an outline of the theoretical basis of critical social work and its different perspectives, the authors go on to introduce key features of working in this tradition including critical reflection. Part II explores critical practices in confronting privilege and promoting social justice in social work, examining such issues as human rights, gender, poverty and class. Part III considers the development of critical practices within the organisational context of social work including the fields of mental health, child and family services, within Centrelink and prison settings. Part IV is focused on doing anti- discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice in social work with particular populations including asylum seekers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, domestic violence survivors, older people and lesbian, gay and transgender groups. Finally, Part V outlines collectivist and transformative practices in social work and beyond, looking at environmental issues, social activism, the disability movement and globalisation. 'A highly valuable addition to social work education and practice literature in Australia and beyond its shores.' Ruth Phillips, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney

Social work, once the rising star of the human service delivery professions has increasingly come under attack from politicians and the media, often following child abuse tragedies and particularly after the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979. Subsequently private sector managerialism was introduced both to control what social workers do and how, as well as to reduce public expenditure. They had to cope with increased bureaucracy and given stringent targets aimed at rationing resources, leading to deprofessionalisation with organisations', rather than users', needs now dominating.From a critical perspective, this book charts social work's development over the last 150 years, pinpointing the present neo-liberal consensus as being at the root of the profession's current crisis. Notwithstanding the difficulties involved, it calls for a progressive, radical/critical practice based on social justice and social change. The book is essential reading for social work academics, students and experienced practitioners. Equally, social policy academics and students along with those in public policy and social science more generally will find it of interest.

This book is full of ideas about how social work education can confront the individualising and often blaming form of social work that neoliberalism ushered in four decades ago. Radical social work is an approach to social work that has, at its heart, the departure from solely behavioural, moral or psychological understanding of service users’ problems. Social work had originally been concerned with the moral character of people in trouble (usually poor people), making a clear division between those who were ‘deserving’ of help and those who were ‘undeserving’. The rise of science and the ‘psy’ disciplines then led to psychological explanations for the difficulties people found themselves in. Both explanations for social problems – moral and psychological – with their narrow focus on the individual have been enjoying a renaissance in recent times with the neoliberal self-sufficiency narrative (moral) and the more recent focus on trauma (psychological). Radical social work challenges those explanations, concerned as it is with the circumstances a person might find themselves in – poverty, poor housing, poor education, high crime rates, and lack of opportunities of all kinds. This book is a step towards resurrecting radical social work principles, and it urges us to think about how social work education can be reshaped to that end. Radical Challenges for Social Work Education is a significant new contribution to social work practice and theory, and will be a great resource for academics, researchers, and advanced students of Politics, Education, Social Work, Sociology, Public Policy, Development Studies, Anthropology, and Human Geography. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal Social Work Education.

A critical analysis of the domino effect of neoliberalism and austerity on social work. Applying theory including those of Bourdieu and Wacquant to practice, it argues that social work should return to a focus on relational and community approaches.

Listen to the podcast about Cory Blad's chapter in this book 'Searching for Saviors: Economic Adversities and the Challenge of Political Legitimacy in the Neoliberal Era'. This book seeks to explore welfare responses by questioning and going beyond the assumptions found in Esping-Andersen’s (1990) broad typologies of welfare capitalism. Specifically, the project seeks to reflect how the state engages, and creates general institutionalized responses to, market mechanisms and how such responses have created path dependencies in how states approach problems of inequality. Moreover, if the neoliberal era is defined as the dissemination and extension of market values to all forms of state institutions and social action, the need arises to critically investigate not only the embeddedness of such values and modes of thought in different contexts and institutional forms, but responses and modes of resistance arising from practice that might point to new forms of resilience.