Contributions reflect key developments in the UK and internationally. and focus on developments and change in core UK social policy areas. Additional chapters provide in-depth analyses of topical issues in UK and international perspective, while this year's themed section is 'New Labour'.
Contributions reflect key developments in the UK and internationally. and focus on developments and change in core UK social policy areas. Additional chapters provide in-depth analyses of topical issues in UK and international perspective, while this year's themed section is 'New Labour'.
... and professionals; offer help at an early stage, for less serious problems, to prevent more serious ones developing; provide a flexible range of help to individuals and families whose problems do not fit the eligibility criteria of other agencies and professionals; and work closely with primary health care teams so that the medical, nursing and other skills of different team members are used more appropriately.
This report evaluates a service established in 1996 after a research study in a Hackney GP practice showed that some groups of patients suffer from a lack of social support which adversely affects their general well being. The service aims to: provide a single door for a wide range of problems, so that users with complex problems do not have to deal with several different agencies and professionals; offer help at an early stage, for less serious problems, to prevent more serious ones developing; provide a flexible range of help to individuals and families whose problems do not fit the eligibility criteria of other agencies and professionals; and work closely with primary health care teams so that the medical, nursing and other skills of different team members are used more appropriately.
Subject terms:
social care provision, families, family support, evaluation;
Partnerships between primary care and social services are not new. The Well Family Service - combining advice and support services for families within primary care - may be one of the best.
Partnerships between primary care and social services are not new. The Well Family Service - combining advice and support services for families within primary care - may be one of the best.
Subject terms:
joint working, primary care, social services, families, family centres, general practitioners;
Social Policy and Administration, 29(1), March 1995, pp.26-39.
Publisher:
Wiley
... obligations to children. The reason for this is because an excessively narrow conception of the ways in which financial obligations are met combined with too strong an emphasis on maximizing savings in state expenditure on lone parents. The implementation of the Child Support Act, far from enhancing the welfare of children in lone parent families, has brought with it considerable financial and emotional
One of the explicit aims of the 1991 Child Support Act is to ensure that parents honour their financial obligations towards their natural children to a greater extent than they have previously. An equally important underlying objective is that of reducing costs to the state of supporting lone parents. Examines the extent to which these two objectives are compatible within the framework of the Child Support Act through an examination of the impact of the Act's implementation on lone mothers and their children. Presents some of the key findings of a study of lone mothers on means-tested benefits, interviewed almost one year after the implementation of the Act and concludes that the Act is failing to meet its stated aim of increasing the extent to which parents honour their financial obligations to children. The reason for this is because an excessively narrow conception of the ways in which financial obligations are met combined with too strong an emphasis on maximizing savings in state expenditure on lone parents. The implementation of the Child Support Act, far from enhancing the welfare of children in lone parent families, has brought with it considerable financial and emotional costs for children and their mothers.
Subject terms:
law, parents, policy, single parent families, child support, children, families;
The recently implemented Child Support Act, has gathered much criticism. The requirement that all single parents on income support and family credit must gain maintenance from their former partners is of great concern as it has wide implications for single parents - it does not address poverty or consider the effect on relationships between ex-partners, themselves and their children. For social workers their worry is the conflict that exists between the Child Support Act and the ethos of the Children Act. Whereas the Children Act seeks to reduce the extent of state intervention the Child Support Act requires all single parents on benefit to agree to state intervention. Discusses these conflicts.
The recently implemented Child Support Act, has gathered much criticism. The requirement that all single parents on income support and family credit must gain maintenance from their former partners is of great concern as it has wide implications for single parents - it does not address poverty or consider the effect on relationships between ex-partners, themselves and their children. For social workers their worry is the conflict that exists between the Child Support Act and the ethos of the Children Act. Whereas the Children Act seeks to reduce the extent of state intervention the Child Support Act requires all single parents on benefit to agree to state intervention. Discusses these conflicts.
Subject terms:
law, intervention, poverty, single parent families, child support, families;
Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 18(3), 1996, pp.273-289.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
The 1991 Child Support Act is one of the most controversial pieces of recent legislation. This article traces the origins and objectives of the legislation and describes the first three years of its implementation by the Child Support Agency. As well as documenting official monitoring of the Agency's performance, the paper draws on a longitudinal study of lone mothers undertaken between March 1993 and March 1995. Argues that, in implementing the Act, the drive to reduce social security expenditure on lone parents became a paramount objective. Which has deeply compromised the legislation's other objectives and undermined popular support for the Act itself.
The 1991 Child Support Act is one of the most controversial pieces of recent legislation. This article traces the origins and objectives of the legislation and describes the first three years of its implementation by the Child Support Agency. As well as documenting official monitoring of the Agency's performance, the paper draws on a longitudinal study of lone mothers undertaken between March 1993 and March 1995. Argues that, in implementing the Act, the drive to reduce social security expenditure on lone parents became a paramount objective. Which has deeply compromised the legislation's other objectives and undermined popular support for the Act itself.
Subject terms:
law, single parent families, women, child care, child support, Child Support Agency, children, families, evaluation;
Presents the findings of a study on the impact on mothers and their children of the Child Support Act. Describes the circumstances of the lone mothers and their families. Looks at maintenance and contact before the implementation of the Act. Examines the effects on children and on relationships between parents of intervention by the Agency. Looks and the financial consequences for the families concerned, and gives an insight into the views and experiences of families and lone mothers.
Presents the findings of a study on the impact on mothers and their children of the Child Support Act. Describes the circumstances of the lone mothers and their families. Looks at maintenance and contact before the implementation of the Act. Examines the effects on children and on relationships between parents of intervention by the Agency. Looks and the financial consequences for the families concerned, and gives an insight into the views and experiences of families and lone mothers.
Subject terms:
intervention, mothers, parents, single parent families, user views, child sexual abuse, child support, children, families;
Social Policy and Society, 9(1), January 2010, pp.39-53.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
In an attempt to address a range of social problems, parenting education has, over the last decade, been given an increasingly important role in Labour government policies to address, amongst other things, social exclusion. This paper investigates the increasing focus on parenting in New Labour’s policies, the actual provision available, and the research evidence on which it rests, in order to examine the adequacy of current strategies. Discussing the evidence on the effectiveness of multi-component and group parenting programmes in modifying parent–child relationships the authors examine the outcomes for children and young people. Acknowledging that poor outcomes for children, including criminal and anti-social behaviour, are largely dependent on poor parenting, this paper concludes that despite the importance of engaging fathers, parenting interventions continues to target mothers, with the aim of transforming their behaviour to conform to a particular middle-class norm. The policy of ‘thinking family’ is a welcome recognition of the social nature of individual problems, but it must also extend to ‘thinking society’ - programmes must remain linked to a strategy does not individualise the causes of social exclusion.
In an attempt to address a range of social problems, parenting education has, over the last decade, been given an increasingly important role in Labour government policies to address, amongst other things, social exclusion. This paper investigates the increasing focus on parenting in New Labour’s policies, the actual provision available, and the research evidence on which it rests, in order to examine the adequacy of current strategies. Discussing the evidence on the effectiveness of multi-component and group parenting programmes in modifying parent–child relationships the authors examine the outcomes for children and young people. Acknowledging that poor outcomes for children, including criminal and anti-social behaviour, are largely dependent on poor parenting, this paper concludes that despite the importance of engaging fathers, parenting interventions continues to target mothers, with the aim of transforming their behaviour to conform to a particular middle-class norm. The policy of ‘thinking family’ is a welcome recognition of the social nature of individual problems, but it must also extend to ‘thinking society’ - programmes must remain linked to a strategy does not individualise the causes of social exclusion.
Subject terms:
intervention, outcomes, parental attitudes, parental skills training, parent-child relations, parenting, social exclusion, social policy, young people, children, families, government policy;