Bristol University Press

This unique book combines both academic and practitioner perspectives to provide critical consideration of contemporary policy-making and highlight examples of good practice at all levels of government.

In Professional Policy Making for the Twenty-First Century the Cabinet Office's Strategic Policy Making Team identified nine 'competencies' as the key features of 'modern policy making': forward-looking; outward-looking; innovative, flexible and creative; evidence-based; inclusive; joined-up; open to review; open to evaluation; and capable of learning lessons.

Using these to structure the book, nine central chapters - each written by a pair of co-authors, one primarily an academic, and the other primarily a policy maker or practitioner - examine the competencies in turn. Accompanying case studies provide lessons or pointers to good practice, together with guidance on how to access further information.

Set in the context of New Labour's emphasis on 'modernisation', and reflecting the growing emphasis on policy making as a skill, the book will appeal to a range of audiences, including undergraduate and postgraduate students on courses that draw upon approaches to public administration and public policy, and social researchers, policy officers and others involved in the development and analysis of policy making at all tiers of government.

The Government has introduced new powers for tackling anti-social behaviour, such as Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). This study examines how the new powers are being used, and what people think about them. Its findings will advance strategic thinking on the issue.

Through empirical research - combining a national survey with in-depth fieldwork in three neighbourhoods experiencing high levels of ASB - it develops principles for effective responses to problems of anti-social behaviour.

The report is aimed at politicians, civil servants and practitioners with responsibility for tackling problems of anti-social behaviour. It will also be of interest to academics.

This unique book combines both academic and practitioner perspectives to provide critical consideration of contemporary policy-making and highlight examples of good practice at all levels of government.

In Professional Policy Making for the Twenty-First Century the Cabinet Office's Strategic Policy Making Team identified nine 'competencies' as the key features of 'modern policy making': forward-looking; outward-looking; innovative, flexible and creative; evidence-based; inclusive; joined-up; open to review; open to evaluation; and capable of learning lessons.

Using these to structure the book, nine central chapters - each written by a pair of co-authors, one primarily an academic, and the other primarily a policy maker or practitioner - examine the competencies in turn. Accompanying case studies provide lessons or pointers to good practice, together with guidance on how to access further information.

Set in the context of New Labour's emphasis on 'modernisation', and reflecting the growing emphasis on policy making as a skill, the book will appeal to a range of audiences, including undergraduate and postgraduate students on courses that draw upon approaches to public administration and public policy, and social researchers, policy officers and others involved in the development and analysis of policy making at all tiers of government.

This book addresses the complexity of family change. It draws on evidence from two linked studies, one carried out in the 1960s and the other in the early years of the 21st century, to analyse the specific ways in which family lives have changed and how they have been affected by the major structural and cultural changes of the second half of the twentieth century.

The book shows that, while there has undeniably been change, there is a surprising degree of continuity in family practices. It casts doubt on claims that families have been subject to a process of dramatic change and provides an alternative account which is based on careful analysis of empirical data.

The book presents a unique opportunity to chart the nature of social change in a particular locality over the last 50 years; includes discussions of social and cultural variations in family life, focusing on younger as well as older generations; explores not only what happens within family-households but also what happens within networks of kin across different households and shows the way changing patterns of employment affect kinship networks and how geographical mobility co-exists with the maintenance of strong kinship ties.

The findings will be of interest to students of sociology, social anthropology, social policy, women's studies, gender studies and human geography at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

A great deal has been written about developing effective practice against a backdrop of rapid change in criminal justice services. Much of this is research-oriented and not always accessible to practitioners in their day-to-day work. This book changes that.

Drawing on research and integrating this with practitioner experience, the book creates fresh, research-based 'practice wisdom' for engaging effectively with offenders. It explores issues of risk, responsivity and diversity in the context of work with specific offender and offending behaviour groups as a means to highlight those skills and understandings which can be used across the wider range of work environments. The authors break down complex ideas to enable practical application, and each chapter includes questions for reflection and practice development.

With its accessible style, balancing academic rigour with clear pointers to best practice, this book will interest everyone working face to face with offenders. It recognises that there are no instant solutions to changing offending behaviour but provides a practice text that will encourage a sense of competence and confidence, enhancing readers' skill and enthusiasm when working with a broad spectrum of offenders.

This book provides a much-needed introductory guide to the issues surrounding pension policy, not just in the UK but worldwide, and offers a critique of some of the dominant ideas and assumptions. Noting the intense debate that currently surrounds the subject, the book explores a wider view of the continuing issues about pension policy.

It draws attention to an ideological 'fault-line' running through pensions policy, between a dominant view of pensions as deferred earnings on the one hand and a view of them as providers of an adequate income to enable elderly people to participate fully in society on the other. It argues for more attention to that second perspective, as an aspect of the search for a satisfactory work/ life balance.

Critical of the many 'quick fix' approaches to the topic, the author attacks 'the demographic time bomb thesis' for its crude assumptions about the future burden of the old and exposes naïve assumptions about what can be achieved by pension funding.

This book offers an excellent analysis for the general reader and provides an authoritative supplementary text for courses in social policy.

Policy and Politics in the Twenty-First Century

This exciting series offers a guide through some of today's most hotly contested policy issues by distinguished leaders in the field. Each book untangles current policy debates, looking behind the rhetoric and spin to discover what is at the core of contemporary political agendas. Authors present their own perspectives and make recommendations for what could - or should - be our priorities for future policy reform.

This book addresses the complexity of family change. It draws on evidence from two linked studies, one carried out in the 1960s and the other in the early years of the 21st century, to analyse the specific ways in which family lives have changed and how they have been affected by the major structural and cultural changes of the second half of the twentieth century.

The book shows that, while there has undeniably been change, there is a surprising degree of continuity in family practices. It casts doubt on claims that families have been subject to a process of dramatic change and provides an alternative account which is based on careful analysis of empirical data.

The book presents a unique opportunity to chart the nature of social change in a particular locality over the last 50 years; includes discussions of social and cultural variations in family life, focusing on younger as well as older generations; explores not only what happens within family-households but also what happens within networks of kin across different households and shows the way changing patterns of employment affect kinship networks and how geographical mobility co-exists with the maintenance of strong kinship ties.

The findings will be of interest to students of sociology, social anthropology, social policy, women's studies, gender studies and human geography at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Housing allowances have become increasingly important policy instruments in the advanced welfare states. Operating at the interface between housing and social security policy, they provide means-tested assistance with housing costs for low income households.

In the present era of fiscal austerity, such schemes are seen by many governments as a more efficient way to help tenants than rent controls or 'bricks and mortar' subsidies to landlords. Yet as the contributions to this collection show, housing allowances are not without problems of their own, especially in relation to housing consumption and work incentives.

This book examines income-related housing allowance schemes in advanced welfare states as well as in transition economies of central and eastern Europe. Drawing on experiences in ten countries, including Britain, Sweden, Germany, Australia and the USA, it presents new evidence on the origins and design of housing allowances; their role within housing and social security policy; their impact on affordability; and current policy debates and recent reforms.

Unique in it's depth of coverage, "Housing Allowances in Comparative Perspective" is essential reading for researchers, students and lecturers in social policy, housing and urban studies.

In 2003 the Labour Government published its ambitious Sustainable Communities Plan. It promised to bring about a 'step change' in the English planning system and a new emphasis on the construction of more balanced, cohesive, and competitive places.

This book uses historical and contemporary materials to document the ways in which policy-makers, in different eras, have sought to use state powers and regulations to create better, more balanced, and sustainable communities and citizens. It charts the changes that have take place in community-building policy frameworks, place imaginations, and core spatial policy initiatives in the UK since 1945. In so doing, it examines the tensions that have emerged within spatial policy over the types of places that should be created and the forms of mobility and fixity required to create them. It also shows that there are significant lessons that can be learnt from the experiences of the past. These can be used to inform contemporary policy debates over issues such as migration, uneven development, key worker housing, and sustainability.

The book will be an important text for students and researchers in geography, urban studies, planning, and modern social history. It will also be of interest to practitioners working in central and local government, voluntary organisations, community groups, and those involved in the planning and design of sustainable communities.

Society is undergoing change, and, as a result, social welfare services – including social work – are being transformed. This book explores the sociological basis of contemporary society and shows how social workers experience tensions and contradictions in practice.

The book uses case studies and self directed activities to enable students to relate sociology to daily lives. It explores key themes in turn, examining their relevance for social work and how they can be applied to practice, particularly in areas such as children and families, mental health, disability and older people.

Relevant and accessible, the authors explore aspects of class, ethnicity and gender and conclude with suggestions of how sociology can inform practice and enable social work to engage with processes of transformation.

The book provides essential material for students of social work and social care, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It will also be relevant to social policy and sociology undergraduates.

Economic and social change is accelerating under the twin impact of globalisation and the new information technologies. But how are these processes interrelated? Are they impelling us towards a common socio-economic future? What can governments do if they want to manage and steer the direction of development?

This book addresses these questions with particular reference to the European Union, which has made the development of a socially cohesive, knowledge-based economy its central task for the present decade. It assesses both the challenges and the policy instruments that are being deployed, focussing in particular on the dynamics of the 'new economy'; the new organisational architectures associated with rapid innovation; the transformation of education and training; the implications for social cohesion and exclusion and the role of policy benchmarking in promoting policy learning and enhancing national performance.

The European Challenge presents the most up-to-date research on the development of the knowledge-based economy and its social and policy implications. Its accessible and integrated treatment of the processes of economic, social and technological change make it an invaluable resource for those studying and researching in the fields of public and social policy, organisational and technological change and innovation. It is also highly relevant to policy-makers who need to understand and manage this change.

Economic and social change is accelerating under the twin impact of globalisation and the new information technologies. But how are these processes interrelated? Are they impelling us towards a common socio-economic future? What can governments do if they want to manage and steer the direction of development?

This book addresses these questions with particular reference to the European Union, which has made the development of a socially cohesive, knowledge-based economy its central task for the present decade. It assesses both the challenges and the policy instruments that are being deployed, focussing in particular on the dynamics of the 'new economy'; the new organisational architectures associated with rapid innovation; the transformation of education and training; the implications for social cohesion and exclusion and the role of policy benchmarking in promoting policy learning and enhancing national performance.

The European Challenge presents the most up-to-date research on the development of the knowledge-based economy and its social and policy implications. Its accessible and integrated treatment of the processes of economic, social and technological change make it an invaluable resource for those studying and researching in the fields of public and social policy, organisational and technological change and innovation. It is also highly relevant to policy-makers who need to understand and manage this change.

While ethics has been addressed in the health care literature, relatively little attention has been paid to the subject in the field of social care. This book redresses the balance by examining theory, research, policy and practice in both fields.

The analysis is set within the context of contemporary challenges facing health and social care, not only in Britain but internationally. Contributors from the UK, US and Australia consider ethical issues in health and social care research and governance; interprofessional and user perspectives;  ethics in relation to human rights, the law, finance, management and provision; key issues of relevance to vulnerable groups such as children and young people, those with complex disabilities, older people and those with mental health problems and lifecourse issues - ethical perspectives on a range of challenging areas from new technologies of reproduction to euthanasia.

This book is intended for academics, students and researchers in health and social care who need an up-to-date analysis of contemporary issues and debates. It will also be useful to practitioners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, including social workers, community workers, those working in the fields of disability and mental health and with older people.

This report explores the current state of end-of-life care policy and practice in the UK. It focuses in particular on the experiences of older people and incorporates their views and the views of carers. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review, analysis of data from an ESRC-funded study, and the outcomes of a consultation exercise with older people hosted by Help the Aged, the report identifies the range of patterns and circumstances of death and dying In old age; outlines the current policy and practice context; compares the experiences of older people who receive specialist palliative care and those who do not; and explores key issues in older people's accounts of death, dying and bereavement, including their practical, social and spiritual concerns.

The issues raised in the report will feed into current debates such as those around palliative health and end-of-life care, and right-to-die legislation.

This Handbook is the definitive resource for anyone wishing to quickly look up and understand key concepts and measurements relating to socioeconomic position and inequalities.

A range of key concepts is defined and measures of socioeconomic position and inequality described. Alphabetical listings, cross-referencing, graphs and worked examples, references to web and other sources of further information, all contribute to making the Handbook both engaging and accessible for a wide audience.

For students, academics and others involved in social science research it answers questions such as:

· 'What's the official government measure of poverty?'

· 'What factors make up the Townsend Index of Deprivation?'

· 'What is a gini coefficient?'

· 'I have to write a report on tackling inequalities in my area - what are the key issues I should consider before I begin?'

For practitioners, policy makers, journalists and others who must read, understand and use research in fields as diverse as health, criminology, education, the environment, transport and housing it provides a one-stop, authoritative guide to making sense of and evaluating the significance of often complex methodologies.

The authors are all eminent researchers in the field of health inequalities. They have together produced two glossaries for the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and have published a large number of books and articles in learned academic journals.

Foreword by Lisa Berkman, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University

How welfare states influence population health and health inequalities has long been debated but less well tested by empirical research. This book presents new empirical evidence of the effects of Swedish welfare state structures and policies on the lives of Swedish citizens.

The discussion, analysis and innovative theoretical approaches developed in the book have implications for health research and policy beyond Scandinavian borders. Drawing on a rich source of longitudinal data, the Swedish Level of Living Surveys (LNU), and other data, the authors shed light on a number of pertinent issues in health inequality research while at the same time showing how health inequalities have evolved in Sweden over several decades. Topics covered include  how structural conditions relating to family, socio-economic conditions and the welfare state are important in producing health inequalities; how health inequalities change over the lifecourse and the impact of environment on health inequalities - at home, at school, in the workplace.

Health inequalities and welfare resources will be invaluable to researchers, students and practitioners in sociology, social epidemiology, public health and social policy interested in the interplay between society and health.

Women's increased role in the labour market has combined with concerns about the damaging effects of long working hours to push time-related issues up the policy agenda in many Western nations. This wide-ranging and accessible book assesses policy alternatives in the light of feminist theory and factual evidence.

The book introduces mainstream ideas on the nature and political significance of time and re-frames them from a feminist perspective to provide a critical overview of policies in Western welfare states. Themes covered include gender differences in time use and the impact of 'time poverty' on women's citizenship; the need to value time spent giving and receiving care; the social meanings of time and whether we can talk about 'women's time' and 'men's time'; and the role of the past in framing policy options today.

The book is essential reading for all those interested in gender inequality, time-use or work/rest-of-life balance. It will be an invaluable resource for students and academics throughout the social sciences.

Social work in the UK has recently undergone its biggest change for 30 years. As new regulatory bodies are working to consolidate social work's professional status, a new training programme, now at degree level, expects increased in-practice learning. Yet until now, students have struggled to find resources to underpin their learning.

This major text addresses the new agenda and explores what social work is in the 21st Century. Structured around the framework of the National Occupational Standards for social work - and using terminology and concepts contained within them - the book examines how social work can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities and argues that to really make a difference it is necessary to think outside the box.

The book provides all social work students with an introductory social work textbook for the 21st century with the main chapters following the six National Occupational Standards for social work. Each chapter uses a problem-based learning approach, beginning with a 'real-life' case scenario from social work practice and drawing on messages from theory and research. It includes a range of student friendly features including glossaries, summaries, questions, exercises, further reading and links to other resources and is written by leading authors in their field and evaluated in detail by a distinguished editorial panel.

Demonstrating social work's potential to be transformative, this book provides the perfect introductory text for a new generation of social workers.

Women's increased role in the labour market has combined with concerns about the damaging effects of long working hours to push time-related issues up the policy agenda in many Western nations. This wide-ranging and accessible book assesses policy alternatives in the light of feminist theory and factual evidence.

The book introduces mainstream ideas on the nature and political significance of time and re-frames them from a feminist perspective to provide a critical overview of policies in Western welfare states. Themes covered include gender differences in time use and the impact of 'time poverty' on women's citizenship; the need to value time spent giving and receiving care; the social meanings of time and whether we can talk about 'women's time' and 'men's time'; and the role of the past in framing policy options today.

The book is essential reading for all those interested in gender inequality, time-use or work/rest-of-life balance. It will be an invaluable resource for students and academics throughout the social sciences.

Social work in the UK has recently undergone its biggest change for 30 years. As new regulatory bodies are working to consolidate social work's professional status, a new training programme, now at degree level, expects increased in-practice learning. Yet until now, students have struggled to find resources to underpin their learning.

This major text addresses the new agenda and explores what social work is in the 21st Century. Structured around the framework of the National Occupational Standards for social work - and using terminology and concepts contained within them - the book examines how social work can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities and argues that to really make a difference it is necessary to think outside the box.

The book provides all social work students with an introductory social work textbook for the 21st century with the main chapters following the six National Occupational Standards for social work. Each chapter uses a problem-based learning approach, beginning with a 'real-life' case scenario from social work practice and drawing on messages from theory and research. It includes a range of student friendly features including glossaries, summaries, questions, exercises, further reading and links to other resources and is written by leading authors in their field and evaluated in detail by a distinguished editorial panel.

Demonstrating social work's potential to be transformative, this book provides the perfect introductory text for a new generation of social workers.

The book is a much-needed revised and updated edition of Elders and the law (PEPAR Publications, 1993). It describes the legal framework for working with older people following the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 and the modernising agenda in health and social care.

Covering broadly the same ground as the first edition, the length has been considerably expanded to enable topics to be dealt with more comprehensively. It covers the range of legal issues affecting the welfare and financial security of older people in the community and residential settings, and emphasises the empowering nature of legal knowledge. It also describes and explains the application of law and policy relating to older people in the context of social work practice.

Written by a social worker and a lawyer, the book highlights the opportunities for interprofessional working and combines professional perspectives on:

· providing health and social care services in the community;

· housing needs and entering residential care;

· dealing with financial matters;

· end of life issues.

Older people and the law is aimed at all professionals working with older people, but particularly social workers. Its clarity of style means that older people themselves and carers will find it accessible.

BASW/Policy Press series

The BASW/Policy Press partnership provides the very best in accessible and practical high-quality resources for social work professionals and students.

For other titles in this series, please follow the series link from the main catalogue page.

Foreword by Lisa Berkman, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University

How welfare states influence population health and health inequalities has long been debated but less well tested by empirical research. This book presents new empirical evidence of the effects of Swedish welfare state structures and policies on the lives of Swedish citizens.

The discussion, analysis and innovative theoretical approaches developed in the book have implications for health research and policy beyond Scandinavian borders. Drawing on a rich source of longitudinal data, the Swedish Level of Living Surveys (LNU), and other data, the authors shed light on a number of pertinent issues in health inequality research while at the same time showing how health inequalities have evolved in Sweden over several decades. Topics covered include  how structural conditions relating to family, socio-economic conditions and the welfare state are important in producing health inequalities; how health inequalities change over the lifecourse and the impact of environment on health inequalities - at home, at school, in the workplace.

Health inequalities and welfare resources will be invaluable to researchers, students and practitioners in sociology, social epidemiology, public health and social policy interested in the interplay between society and health.

Social workers and social care practitioners are increasingly required to engage directly with matters relating to sex and sexuality in their everyday work. Policies and guidance on how to approach these sensitive areas are emerging.

This book provides busy practitioners with a ready reference for the day-to-day problems that they are likely to face in key areas of engagement, such as promoting sexual health, preventing sexual violence, working with those subjected to sexual abuse, and engaging with the complexities of contemporary sexualities. The book:

· reviews current policy in each area;

· outlines the relevant guidance;

· and provides links to further reading and other helpful sources of information.

Concise but comprehensive, practical and accessible, the book is realistic in terms of what services practitioners can provide.

"Sexual issues in social work" is essential reading for anyone who works with others where sex and sexuality have become part of the practice concerns.

What is Professional Social Work? is a now classic analysis of social work as a discourse between three aspects of practice: social order, therapeutic and transformational perspectives. It enables social workers to analyse and value the role of social work in present-day multiprofessional social care.

This completely re-written second edition explores social work's struggle to meet its claim to achieve social progress through interpersonal practice. Important features of this new edition include:

§ practical ways of analysing personal professional identity

§ understanding how social workers embody their profession in their practice with other professionals

§ detailed analysis of current and historical documents defining social work and social care analysis of values, agencies and global social work.

This new edition will stimulate social workers, students and policy-makers in social care to think again about the valuable role social work plays in society.

Working in group care (ie residential and day services) is a challenging and complex task, demanding great skill, patience, knowledge and understanding. This book explains how best practice can be achieved through the focused and engaged work of individuals and teams who are well supported and managed. Detailed attention is paid to the value of everyday practice and its underlying principles.

The book brings together theory, practice and research findings from across the whole field of group care for all user-groups - including health, education and probation settings as well as social work and social care. 

The first edition was warmly welcomed as 'well organised and accessible ... and a valuable addition to the literature' (British Journal of Social Work). This second edition is updated and expanded, including substantial new material on the concept of 'opportunity led work'.

The book will be an essential text for all those involved in residential and day care practice whether as practitioners, students, managers or trainers. It argues strongly for seeing group care as valuable and skilled work and for a holistic understanding of good practice.

This timely and important report draws together the findings of an extensive two-year study of developments in the provision of visible policing in England and Wales. Exploring the dynamic relations between different public and private providers, it combines an overview of national developments with a detailed analysis of six focused case studies, including two city centres, one out-of-town shopping centre, an industrial park and two residential areas.

The report considers the role of community support officers, neighbourhood wardens and private security guards, amongst other plural policing personnel and outlines the policy implications of the research findings, particularly with regard to the Government's current police reform agenda. It also provides important insights and recommendations regarding the organisation, co-ordination and regulation of the future mixed economy of visible security patrols.

Plural policing will be of special interest to academics, researchers, policy makers, police and security managers and students of criminology and policing, as well as all those interested in community safety and the changing face of modern policing.

<p><b>Horticulture and gardening activity is used as a therapy in the UK for growing numbers of vulnerable people, including those with mental health problems, learning difficulties and other health and social problems.</b> However, until now little published work has focused on how horticulture and gardening can help to promote social inclusion for these vulnerable groups. This guide looks at the ways in which social and therapeutic horticulture (STH) projects can help foster independence, build self esteem and confidence and provide training and employment opportunities for people with health or social problems.</p>

<p>This guide will be useful for anyone thinking about setting up STH services for vulnerable groups or for those already providing STH support but who want to understand further the nature and extent of provision currently available in the UK.</p>

<p>The Growing Together project is a partnership between Loughborough University and Thrive and has been funded by the Big Lottery Fund. This guide complements a research study, Health, well-being and social inclusion: Therapeutic horticulture in the UK, which is also available from The Policy Press.</p>

The poor pay more for many things but, arguably, it is the extra they pay for credit that puts the greatest strain on their budgets. This report looks beyond the rhetoric that has dominated much of the debate on high-cost credit to examine the scope for widening access to more affordable credit.

The report explores what people on low incomes want from a credit source. It also analyses the constraints on lending to poor people. It looks at the scope for reducing the costs of lending and widening access to more affordable credit, and estimates the scale of demand for affordable credit.

This report should be read by commercial and not-for-profit lenders, campaigners, policymakers and anyone studying or researching issues around poverty and financial exclusion.

In the context of recent natural disasters and the increase of global terrorism, there is a need for a greater understanding of the psychosocial impact of such events on the individuals and communities involved. This understanding can also enhance the support offered to people sho have to face trauma in their individual lives. Those who provide such a response need to develop their skills in this area of work. They too need to feel that they are supported in their work.

This revised and expanded edition of a highly successful book consolidates the core elements of good proctice while bringing theory and practice issues up to date. As with the first and second editions, this book can be used as a guide for best practice and as a resource for instant reference when staff are faced with responding to traumatic incidents. It also provides up-to-date case studies, drawing on the author's knowledge and experience and points the way for further, more specialised study. The book identifies core elements that are common to most traumatic events; discusses practical methods of intervention that are based on analysis of contemporary research and best practice in a multidisciplinary context; shows how the skills discussed can be transferred to individual clinical practice; addresses the needs of responders and the responsibility of organisations to provide a 'duty of care' for those who are exposed to trauma in their occupational roles and presents a modular programme of training, devised by the author, to prepare responders in the pre-crisis period.

Order from chaos is essential reading for all those who are or may be involved in supporting those who are experiencing the impact of trauma in their lives. It is also an invaluable resource for trainers in the field, and for social work and health and social care students and their teachers.

Recent community care changes have raised fundamental issues about the changing role of the public, voluntary and informal sectors in the provision of social care to older people. They have also raised issues about the health and social care interface, the extent to which services should be rationed and the respective roles of residential care and care at home.

From Poor Law to community care sets these debates in the context of the historical growth of welfare services from the outbreak of the Second World War through to the establishment of social services departments in 1971. Based on extensive research on primary sources, such as the Public Records Office and interviews with key actors, the book considers the changing perceptions of the needs of elderly people, the extent to which they have been a priority for resources and the possibilities for a policy which combines respect for elderly people with an avoidance of the exploitation of relatives.

This is an updated second edition of The development of welfare services for elderly people, first published by Croom Helm, 1985. It is essential reading for practitioners and policy makers interested in gerontology, policy studies, community care and postgraduate students studying and training in a range of health and social care related professions.