Understanding Children's Social Care

Politics, Policy and Practice

"Clear yet thorough; practical yet politically insightful; complicated yet coherent ... this book will appeal to those who want to get an overview of the territory, but also to those who wish to drill down deeper and understand the theoretical underpinning of government policies." - Martin C. Calder, Honorary Research Fellow, Sheffield Hallam University

Understanding Children's Social Care is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of children's social care in England following the introduction of Every Child Matters and the 2007 Children's Plan. The book examines the key issues surrounding child care policy and legislation, and the implications these have for practice. Authors Nick Frost and Nigel Parton draw upon sociological theory and debate to help the reader understand the future direction of policy and practice, presenting seemingly complex theoretical ideas in an accessible and coherent manner.

The book begins by examining theories and explanations of social change, and goes on to relate these ideologies to social care policy initiatives in the UK. The final part of the book evaluates the implementation of these across a range of practice areas.

Key Features

• Bridges the gaps between theory, policy and practice
• Includes comprehensive content and a discussion of a variety of legal and policy contexts
• Encourages a critical engagement with key developments of policy and practice
• Relates to the current issues in social work and social care education

Understanding Children's Social Care is essential reading for those studying child social care on programs in social work, childhood studies, and social policy, and will also interest practitioners in child care.