Policy Press
9 The 1989 England and Wales Children Act: the high-water mark of progressive reform?
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Abstract
The 1989 Children Act is a widely admired piece of legislation. This chapter traces its genesis of the legislation and examines the value base of the legislation and its implications for social work practice. The political social and economic trends which have impacted on the implementation are analysed. Has the risk aversion which has led to increased numbers of ‘looked after’ children undermined the balance between family support and child protection reflected in the Act? The cuts in family support services have made it hard to realise the partnership with parents which was one of the key themes of the Act. There remains a hope that the vision and intentions of the legislation may yet be achieved
Abstract
The 1989 Children Act is a widely admired piece of legislation. This chapter traces its genesis of the legislation and examines the value base of the legislation and its implications for social work practice. The political social and economic trends which have impacted on the implementation are analysed. Has the risk aversion which has led to increased numbers of ‘looked after’ children undermined the balance between family support and child protection reflected in the Act? The cuts in family support services have made it hard to realise the partnership with parents which was one of the key themes of the Act. There remains a hope that the vision and intentions of the legislation may yet be achieved
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Terry Bamford vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Notes on contributors x
- List of abbreviations xiv
- Introduction 1
- Social work in 1970 5
- Social services departments: success or failure? 21
- Regulation and inspection of social work: costly distraction or stimulus to improve? 37
- Continuity and change in the knowledge base for social work 59
- Social work education: learning from the past? 77
- Practising social work 97
- Looking back, looking forward: two personal views 115
- From clients as fellow citizens to service users as co-producers of social work 141
- The 1989 England and Wales Children Act: the high-water mark of progressive reform? 157
- Social work with offenders 173
- The impact of scandal and inquiries on social work and the personal social services 191
- British social work: international context and perspectives 213
- Afterword 229
- Index 233
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Terry Bamford vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Notes on contributors x
- List of abbreviations xiv
- Introduction 1
- Social work in 1970 5
- Social services departments: success or failure? 21
- Regulation and inspection of social work: costly distraction or stimulus to improve? 37
- Continuity and change in the knowledge base for social work 59
- Social work education: learning from the past? 77
- Practising social work 97
- Looking back, looking forward: two personal views 115
- From clients as fellow citizens to service users as co-producers of social work 141
- The 1989 England and Wales Children Act: the high-water mark of progressive reform? 157
- Social work with offenders 173
- The impact of scandal and inquiries on social work and the personal social services 191
- British social work: international context and perspectives 213
- Afterword 229
- Index 233
