With new devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this book makes a comprehensive assessment of the impact of devolution on social policy. It provides a study of developments in the major areas of social policy and a full comparison between Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. To what extent is it valid to speak of agendas for government driven by social policy? With new governments in each country, has a fresh dynamic been given to the emergence of distinct social policies? The impact of devolution on social policy uses a framework of analysis based on the nature and scope of social policies, ranging from major innovations and policy distinctiveness, to differences in implementation, policy convergence and areas of overlap with UK policies. This framework facilitates an integrated analysis and comparison of social policy developments and outcomes between the four UK nations. An assessment is also made of the ideas and values which have driven the direction of social policy under devolution. With devolution becoming increasingly important in the study of social policy, the book will be of key interest to academics and students in social policy, public policy and politics, and will also be a valuable resource for practitioners involved in policy making.

Pro-'workfare' governments justify their policies by claiming 'workfare' helps enhance self-esteem and promote the dignity of unemployed recipients. On the other hand, welfare activists argue that 'workfare' suppresses the dignity of unemployed persons. This book examines the concept of human dignity in this context and attempts to clarify its meaning. For the first time, it formulates a framework for evaluating the dignity of welfare recipients; uses this framework to explore the dignity of unemployed persons in four different welfare systems: UK, Sweden, China and Hong Kong and compares the conditions of human dignity in each case and identifies factors which enhance or suppress it. Human dignity and welfare systems is important reading for students and academics in the fields of social policy, social work, philosophy and politics. It is also a useful reference text for politicians, welfare administrators and activists.

As pressure grows on care managers and staff to work with ever more complex needs, this book is a timely account of how introducing the Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) principles into a care home will improve work practice and outcomes for residents. The PIE approach enables staff to: Have improved understanding of residents' needs Better understand how to respond effectively to complex behaviour Introduce trauma-informed practice into their work Improve staff support and morale Improve outcomes for even the most hard to reach clients Reflecting on one care home's journey to becoming a PIE this book shows how low-cost, high-impact interventions delivered on the frontline can have far reaching effects on the wellbeing of residents, staff and wider culture of the care environment. It will be of interest to all professional, academics, policy-makers and students working in the fields of adult social services and health and social care more broadly.

Traditional approaches to vocational rehabilitation, such as skills training classes, job clubs, and sheltered employment, have not been successful in helping people with severe mental illness gain competitive employment. Supported employment, in which clients are placed in jobs and then trained by on-site coaches, is a radically new conceptual approach to vocational rehabilitation designed for people with developmental disabilities. The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) method utilizes the supported employment concept, but modifies it for use with the severely mentally ill. It is the only approach that has a strong empirical research base: rates of competitive employment are 40% or more in IPS programs, compared to 15% in traditional mental health programs. The third volume in the Innovations in Practice and Service Delivery with Vulnerable Populations series, this will be extremely useful to students in psychiatric rehabilitation programs and social work classes dealing with the severely mentally ill, as well as to practitioners in the field.

This book explores men's ambiguous relationship with intimate caring work within a context where carefree and nurturing expectations for men are competing for influence. For men, to be more involved carers clashes with commonly valued expectations of them as men and this book analyses how men confront this contradictory expectation.

Coordination of risk assessments and risk communication strategies requires information sharing and establishing networks of working relationships between groups and agencies. Establishing these relationships necessitates overcoming - stitutional, cultural, and political boundaries. Signi?cant barriers exist between r- ulatory agencies and industry groups. Traditionally, these groups have mistrusted one another, and cooperation and collaboration, including sharing information, c- respondingly has been limited. The adoption of radio frequency identi?cation te- nology for tracking livestock, for example, has been met with signi?cant resistance due in part to mistrust between regulatory agencies and producers (Veil, 2006). In the food industry, the need for coordination has been enhanced by industry in- gration and globalization of both markets and production. In the case of GM foods discussed earlier, disagreements between U. S. , European Union, and Canadian r- ulatory agencies fueled the debate over the safety of GM crops. Overcoming institutional and cultural barriers, and mistrust is necessary to create consistency in risk messages. Open communication and information sharing can help clarify where risk perceptions diverge and identify points of convergence. The outcome may not be universal agreement about risks, but convergence around the general parameters of risk. Summary These best practice strategies of risk communication are not designed to function as distinct steps or isolated approaches. Rather than being mutually exclusive, they serve to complement one another and create a coherent approach to confronting risk communication problems.

" In 1995 Kentucky governor Brereton Jones granted parole to ten women who had been convicted of killing, conspiring to kill, or assaulting the men who had abused them for years. The media began referring to them as the ""Sisters in Pain,"" a name they embraced. These are their stories. L. Elisabeth Beattie and Mary Angela Shaughnessy's interviews of seven of the Sisters in Pain detail the physical, sexual, or psychological abuse they suffered at the hands of their husbands or boyfriends, battery beyond comprehension. Anyone who has ever asked, ""Why don't they just leave?"" will come to understand the interconnected strands of abuse that make just living through another day a personal triumph. Beattie and Shaughnessy address the pervasive nature of domestic violence in America and explore the legal ramifications of fighting back. Their interviews with the Sisters in Pain reveal the ways in which these women have picked up the pieces of their shattered lives and learned to face the future.

Apply knowledge from the latest research to urgent social problems and programs Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research is a careful selection of the finest papers from the 2004 Social Policy Conference held in Charleston, South Carolina. These presentations from respected experts spotlight the latest and best research on a wide variety of crucial social policy issues. Explanations are provided on how to use qualitative and quantitative methods to research social policy questions, with a clear view on how to apply research results to today's social problems and programs. Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research discusses various social policy topics, approaches, and the latest high-quality research and findings. Students learn how others have researched the topics using different approaches, while practitioners gain important new information relevant to their jobs and practice areas. Chapters explore vital perspectives, such as how to link program evaluation to policy practice, how clients' in their own voices views bring more convincing rationale to policymakers, and how the trauma perspective can spotlight the true effects of poverty, inequality, and oppression in our society. The text includes extensive up-to-date bibliographies and literature reviews. Topics in Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research include: measuring program implementationto differentiate between theories that don't work and programs that aren't effective inclusion of qualitative methods into research in social policy the latest quality-of-life research for the elderly in nursing homes effective intervention practices for deaf and hard of hearing children susceptible to abuse in-depth analysis of the eight variables of the Section 8 Housing Program policy process trauma theory and its application to poverty policy the impact of work incentive policies examination of state and local governments granting large tax breaks to corporationsand the implications for social welfare practitioners Cutting-Edge Social Policy Research is stimulating, insightful reading for practitioners, educators, and students in social policy, social work, sociology, and political science.

Find out howand whylegislation has made economic rights more important than human rights Since 1996, politicians and public officials in the United States have celebrated the success of welfare reform legislation despite little, if any, evidence to support their claims. The Promise of Welfare Reform: Political Rhetoric and the Reality of Poverty in the Twenty-First Century presents articles from 23 community practitioners and researchers who challenge the reform that has turned public aid from a right to a privilege. The authors transcend conventional academic writing, offering careful and thoughtful analysis that examines the history of welfare reform, its connection to poverty, family issues, and the impact of racism on poverty and on the treatment of the poor. The Promise of Welfare Reform analyzes the consequences over the past ten years of legislative changes made to the public assistance program formerly known as Aid to Families with Dependant Children (AFDC). This powerful book examines the social, political, and economic context of welfare reform, including the elimination of poverty as a societal goal, how racial and ethic groups have been targeted, popular stereotypes about the poor and their work ethic, anti-immigrant hostility, the struggles of single mothers with children, domestic violence, and marriage as a realistic escape from poverty. The book's authors address the need for empathy and understanding to change public sentiments about welfare and poverty. Contributors to The Promise of Welfare Reform include: Elizabeth A. Segal and Keith M. Kilty, co-founding editors of the Journal of Poverty (Haworth) Frances Fox Piven, co-author of Regulating the Poor: The Functions of Public Welfare Ann Withorn, co-editor of For Crying Out Loud: Women's Poverty in the United States Mimi Abramovitz, author of Under Attack, Fighting Back: Women and Welfare in the United States Joel Blau, co-author with Mimi Abramovitz of The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy Margaret K. Nelson, author of The Social Economy of Single Mothers: Raising Children in Rural America Gwendolyn Mink, co-editor of Welfare: A Documentary History of U.S. Policy and Politics Kenneth J. Neubeck, co-author of Welfare Racism: Playing the Race Card Against America's Poor Lynn Fujiwara, author of Sanctioning Immigrants: Asian Immigrant Women and the Racial Politics of Welfare Reform Nancy C. Jurik, author of Bootstrap Dreams: U.S. Microenterprise Developments in an Era of Welfare Reform and much more! The Promise of Welfare Reform challenges current views on welfare reform and promotes alternative methods to alleviate poverty. It is an essential resource for sociologists, political scientists, economists, public policy and management specialists, social welfare and human services workers, and anyone else concerned about changes made to public assistance by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

Moves to assist or protect the vulnerable now play a crucial role in welfare and criminal justice processes. This distinctive book draws on in-depth research with marginalised young people and the professionals who support them to explore the implications of a 'vulnerability zeitgeist', asking how far the rise of vulnerability serves the interests of those who are most disadvantaged.

The Dynamic Welfare State explains the decline of the classic welfare state and documents the emergence of a third stage in the American welfare state, evident in corporations exploiting markets in healthcare, education, and financial services. Architects of the welfare state envisaged government as the provider of essential services to citizens; however, as the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 show, corporations and the wealthy have become adept at using trade associations, hiring lobbyists, influencing elections, and contributing to think tanks in order to craft public policy so that it is congruent with industry preferences. Additionally, The Dynamic Welfare State describes the failure of health and human services professionals to advance the welfare of the public, graphically illustrated by the poverty trap, deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, and "the school-to-prison pipeline." A reconfigured welfare state is essential if government social programs are to honor their public commitments for the 21st century. This requires an appreciation for the contributions of nonprofit and for-profit organizations as well as the role of capitalism in welfare philosophy. Empowerment, mobility, and innovation are themes for a dynamic welfare state that is congruent with the 21st century.

This book delves into issues at the heart of government. Its sharp analysis of the unique Nordic welfare system provides urgent lessons for governments and societies across the globe.
Welfare programs and institutions tend to be analyzed as instrumental arrangements, overlooking the fact that welfare programs are essentially expressions of moral conceptions and values. This book recognizes this distinction and offers analyses, perspectives and interpretations of the normative foundation of the 'Nordic welfare state model'.
The authors examine the main normative principles in this model, exploring their origins and the relationship between them. Paying particular attention to the principles of 'universalism', 'public responsibility for welfare', and 'work for all', they consider their significance for current welfare policy and question whether external economic and ideological pressures are threatening these principles. The book is divided into three clear parts:
*Part I considers the historical trajectories behind the Nordic welfare model
*Part II looks more specifically on normative tensions and dilemmas in current welfare policies with a focus on women friendly welfare, attitudes to basic income and alcohol and drug misuse
*Part III focuses on the possible change in the normative foundation of the Nordic welfare states
This book will be essential reading for researchers and students of the welfare state and also to those in the fields of social policy, comparative politics and political economy.

Occupational welfare is a distinctive solution to contemporary social policy dilemmas. Though it plays a substantial role in many countries, especially in pension provision, occupational welfare and its subtle links to the welfare state have been largely neglected by social scientists. This book, a collaborative effort by a distinguished group of experts, offers in-depth studies of occupational welfare in the US and Scandinavia. These chapters are complemented by discussions of two partially contrasting cases (Canada and Japan), an introductory overview, and a concluding comparative analysis.

The rapid social and economic changes in China have brought about unprecedented challenges and opportunities to international stakeholders. This book provides valuable information about the key sectors of China's health care system after its entrance into WTO, including the pharmaceutical industry, health insurance services, and hospitals and related health service provision in terms of policies, legal framework and market potential. It offers a critical analysis from a multi-disciplinary perspective of the impact of WTO and globalization on China's health care system.

Written by specialists in the fields of food bioterrorism and industry preparedness, Bioterrorism and Food Safety focuses on developing rational and implementable food security strategies and plans. It integrates food safety issues, technological developments in traceability, and legal analysis of current and pending regulations with good business practices, and then relates these elements to the development of effective and workable food security programs for food businesses.

The text covers the biological and chemical risks associated with the intentional contamination of food and discusses underlying legal issues, regulatory compliance, and cost/benefit analysis. It also provides implementation strategies to reduce food security risks, discusses advances in traceability, and suggests ways to reduce the risk of intentional contamination and improve consumer confidence in the safety of the food supply.

With its clear presentation of current hazards, safety guidelines, and security measures, this comprehensive work introduces practicing professionals throughout the food industry and those charged with the responsibility of terrorism prevention to workable strategies that address address safety risks associated with all facets of food production, storage, and delivery.

The Health and Well-Being of Caribbean Immigrants in the United States is a timely addition to the knowledge base concerning the integration of this population into the fabric of American society. On the eve of the fortieth anniversary of the 1965 Immigration Reform Act, this book examines the relationship between immigrants from the Caribbean and the culture of the United States. This body of work provides resources for scholars and researchers and provides instrumental strategies for use in practice by counselors/social workers, curriculum developers, and immigration analysts. With this book, you will develop a new appreciation for the social capital immigrants bring with them, their adaptation to their new society, and the extent to which their distinctive characteristics promote or hinder their social mobility. Using tables, figures, and graphs, The Health and Well-Being of Caribbean Immigrants in the United States provides thorough analyses of broad-ranging issues and proposes viable solutions to the problems these immigrants face. In this important resource, expert educators, researchers, and community leaders address the unique challenges that affect this population, including: increased infant mortality rates increased HIV/AIDS among the Caribbean community the growing trend of violence and abuse among Caribbean and Caribbean-American youths the special needs of aging and elderly immigrants living in the United States the impact of the 1996 immigration legislation on Caribbean families The Health and Well-Being of Caribbean Immigrants in the United States paints a clear picture of how these citizens are coping with the social, economic, and political aspects of the American way of life. This guide offers new findings and insight into the reality of the diverse immigrant Caribbean population, setting the stage for establishing groundbreaking initiatives to develop better support services. Innovative community-based approaches and culturally specific prescriptive intervention models make this book an integral source for social scientists, human service professionals, and policymakers.

Get a detailed overview of the social services provided for HIV-infected midlife and older adults, and find out where social work practice with this growing population is headed! As more potent medications are being developed to treat HIV, people who have contracted the virus are living longer lives than previously expected. Survival means new side effects and increasingly complex issues, now compounded by the diseases of aging. All this presents unprecedented challenges to social service and benefit systems. Midlife and Older Adults and HIV: Implications for Social Service Research, Practice and Policy introduces policymakers and policy analysts, practitioners in the helping professions, and the public to available social services for aging adults who are living with HIV/AIDS. It also addresses midlife and older adults at risk of HIV infection as well as aging persons whose lives are affected by relatives and friends living with HIV. Midlife and Older Adults and HIV provides a comprehensive examination of this emerging field of practice. Specific chapters examine prevention, family care, vulnerability, inclusion, and the disease process itself. It lays out the broad terrain of future social work practice with HIV-infected elders and elders affected by HIV. The book concludes with reflections on survivorship during the past two decades from six older community leaders living with HIV/AIDS. It also provides current research findings, innovative conceptual models, an invaluable compendium of resource information from the National Association of HIV Over Fifty, and program ideas to address the HIV epidemic within the aging population. The issues addressed in Midlife and Older Adults and HIV include: HIV prevention initiatives coordination and integration of local service networks the health, social, and financial risks facing women with HIV the health consequences of HIV/AIDS and its interactions with normal aging the use of behavioral reinforcement methods as interventions perceptions of vulnerability to HIV among older African-American women and the role of intimate partners and much more! Midlife and Older Adults and HIV is a comprehensive resource on social services for aging adults who are living with HIV/AIDS. It serves as a record of what is known and what is presently being learned about practice in this constantly evolving field. The book is a call to action for social workers and other human service professionals to anticipate and plan for the emerging needs of persons with HIV/AIDS who are rapidly growing older. The array of topics covered in this volume also makes it ideal as a supplemental textbook in courses on HIV and aging.

Get a detailed overview of the social services provided for HIV-infected midlife and older adults, and find out where social work practice with this growing population is headed! As more potent medications are being developed to treat HIV, people who have contracted the virus are living longer lives than previously expected. Survival means new side effects and increasingly complex issues, now compounded by the diseases of aging. All this presents unprecedented challenges to social service and benefit systems. Midlife and Older Adults and HIV: Implications for Social Service Research, Practice and Policy introduces policymakers and policy analysts, practitioners in the helping professions, and the public to available social services for aging adults who are living with HIV/AIDS. It also addresses midlife and older adults at risk of HIV infection as well as aging persons whose lives are affected by relatives and friends living with HIV. Midlife and Older Adults and HIV provides a comprehensive examination of this emerging field of practice. Specific chapters examine prevention, family care, vulnerability, inclusion, and the disease process itself. It lays out the broad terrain of future social work practice with HIV-infected elders and elders affected by HIV. The book concludes with reflections on survivorship during the past two decades from six older community leaders living with HIV/AIDS. It also provides current research findings, innovative conceptual models, an invaluable compendium of resource information from the National Association of HIV Over Fifty, and program ideas to address the HIV epidemic within the aging population. The issues addressed in Midlife and Older Adults and HIV include: HIV prevention initiatives coordination and integration of local service networks the health, social, and financial risks facing women with HIV the health consequences of HIV/AIDS and its interactions with normal aging the use of behavioral reinforcement methods as interventions perceptions of vulnerability to HIV among older African-American women and the role of intimate partners and much more! Midlife and Older Adults and HIV is a comprehensive resource on social services for aging adults who are living with HIV/AIDS. It serves as a record of what is known and what is presently being learned about practice in this constantly evolving field. The book is a call to action for social workers and other human service professionals to anticipate and plan for the emerging needs of persons with HIV/AIDS who are rapidly growing older. The array of topics covered in this volume also makes it ideal as a supplemental textbook in courses on HIV and aging.

The Horn of Africa has suffered repeated disasters: wars, drought, famine, mass refugee movements and environmental decline. This book explains the historical and political background to these crises and outlines the prospects for development in the region. Experts on the Horn cover a broad range of topics, including ethnic conflict, gender and refugees, food security, the survival of pastoralism, the future of independent Eritrea, operations of intelligence agencies and the possibilities for regional cooperation.

Contains field-tested techniques to enhance the effectiveness of your local social services! Changing Welfare Services: Case Studies of Local Welfare Reform Programs describes promising programs and practices that have emerged in the United States since the enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Using case studies, this reference provides important lessons that will help social service directors and staff to develop strategies that will improve local welfare-to-work services. This casebook focuses on the agencies rather than the welfare population, emphasizing the guiding values of these agencies and the lessons they learned. Changing Welfare Services explores new approaches to service delivery, with emphasis on removing barriers to work force participation and promoting self-sufficiency through support services. The case studies involve programs focused on working with the community by developing partnerships with local organizations to provide better services. This text emphasizes the organizational changessuch as the development of new training programs, merging employment and social service agencies, and restructuring agency programs to foster collaboration between child welfare services and welfare-to-work programsthat were successful strategies used to implement welfare reform. In Changing Welfare Services, you will learn about: the Connections Shuttle and the Guaranteed Ride Home Programtransportation services for welfare-to-work participants the Exempt Provider Training Program trains Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) participants and others to launch and improve their own high-quality child care businesses co-location of support servicessituating mental health and substance abuse services near the social services agency so TANF participants can make a single visit for all necessary services the Family Loan Programhelps low-income families deal with large or unexpected one-time expenses the JobKeeper Hotlineprovides round-the-clock counseling, crisis intervention, and referral services to help participants stay employed and much more! Changing Welfare Services shows how these agencies discovered new ways to serve the needs of low-income residents and offers you a variety of inventive techniques for improving your own agency's support for welfare recipients. Enhanced with tables, figures, and appendixes, this practitioner-oriented casebook is a much-needed complement to the many quantitative studies of the welfare population. This book is a valuable resource for state and local human service administrators and staff, policymakers, and university faculty and students of public policy.

This volume is the only book which focuses on the impact of judicial review in the social welfare field. It comprises a selection of essays by academics and practitioners who have an interest in the operation, impact and future development of judicial review in a number of social welfare areas: homelessness, housing benefit, mental health, health care, social security, the discretionary social fund, immigration, prisoners, education and gypsy site provision. Two contributions address issues relating to the supervisory jurisdiction in the Scottish Court of Session and the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland.

Each contributor outlines the background and development of judicial review in their particular field followed by commentary on the operation of the judicial review remedy and various theoretical and practical concerns such as the impact of judicial review on organizational behaviour and its effect on the exercise of discretionary powers. The essays deal with the political and policy context of judicial review challenge, and the shifting balance of advantage offered to social welfare campaigners. The limitations of judicial review and the comparative merits of statutory appellate schemes are also examined. The contributors attempt to identify future areas for research and a concluding chapter draws together the common themes.