This book explores Europe's third sector - the non-profit organisations and providers of social services such as mutuals, co-operatives, associations, voluntary organisations and charities: these elements of a civil society are important yet often overlooked features in contemporary socio-economics and social policy. The pathbreaking contributions examine the third sector in Europe within a framework which seeks to conceptually integrate two hitherto separate debates: that concerning the 'social economy' of co-operatives and mutuals, and the debate on voluntary, civil society and non-profit organisations. Theoretical concepts are developed and debated, and the relationship between the development of national societies, public welfare and the third sector are explored. The book goes on to discuss the crucial role of the state and public policies - including measures that have been introduced at the European Union level. The contributions reveal the need for policy perspectives and forms of governance that respect the added value of third sector organisations, without separating them. It is argued that, in future European welfare models, it is not the size of a third sector that matters, but rather the overall impact of its civic principles. With its informative contributions about the third sector in various EU countries, the theoretical approaches offered and the ways in which policy issues are dealt with, this book will be of great interest to a wide-ranging audience including: social policy scholars, economists, political scientists and policymakers with an interest in the evolution of the third sector.

First published in 1997, this volume is about the challenge of introducing business-originated concepts of quality assurance, personal social services are currently confronted with all over Europe. Undoubtedly, the new orientation towards a more business-like approach in social welfare settings will raise professionalism, "client-orientation" and controlling (instead of mere inspection). There is evidence, however, that the specificities of personal social services are not always taken into account if it comes to introducing market values and mechanisms. Due to this development it becomes essential to promote more adequate criteria for quality standards in the very field of personal social services. The challenge is to maintain a certain standard of service provision while at the same time reconsidering the preconditions for defining quality. This will imply the search for a consensus between allegedly diverging approaches, i.e. between their different basic concepts, aims and standards. Given the social and economic context within which these developments are taking place, the focus of the contributions is on their critical assessment in different European countries. An overview is given about national developments in the areas of care for older persons and other social services. The contributors from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK look at how and by whom quality is defined and what challenges the actors of the traditionally mixed economy of personal social services are meeting. Empirical evidence about user involvement and satisfaction is given but also theoretical reasoning about the impact of business approaches on a "pubic good". Thus, the book tries to fill an important gap in practice, research and policy-making concerning personal social services and quality issues.

This book addresses the practice of social innovation, which is currently very much in the public eye. New ideas and approaches are needed to tackle the severe and wicked problems with which contemporary societies are struggling. Especially in times of economic crisis, social innovation is regarded as one of the crucial elements needed to move forward. Our knowledge of its dynamics has significantly progressed, thanks to an abundance of studies on social innovation both general and sector-specific. However, despite the valuable research conducted over the past years, the systematic analysis of social innovation is still contested and incomplete. The questions asked in the book will be the following: 1. What is the nature of social innovations? 2.What patterns can be identified in social innovations emerging at the local level? 3.How is the emergence and spread of social innovations related to urban governance? More precisely, which conditions and arrangements facilitate and hinders social innovation? We explore these questions using different types of data and methods, and studying different contexts. In particular, we focus on innovations that aim at solving problems of the young unemployed, single parents and migrants. This analysis is based on original research carried out in the period 2010-2013 in the framework of a European project with a specific empirical research strategy. Research was carried out in 20 cities in 10 different European countries.

This book addresses the practice of social innovation, which is currently very much in the public eye. New ideas and approaches are needed to tackle the severe and wicked problems with which contemporary societies are struggling. Especially in times of economic crisis, social innovation is regarded as one of the crucial elements needed to move forward. Our knowledge of its dynamics has significantly progressed, thanks to an abundance of studies on social innovation both general and sector-specific. However, despite the valuable research conducted over the past years, the systematic analysis of social innovation is still contested and incomplete. The questions asked in the book will be the following: 1. What is the nature of social innovations? 2.What patterns can be identified in social innovations emerging at the local level? 3.How is the emergence and spread of social innovations related to urban governance? More precisely, which conditions and arrangements facilitate and hinders social innovation? We explore these questions using different types of data and methods, and studying different contexts. In particular, we focus on innovations that aim at solving problems of the young unemployed, single parents and migrants. This analysis is based on original research carried out in the period 2010-2013 in the framework of a European project with a specific empirical research strategy. Research was carried out in 20 cities in 10 different European countries.

First published in 1997, this volume is about the challenge of introducing business-originated concepts of quality assurance, personal social services are currently confronted with all over Europe. Undoubtedly, the new orientation towards a more business-like approach in social welfare settings will raise professionalism, "client-orientation" and controlling (instead of mere inspection). There is evidence, however, that the specificities of personal social services are not always taken into account if it comes to introducing market values and mechanisms. Due to this development it becomes essential to promote more adequate criteria for quality standards in the very field of personal social services. The challenge is to maintain a certain standard of service provision while at the same time reconsidering the preconditions for defining quality. This will imply the search for a consensus between allegedly diverging approaches, i.e. between their different basic concepts, aims and standards. Given the social and economic context within which these developments are taking place, the focus of the contributions is on their critical assessment in different European countries. An overview is given about national developments in the areas of care for older persons and other social services. The contributors from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK look at how and by whom quality is defined and what challenges the actors of the traditionally mixed economy of personal social services are meeting. Empirical evidence about user involvement and satisfaction is given but also theoretical reasoning about the impact of business approaches on a "pubic good". Thus, the book tries to fill an important gap in practice, research and policy-making concerning personal social services and quality issues.

Dieses Handbuch gibt einen umfassenden UEberblick uber alle relevanten Aspekte der Sozialen Dienste in Deutschland. Es behandelt historische und theoretische Grundlagen, Fragen der Steuerung und institutionellen Strukturen sowie internationale bzw. europaische Entwicklungen im Bereich der Sozialen Dienste. Daruber hinaus wird die Bedeutung Sozialer Dienste in zentralen Politikfeldern nachgezeichnet sowie die Mikrostruktur von Dienstleistungskulturen aus der Perspektive der Professionellen und der Klienten bzw. Konsumenten behandelt. Das Handbuch Soziale Dienste ist ein unverzichtbares Kompendium sowohl fur die wissenschaftliche Auseinandersetzung als auch die praktisch-politische Beschaftigung mit diesem zunehmend wichtiger werdenden Bereich des deutschen Sozialstaates.

In der Diskussion des Verhaltnisses von Sozialpolitik und Wirtschaftspolitik gab es immer wieder Kontroversen, insbesondere zur Frage des wirtschaftlichen Werts der Sozialpolitik. Eines aber war bis in die jungste Zeit konstant: die weitgehende Trennung von beiden Politikbereichen als Sektoren mit je eigenen Prioritaten und Wertorientierungen. Inzwischen ist es jedoch in der Sozialpolitik selbstverstandlich geworden, hier auch wirtschaftlichen und wirtschaftspolitischen Erwagungen Raum zu geben. Das betrifft die Frage der wirtschaftlichen Effekte von Reformen der Alterssicherungssysteme ebenso wie die wirtschaftspolitischen Effekte bestimmter Familienpolitiken. Diese Verklammerung sozial- und wirtschaftspolitischer Zugangsweisen hat in jungster Zeit auch in der Diskussion um eine investive Orientierung der Sozialpolitik ihren Ausdruck gefunden. Die Autoren dieses Bandes greifen diese Problematik auf und bundeln dabei die Beitrage zu drei Problembereichen.

Der Begriff des 'Wohlfahrtspluralismus' lenkt die Aufmerksamkeit darauf, dass soziale Wohlfahrt nicht allein durch staatliche Sozialpolitiken bestimmt ist. Beitrage von seiten des Marktes, von Familien, Privathaushalten und informellen sozialen Netzen sowie aus dem zivilgesellschaftlichen Bereich freier Trager und Initiativen spielen bei der Wohlfahrtsproduktion mehr als eine nur untergeordnete Rolle. Damit richtet sich der analytische Blick auf eine Aufhellung der Bedeutung von Institutionen, die jenseits von Staat und Markt, aber doch in enger Verflechtung mit beiden operieren. Der Begriff zielt gleichzeitig auch auf konzeptionelle Fragen einer Sozialpolitik, der es darum zu tun ist, gesellschaftliche und gemeinschaftliche Solidarformen anzuerkennen und zu nutzen. Eine dementsprechende (Um)Verteilung von Aufgaben und Verantwortlichkeiten zwischen staatlichen und gesellschaftlichen Instanzen in neuartigen "welfare mixes" schafft nicht nur Moglichkeiten zur Freisetzung von Synergieeffekten; sie notigt auch dazu, die Frage nach sozial und politisch gerechten Losungen wieder neu zu stellen.
Neben einem ausfuhrlichen Einleitungs- und Uberblicksbeitrag der Herausgeber zum Stand der internationalen Diskussion enthalt der Band eine Reihe analytischer Aufsatze von in- und auslandischen Autoren sowie ein Kapitel mit Beitragen, in dem Chancen und Herausforderungen (z. B. der Stadt- und Sozialplanung, von sozialen Diensten im Bereich von Alten- und Kinderbetreuung u. a. m.) erortert und illustriert werden