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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.
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.
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