Synopses & Reviews
Social policy is now central to political debate in Britain. What has been achieved by efforts to improve services and reduce poverty? What is needed to deliver more effective and popular services to all and increase social justice? How can we make social policy work? These are some of the questions discussed in this new and wide-ranging collection of essays by a distinguished panel of leading social policy academics. The book covers key issues in contemporary social policy, particularly concentrating on recent changes. It examines the history and goals of social policy as well as its delivery, focusing in turn on the family and the state, schools, higher education, healthcare, social care, communities and housing. Redistribution is also examined, exploring child poverty, pension reform and resources for welfare.The essays in this collection have been specially written to honour the 70th birthday of Howard Glennerster whose pioneering work has been concerned not only with the theoretical, historical and political foundations of social policies but, crucially, with how they work in practice. It is a collection of primary importance for those working in and interested in policy and politics in a wide variety of fields and for students of social policy, public policy and the public sector.
Review
A treasure trove of insights into what makes social policy work from a constellation of stellar academic stars. From first principles through to final delivery the book looks across the spectrum. Key specialists from the different fields - family, schools, higher education, health, social care, welfare, neighbourhood renewal, pensions, redistribution - examine what has worked and what might work better. A true political anorak's bible. Malcolm Dean, The Guardian
Review
This collection of essays by Howard Glennerster's colleagues, past and present, provides a survey of most of the key issues about contemporary British social policy with a particular stress upon policy evaluation. It shares Howard's concerns to provide a pragmatic and sympathetic critique of modern Labour social policy. Michael Hill, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, Newcastle University
Review
This important tribute to Howard Glennerster addresses the issue of social policy's effectiveness. By adapting the pragmatic tradition that has historically characterized British social policy scholarship to an analysis of current implementation issues, the book makes a major contribution and deserves to be widely read. James Midgley, Harry and Riva Specht Professor, University of California, Berkeley
Review
It will certainly appear on my reading lists. Micheal Connolly, University of Glamorgan
Synopsis
Social policy is now central to political debate in Britain. What has been achieved through efforts to improve services and reduce poverty? What is needed to deliver more effective and popular services to all and increase social justice? These are some of the questions discussed in this collection of essays by a distinguished panel of leading social policy academics. The essays have been specially written in honor of the 70th birthday of Howard Glennerster, whose work is concerned not only with the theoretical, historical, and political foundations of social policies but, crucially, with how they work in practice. All too often services delivered at street level fall far short of planners' dreams and politicians' rhetoric. The book examines the delivery of social policy, focusing on the family and the state, schools, higher education, healthcare, social care, communities, housing, child poverty, and pension reform.
Synopsis
Social policy is now central to political debate in Britain. This collection of essays by a distinguished panel of leading social policy academics asks what has been achieved by efforts to improve services and reduce poverty, and what is needed to deliver more effective and popular services to all and increase social justice.
Synopsis
Social policy is now central to political debate in Britain. What has been achieved by efforts to improve services and reduce poverty? What is needed to deliver more effective and popular services to all and increase social justice? These are some of the questions discussed in this collection of essays by a distinguished panel of leading social policy academics.
About the Author
John Hills, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics and Political Science, Julian Le Grand, Department of Social Administration, London School of Economics and David Piachaud, Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science
Table of Contents
Introduction ~ John Hills, Julian Le Grand and David Piachaud
Part One: The aims of social policy
Principles, Poor Laws and welfare states ~ Jose Harris
Welfare: what for? ~ Tania Burchardt
Part Two: Delivering social policy
Families, individuals and the state ~ Jane Lewis
Schools, financing and educational standards ~ Anne West
Financing higher education: tax, graduate tax or loans? ~ Nicholas Barr
Quasi-markets in healthcare ~ Julian Le Grand
Social care: choice and control ~ Martin Knapp
Neighbourhood renewal, mixed communities and social integration ~ Anne Power
Part Three: Redistribution: between households over time
Between areas: The restructuring of redistribution ~ David Piachaud
Pensions, public opinion and policy ~ John Hills
Distributing resources ~ Tony Travers