social welfare

In an extract from the book Contemporary Social Evils, Matthew Taylor examines how cultural theory can help us to understand the slide into social pessimism and the credit crunch.

Care homes across Scotland need to significantly improve the care they offer to people living with dementia.

This report was produce by the Care Commission and the Mental Welfare Commission and highlights a range of concerns, most notably the excessive use of drugs used to control behaviour and the lack of regular medication reviews.

Professor Steven Hick at Carleton University in Canada has designed this website for those registered on the 52100W Internet section of his first year social work course. It is a complete distance learning course incorporating multimedia elements. The emphasis is on Canadian social policy rather than social work practice.

The Growing Up in Scotland study (GUS) is an important longitudinal research project aimed at tracking the lives of a cohort of Scottish children from the early years, through childhood and beyond.

The study is funded by the Scottish Government and carried out by the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen). Its principal aim is to provide information to support policy-making, but it is also intended to be a broader resource that can be drawn on by academics, voluntary sector organisations and other interested parties.

Reid Howie Associates was commissioned by the Scottish Government in Summer 2008 to carry out an evaluation of a pilot advice service on disability issues provided by Ownership Options for Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) taking part in Scottish Executive (now Scottish Government) funded shared equity provision in Scotland.

Report examining the scale of the unemployment problem in the UK and arguing that the Third Sector is well placed to make a positive contribution towards alleviating this problem because of its community roots and good understanding of the needs of disadvantaged people.

The European Union exerts a powerful influence over our lives, but few anti-poverty organisations take an active role in influencing what the EU does. This briefing highlights the role of the EU in relation to social policy, and how organisations can get involved.

Paper offering a critique of the New Deal scheme for the unemployed in the UK. It argues that the policy can be made more effective if the structure of the welfare-to-work system is changed to more closely reflect economic realities. It recommends aligning the institutions of the welfare-to-work system with the needs of employers and the disadvantaged which should have the effect of providing better jobs for the low-skilled and better workers for the private sector.

Report looking at young people's advice needs in connection with social welfare rights questions such as housing and homelessness. It presents the available evidence and attempts to explain the implications of the evidence. It is intended as a comprehensive source of information for anyone interested in or concerned with this subject.

The term ‘co-production’ is increasingly being applied to new types of public service delivery in the UK, including new approaches to adult social care. This briefing explains how staff should be encouraged to access co-productive initiatives, recognising and supporting diversity among the people who use services. And the importance of creating new structures, regulatory and commissioning practices and financial streams is necessary to embed co-production as a long-term rather than ad hoc solution.