Neoliberalism and social work with children and families in the UK: On-going challenges and critical possibilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11157/anzswj-vol30iss3id519Keywords:
critical practice, managerialism, neoliberalism, social work with children and families, welfare stateAbstract
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Neoliberalism, the belief that free market economies are the best way to achieve human well-being, continues to dominate economic, political and social life in the UK, Europe and the globalised world. In the UK the welfare state has gradually been dismantled and become more punitive, the market place has been introduced, and social work has been de-professionalised and transformed into a narrower, more restricted, role. Instead of relationship-based work, practitioners are largely concerned with completing bureaucracy speedily to ration resources and assess/manage risk. Moreover, in relation to children and families, parents need to be self-responsible and, if they fail, a punitive response awaits: being told to change their behaviour/lifestyle or face losing their children to adoption.
APPROACH AND CONCLUSIONS: Drawing and building upon my previous work (for example, Rogowski, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016), this article outlines the neoliberal changes and challenges to social work with children and families in the UK, arguing that critical practice is ever more necessary. Such practice entails working alongside children and families on the issues at the root of social injustice, notably growing inequality in the neoliberalised world. Importantly, examples of what such a practice might entail are highlighted.
References
Batsleer, J., & Humphries, B. (Eds.). (2000). Welfare, exclusion and political agency. London, UK: Routledge.
Beddoe, L., & Maidment, J. (Eds.). (2013). Social work practice for health and wellbeing: Critical issues. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Blagg, H., & Smith, D. (1989). Crime, penal policy and social work. Harlow, UK: Longman.
Bottoms, A. (1995). The philosophy and politics of punishment and sentencing. In C. Clarkson & R. Morgan (Eds.), The politics of sentencing reform (pp. 17-49). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Clarke, J. (1998). Thriving on chaos? Managerialism and social welfare. In J. Carter (Ed.), Postmodernity and the fragmentation of welfare (pp. 171-186). London, UK: Routledge.
Clarke, J., & Newman, J. (1997). The managerial state. London, UK: Sage.
Clarke, J., & Newman, J. (2012). The alchemy of austerity. Critical Social Policy, 32(3), 299–319.
Cleaver, H., & Walker, S. (2004). From policy to practice: The implementation of a new framework for social assessment of children and families. Child and Family Social Work, 9, 81–90.
Cooney, L., & Rogowski, S. (2017). Towards a critical feminist practice with children and families: Child sexual exploitation as an exemplar. Practice: Social Work in Action, 9(2), 137–149.
Department for Education and Skills. (2004). Every Child Matters: Change for children London, UK: Stationery Office.
Department of Health. (2002). Requirements for social work training. London, UK: Author.
Department of Health and Employment/Home Office. (2000). Framework for the assessment of children in need and their families. London, UK: Stationery Office.
Dominelli, L. (2009). Repositioning social work. In R. Adams, L. Dominelli, & M. Payne (Eds.), Social work: Themes, issues and critical debates (3rd ed., pp. 13-25). Basingstoke, Hants: Palgrave Macmillan.
Doyle, C., & Kennedy, S. (2009). Children, young people, their families and carers. In P. Higham (Ed.), Post qualifying social work practice (pp. 49-62). London, UK: Sage.
Eraut, M. (1994). Developing professional knowledge and competence. London, UK: Farmer Press.
Evans, T. (2009). Managing to be professional? Team managers and practitioners in modernised social work. In J. Harris & V. White (Eds.), Modernising social work: Critical considerations (pp. 145-165). Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Farnsworth, K., & Irving, Z. (2018). Austerity: Neoliberal dreams come true? Critical Social Policy, 38(3), 461–481.
Featherstone, B., Gupta, A., Morris, K., & White, S. (2018). Protecting children: A social model. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Featherstone, B., White, S., & Morris, K. (2014). Re-imagining child protection: Towards humane social work with families. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Ferguson, I. (2008). Reclaiming social work: Challenging neo-liberalism, promoting social justice. London, UK: Sage.
Ferguson, I., Ioakimidis, V., & Lavalette, M. (2018). Global social work in a political context: Radical perspectives. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Ferguson, I., & Woodward, R. (2009). Radical social work in practice: Making a difference. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Garrett, P. M. (2003). Remaking social work with children and families: A critical discussion of the “modernisation” of social care. London, UK: Routledge.
Garrett, P. M. (2009a). The case of Baby P: Opening up spaces for the debate on the “transformation” of children’s services? Critical Social Policy, 29(3), 533–547.
Garrett, P. M. (2009). “Transforming” children’s services: Social work, neoliberalism and the “modern” world. Maidenhead, Berks: Open University Press.
George, V., & Wilding, P. (1976). Ideology and social welfare. London, UK: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
George, V., & Wilding, P. (1994). Welfare and ideology. London, UK: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
Hall, C., Peckover, S., & White, S. (2008). How practitioners use ICT in social care work. Community Care, 15 May, 26–27.
Harris, J. (2003). The social work business. London, UK: Routledge.
Harris, J., & White, V. (Eds.). (2009). Modernising social work: Critical considerations. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Harvey, D. (2007). A brief history of neo-liberalism. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Howe, D. (1992). Child abuse and the bureaucratisation of social work. Sociological Review, 40(3), 491–508.
Jones, R. (2014). The story of Baby P: Setting the record straight. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Jones, R. (2018). In whose interest? The privatisation of child protection and social work. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Jordan, B. (2007). Social work and well-being. Lyme Regis, UK: Russell House.
Jordan, B. (2008). Welfare and well-being: Social value in public policy. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Jordan, B. (2010). Why the third way failed: Economics, morality and the origins of the “Big Society”. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Jordan, B., & Drakeford, M. (2013). Social work and social policy under austerity. Basingstoke, Hants: Palgrave Macmillan.
Laming Report. (2003). The Victoria Climbié inquiry: Report of an inquiry by Lord Laming. London, UK: Stationery Office.
Lavalette, M. (2011). Radical social work today: Social work at the crossroads. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Le Grand, J. (2001). Quasi-markets and Social Policy. In S. P. Osborne (Ed.), Public management: Critical perspectives (pp. 9–22). London, UK: Routledge.
Leonard, P. (1997). Postmodern welfare: Reconstructing an emancipatory project. London, UK: Sage.
McGimpsey, I. (2017). Late neoliberalism: Delineating a policy regime. Critical Social Policy, 37(1), 64–84.
Mullaly, B., & Dupre, M. (forthcoming). The new structural social work: Ideology, theory and practice (4th ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Mullender, A., & Ward, D. (1991). Self-directed groupwork: Users taking action for empowerment. London, UK: Whiting and Birch.
Mullender, A., Ward, D., & Fleming, J. (2013). Empowerment in action: Self-directed groupwork. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Munro, E. (2011). The Munro review of child protection: Final report. London, UK: Department of Education.
O’Brien, M., & Penna, S. (1998). Theorising welfare: Enlightenment and modern society. London, UK: Sage.
Page, R. (2009). Labour governments and the welfare state since 1945. Social policy: Themes, issues and debates (2nd ed., pp. 134-162. Harlow, UK: Pearson Longman.
Parton, N. (Ed.). (1996). Social theory, social change and social work. London, UK: Routledge.
Parton, N. (2012). The Munro review of child protection: An appraisal. Children and Society, 26(2), 150–162.
Pease, B., Goldingay, S., Hosken, N., & Nipperess, N. (Eds.). (2016). Doing critical social work: Theory in practice. London, UK: Allen and Unwin.
Pitts, J. (1988). The politics of juvenile crime. London, UK: Sage.
Pitts, J. (2001). Korrectional karaoke: New Labour and the “zombification” of youth justice. Youth Justice, 1(2), 3–12.
Powell, M. (2000). New Labour and the third way in the British welfare state: A new and distinctive approach. Critical Social Policy, 20(1), 39–60.
Powell, M. (Ed.). (2008). Modernising the welfare state: The Blair legacy. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Rogowski, S. (2010). Social work: The rise and fall of a profession? Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Rogowski, S. (2011). Social work with children and families: Challenges and possibilities in the neoliberal world. British Journal of Social Work, 42(5), 921–940.
Rogowski, S. (2013). Critical social work with children and families: Theory, context and practice. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Rogowski, S. (2014). Critical social work in child protection/safeguarding: Challenges and (fewer) opportunities. Critical and Radical Social Work: An International Journal, 2(1), 43–58.
Rogowski, S. (2015). Margaret Thatcher’s legacy for social work with children and families: critical possibilities? Critical and Radical Social Work: An International Journal, 3(1), 53–65.
Rogowski, S. (2016). Social work with children and families: Reflections of a critical practitioner. London, UK: Routledge.
Rogowski, S. (forthcoming). Social work: The rise and fall of a profession? (2nd Edition) Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Ruch G., Turney D. and Ward A. Eds. (2010) Relationship-based social work: Getting to the heart of the matter London, UK: Jessica Kingsley
Seebohm Report. (1968). Report of the Committee on Local Authority and Allied Social Services, Cmnd 2703. London, UK: HMSO.
Simpkin, M. (1983). Trapped within welfare. Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan.
Smith, R. (2007). Youth justice: Ideas, policy and practice. Cullompton, UK: Willan.
Smith, R. (2008). Social work with young people. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Stepney, P. (2006). Mission impossible: Critical practice in social work. British Journal of Social Work, 36(8), 1289–1307.
SWTF/Social Work Task Force. (2009). Building a safe, confident future. London, UK: General Social Care Council.
Thorpe, D., Smith, D., Greenwood, C., & Paley, J. (1980). Out of care: The community support of juvenile offenders. London, UK: Allen and Unwin.
Turbett, C. (2014). Doing radical social work (reshaping social work). Basingstoke, Hants: Palgrave Macmillan.
White, V. (2009). Quiet challenges: Professional practice in modernised social work. In J. Harris & V. White (Eds.), Modernising social work: Critical considerations. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
White, S., Wastell, D., Broadhurst, K., & Hall, C. (2010). When policy o’erleaps itself: The “tragic tale” of the integrated children’s system. Critical Social Policy, 30(3), 405–429.
Whyte, B. (2009). Youth justice in practice: Making a difference. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2009). The spirit level: Why more equal societies always do better. London, UK: Penguin.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
By completing the online submission process, you confirm you accept this agreement. The following is the entire agreement between you and the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) and it may be modified only in writing.
You and any co-authors
If you are completing this agreement on behalf of co-authors, you confirm that you are acting on their behalf with their knowledge.
First publication
By submitting the work you are:
- granting the ANZASW the right of first publication of this work;
- confirming that the work is original; and
- confirming that the work has not been published in any other form.
Once published, you are free to use the final, accepted version in any way, as outlined below under Copyright.
Copyright
You assign copyright in the final, accepted version of your article to the ANZASW. You and any co-authors of the article retain the right to be identified as authors of the work.
The ANZASW will publish the final, accepted manuscript under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This licence allows anyone – including you – to share, copy, distribute, transmit, adapt and make commercial use of the work without needing additional permission, provided appropriate attribution is made to the original author or source.
A human-readable summary of the licence is available from http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, which includes a link to the full licence text.
Under this licence you can use the final, published version of the article freely – such as depositing a copy in your institutional research repository, uploading a copy to your profile on an academic networking site or including it in a different publication, such as a collection of articles on a topic or in conference proceedings – provided that original publication in Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work is acknowledged.
This agreement has no effect on any pre-publication versions or elements, which remain entirely yours, and to which we claim no right.
Reviewers hold copyright in their own comments and should not be further copied in any way without their permission.
The copyright of others
If your article includes the copyright material of others (e.g. graphs, diagrams etc.), you confirm that your use either:
- falls within the limits of fair dealing for the purposes of criticism and review or fair use; OR
- that you have gained permission from the rights holder for publication in an open access journal.
