The Future of Children's Care: Critical Perspectives on Children's Services Reform

The MacAlister Review has had a significant impact on children's services and social work education in England, leading to de-regulation and privatization. This book provides an overview of the past, present, and future of children's services in the UK, identifying current challenges and offering alternative policy and practice directions to meet families' needs.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 31 July 2023
Publisher: Bristol University Press

Over the past decade, the Government has implemented a series of policy initiatives aimed at reforming children's services and social work education in England. These initiatives have sought to de-regulate or privatize various aspects of these services. In the context of this transformation, the MacAlister Review has played a significant role. This book delves into the past, present, and future of children's services in the UK, offering a comprehensive exploration from diverse perspectives. It serves as an accessible guide that provides a timely and insightful overview of the current children's services reform in the UK. The book identifies the current challenges facing the system, analyzes both its strengths and weaknesses, and proposes alternative policy and practice directions to ensure that the system can effectively meet the needs of families.

The MacAlister Review, conducted in 2003, was a comprehensive review of children's services in England. It was commissioned by the then-Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in response to concerns about the quality and effectiveness of the system. The review's findings were widely influential and led to significant changes in the way.

One of the key recommendations of the MacAlister Review was the establishment of a National Children's Bureau (NCB). The NCB was intended to be a central body that would oversee the development and implementation of children's services across England. It would provide a single point of contact for families and professionals and would work to ensure that children's services were delivered in a coordinated and integrated manner.

Another important recommendation of the MacAlister Review was the introduction of a new statutory framework for children's services. This framework, known as the Children Act 2004, set out the legal rights and responsibilities of children, parents, and professionals in relation to children's services. It also introduced a new duty on local authorities to provide safe and effective services to children and their families.

The MacAlister Review also highlighted the need for greater collaboration between social work education and children's services. It recommended that social work education should be more closely aligned with the needs of the profession and that there should be greater emphasis on the practical skills and knowledge that social workers need to work effectively with children and their families.

Since the MacAlister Review, there have been further developments in children's services and social work education in England. These include the introduction of the Children and Families Act 2014, which further strengthened the legal rights.

Weight: 314g
Dimension: 140 x 216 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781447368267