Social Policy and Legislation for Children & Families
The issue of when, and how much, the law should become involved with families is a controversial one. To help you gain an understanding of the development of social policy, this module examines important concepts like child abuse and child protection – with reference to current debates and recent enquiries. Through your studies, you’ll look at themes and perspectives that have shaped policy and review current legislation.
Key Topics
In this module you will cover a range of topics:
• We begin by looking at “the big picture”: the socio-economic, political, and cultural contexts in which social policy and legislation for children & families are formulated.
• We then identify the main concerns of social policy and legislation in respect of children & families, going on to examine the specific issue of child abuse and the emergence of the child protection system in the U.K.
• We finish by tracing the most recent developments in the field since the death of Victoria Climbie and the Laming Inquiry, concluding with the current Every Child Matters Agenda.
• We try to follow the developing story of social policy and legislation for children & families, and make use of opportunities to look at current affairs and day to day events in the news. We also use case examples from social work to illustrate the use of the Children Act 1989 in practise.
Assessment
There are a number of assessments that you complete as part of your coursework and forward to your academic tutor for grading and comments. You'll also take a summative assessment at the end of your module.