Making social policy work

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 increasing social justice? These are some of the questions discussed in this collection of essays by a distinguished panel of leading social policy academics. The papers cover key issues in contemporary social policy, and particularly recent changes. The essays in this collection have been specially written in honour 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 essays examine the history and goals of social policy and the delivery of social policy focussing on the family and the state, schools, higher education, healthcare, social care, communities and housing. Then, redistribution is examined focussing on child poverty, pension reform and resources for welfare. This is a collection of 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.