The devolution of social care policy has led to key differences emerging between the UK’s four care systems. This book presents research on the perspectives of social care policy makers within the UK’s four care systems, concluding that when given equal capacity to reform, the systems in each nation may take radically different shapes.
Three million workers delivered health and social care in the UK in 2019, accounting for a tenth of the workforce. These frontline workers were the nurses, doctors, adult care workers, and Allied Health Professions that worked in our hospitals, GP practices, and care homes. Spending on this workforce is the largest single item of cost on health and social care, with fifty percent of the current spend of a typical UK hospital going on its frontline workforce. The Economics of the UK Health and Social Care Labour Market details the size, occupational composition, geographical coverage, and growth of this workforce. Here, Robert Elliott explains why people work in frontline care and what drives the demand for these workers, details the heavy dependence of UK health and social care on foreign trained workers and explores its consequences, and considers how the labour market for frontline workers operates, how these workers' pay is set, and what has happened to it in recent years. Elliott explores the reasons for the acute shortage of some key frontline occupations and explains why economic theory is essential to understanding the way this labour market works and to constructing coherent and effective policy. Finally, the book proposes policies to improve the efficiency of this market and to resolve the problems that currently plague it.
2024 has been a year of change, elections and political upheaval throughout the world. The UK General Election is just one of many prompts for analysis about the collective challenges we face and how best to address them. In these key moments, social scientists play an important role as part of wider multidisciplinary efforts to identify effective, equitable and affordable policy solutions. This report provides a social science lens on eight contemporary UK policy challenges, to equip political parties and broader civil society with an understanding of the breadth of evidence that the social sciences can bring. Our contributors comprised a blend of academics and practitioners, including people who have served as ministers and as senior officials within government, resulting in a range of perspectives on policy challenges from different and sometimes competing standpoints. Whilst this report does not make specific policy recommendations, we have documented five overarching areas of consensus, from the expert contributions, for improving the intersections of evidence, practice and policy – which we encourage the UK Government to consider. In setting cross-cutting missions, the UK Government will benefit from policymaking processes and infrastructures which incorporate a broad range of evidence in ways that are transparent and robust. The new UK Government would benefit from a more joined-up approach to policymaking. Greater attention to the evidence base underpinning controversial and contentious policy areas could lead to calmer and more reasoned deliberation. There is still significant scope for policy innovation by drawing on successful practice from the devolved nations and regions. Policy development and discourse should include adequate space and time for social and societal elements to be fully explored.
Available Open Access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. The proportion of employees with caring responsibilities is growing and, as a result, policies that support working carers are becoming increasingly important. Written and informed by national experts, this is the first publication to provide a detailed examination of the development and implementation of carer leave policies and policies in 9 countries across Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America. It compares the origins, content and implications of national policies and practices intended to enable workers to provide care to family members and friends while remaining in paid employment —known as ‘carer leave’.
In its 75th anniversary year, this book examines the history, evolution and future of the NHS. With contributions from leading researchers and experts across a range of fields, such as finance, health policy, primary and secondary care, quality and patient safety, health inequalities and patient and public involvement, it explores the history of the NHS drawing on narrative, evaluative and analytical approaches. The book frames its analysis around the four key axes from which the NHS has evolved: governance, centralisation and decentralisation, public and private, and professional and managerial. It addresses the salient factors which shape the direction and pace of change in the NHS. As such, the book provides a long-term critical review of the NHS and key themes in health policy.
This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. It is free to read, download and share on Elgaronline.com. Foreword by David Brindle In the face of major global demographic change, social care policy and practice are in urgent need of radical reform and reassessment. Rising poverty, inequality and pressure on local communities internationally, are also increasing the urgent need for reform. Drawing on the crisis-ridden UK experience as a case-study, this highly original book identifies the limits of the traditional welfare state in taking forward policy for the twenty-first century. The proposals amount to a renewed approach to social care, based on the philosophy of independent living as originally developed by the international disabled people’s movement and subsequently embodied in a United Nations treaty applicable to all in need of care and support. Despite wide international sign up since adoption in 2008 there is little evidence of any nation successfully delivering. For the first time, this book offers both a blueprint for an environmentally sustainable, rights-based approach to social care and a practical route to achieving it.
This CACHE-endorsed textbook presents all the mandatory elements of the qualification, as well as three popular optional units, in an easy-to-understand format. It also extends learning with specially created features designed to encourage students to explore each topic further. In this book you'll find: - Clearly outlined specific learning outcomes for each unit with 'Check Your Understanding' short questions to test knowledge - 'Key Terms' that highlight and clarify relevant important terms - 'Command Words' included to give guidance on the what the command words in the mark scheme are asking for - 'Case Scenarios' that contextualise knowledge and ask further questionsActivities throughout asking students to explain, describe, evaluate and discuss - 'Read About It' suggestions for further topic-related reading The optional units covered in this book are: HSC O3: Creative activities in health and social care HSC O9: Mental health and well-being HSC O10: Nutrition for health and social care
This timely and much needed text book provides a systematic assessment of recent policy developments across the UK and introduces the different models of integration which currently operate - from structural integration in Northern Ireland to health and care partnerships in Scotland. It examines the achievements of integrated working, showing how it can lead to improvements in the quality of services and access to services, as well as create cost efficiencies. It also considers barriers to integration and draw comparisons with experiences in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe to identify lessons for practice in the UK. Supported throughout by case studies and a wealth of illustrative material - including charts and diagrams - this is key reading for students taking degree programmes and foundational qualifications in health and social care, or related degrees in social policy, health studies, social work and nursing.
This book takes an in-depth look at the enormous challenges facing UK public services and considers what might be done to resolve them. The authors are confident that more of the same over-centralised approaches to public policy and so-called "levelling-up" policies will just not work. Instead, they argue for an application of radical measures, involving the creation of elected regional governments in England similar to the devolved arrangements in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The book comprises four distinct parts: introduction and context; the need for major reform; policies for individual public services and cross-cutting themes. Following an introduction and discussion of the meaning of the terms public policy and public services, the first part goes on to discuss at length the substantial challenges to public policy and public services. The second part sets out the need for over-arching reforms, designed to address the issues discussed above, namely the development of elected regional governments. Each chapter in part three explores key themes concerning individual public policy areas and public services, while part four discusses a number of themes, which cut across all the public services already considered. Although the book is focused on and is of great relevance within the UK, it also has international appeal, as many of the themes discussed will have resonance in other countries and the analysis of public policy in regional administrations will also be of interest in other jurisdictions. It will appeal to students and academics in the fields of government and politics, economics, finance and accounting, public administration, public service management and social policy, as well as policymakers, practicing civil servants, public service managers and elected representatives.