Social Policy

Policies in social work are very important and it may be that you would prefer to investigate this further within your dissertation. Take a look at some recommendations below:

Example social policy dissertation topic 1:

The policies of the Coalition Government with respect to social work: A review

The age of austerity ushered in with the election of the Coalition Government has resulted in a number of key changes to the way in which social work is governed within England and Wales. The need for cost efficiencies has already resulted in a decline in the number of case workers and, through that, an increased work load for those who remain. This, when coupled with a decline in the amount of money by which to launch investigations, means that front line services have been adversely affected since the Coalition came to power. Given the on-going need for departments to make further cuts this dissertation not only analyses the already-felt effect of the Coalition’s cuts but also predicts the likely effects of the further cuts over the next two financial years.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Jordan, B. (2012) ‘Making sense of the ‘Big Society’: Social work and the moral order’, Journal of Social Work, not yet published.
• Parton, N. (2011) ‘Child protection and safeguarding in England: Changing and competing conceptions of risk and their implications for social work’, British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 41(5), pp. 854-875.
• Parton, N. (2012), ‘Reflections on ‘governing the family’: The close relationship between child protection and social work in advanced Western societies – The example of England’, Families, Relationships and Societies, Vol. 1(1), pp. 87-101.