Over the last decade there has been a series of Government policy initiatives in respect of children’s services and social work education in England, many of which aim to de-regulate or privatise aspects of these services. Critically considering the impact of the MacAlister Review, this book explores the past, present and future of children’s services in the UK from a range of perspectives – lived, professional and academic.


This accessible guide provides a timely and incisive overview of the current children’s services reform agenda in the UK. It identifies current challenges, analyses both strengths and weaknesses in the current policy agenda and sets out alternative policy and practice directions for a system that can meet families’ needs.

Contributions by: Avery Bowser, Taliah Drayak, Brid Featherstone, Anna Gupta, Isobel Drew, Joe Hanley, Rebekah Pierre, John Radoux, Paul Shuttleworth, June Thoburn, Carolyne Willow