Exploring Social Care Policy and Provision
Defining poverty is not easy and there are several reasons for it and again in different countries levels of poverty differ depending on culture. Dallos, R and McLaughlin, E describes one reason for poverty being 'the welfare state, and calls for fundamental changes in its operation'. I will be exploring how poverty and the welfare state are linked how it has emerged and what has been done to help eradicate this for those immersed in this lifestyle. One of the ways people can be helped and poverty can be targeted is though through welfare rights Bateman, N (2005). I will look at the role of the welfare rights unit where I had my first practice placement and will look at their role in the continuous struggle against poverty.
'Welfare rights practice is one way of empowering and protecting people living in poverty' Bateman, N cited in Blackwells (2002). The placement I was on was the welfare rights unit mainly offers service to those already accessing social services, and consists of the adult population. The clients are supported through Care Management. The aims of the welfare (welfare rights has many aims) rights unit is to assist on the take up of benefits as per their policies which are driven through the National Health Service, (NHS).
All humans have basic needs like food shelter clothing and also have the right to have a part in society at whatever level that person wants to fit in. To assist in this and the idea of social inclusion and to meet these needs the welfare state was created after the compilation of the Beveridge Report 1942 which is the main ideal of the British welfare state it was to create a vision of how there could be a better society and a better way of living. This was the drive for change and the way forward for the welfare state it actually identified. 'Five major problems that needed to be tackled in post-war Britain 'want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness' Pierson, J and Thomas, P (2002). This report made several recommendations to combat these issues and the benefits system was created, several policies were made to support the recommendations like the Family Allowances Act 1945 the National Insurance Act 1946 and so on. The Beveridge Report though did also have several failings in it, which concentrated on the more vulnerable members of our society like those who are disabled and sick, as it was targeting those who could work and maintained benefits at low levels so to encourage the return to work. Though the National Assistance Act of 1948 did assist to help solve some of these issues as it imposed a duty on local authorities to provide accommodation for those in need for people over 18 who are ill or disabled Beveridge, J (1954). This is still an ongoing trend today that these people are still disadvantaged by the system and by the means tested way it works. The welfare rights process though helps those who are disadvantaged in several ways like assisting as advisor and advocate Marshall cited in Banks S (2002) 'recognised that the aim of the welfare state is not to remove inequalities of income, rather than to eradicate poverty and give everyone equal status as citizens in society', as was William Beveridge's aim and vision for the welfare state. However Langan, M (1998) argues that 'the welfare state has gone too far, and turns state dependence into a badge of exclusion rather than a guarantee of inclusion'. This argues against the original thinking behind the welfare state and Beveridge Report of a vision of a better society Beveridge, J (1954) describes her husbands work as 'a contribution to the history of British way of living based upon unique experience and a comprehensive study of facts' the report is referred back to as a milestone for the welfare state and has been the basis for consistent improvement and changes in the welfare state today. The problems that we have now in society are due to the changes that are occurring in the population. That people are living longer due to medical technology and birth rates are at decidedly lower levels than what they used to be. We have more of a population and more of an elderly ailing population that the government is finding it difficult to subsidise and not enough working age people to put money back into the economy Dallos, R and McLaughlin, E (1999).
Defining poverty is not easy and there are several reasons for it and again in different countries levels of poverty differ depending on culture. Dallos, R and McLaughlin, E describes one reason for poverty being 'the welfare state, and calls for fundamental changes in its operation'. I will be exploring how poverty and the welfare state are linked how it has emerged and what has been done to help eradicate this for those immersed in this lifestyle. One of the ways people can be helped and poverty can be targeted is though through welfare rights Bateman, N (2005). I will look at the role of the welfare rights unit where I had my first practice placement and will look at their role in the continuous struggle against poverty.
'Welfare rights practice is one way of empowering and protecting people living in poverty' Bateman, N cited in Blackwells (2002). The placement I was on was the welfare rights unit mainly offers service to those already accessing social services, and consists of the adult population. The clients are supported through Care Management. The aims of the welfare (welfare rights has many aims) rights unit is to assist on the take up of benefits as per their policies which are driven through the National Health Service, (NHS).
All humans have basic needs like food shelter clothing and also have the right to have a part in society at whatever level that person wants to fit in. To assist in this and the idea of social inclusion and to meet these needs the welfare state was created after the compilation of the Beveridge Report 1942 which is the main ideal of the British welfare state it was to create a vision of how there could be a better society and a better way of living. This was the drive for change and the way forward for the welfare state it actually identified. 'Five major problems that needed to be tackled in post-war Britain 'want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness' Pierson, J and Thomas, P (2002). This report made several recommendations to combat these issues and the benefits system was created, several policies were made to support the recommendations like the Family Allowances Act 1945 the National Insurance Act 1946 and so on. The Beveridge Report though did also have several failings in it, which concentrated on the more vulnerable members of our society like those who are disabled and sick, as it was targeting those who could work and maintained benefits at low levels so to encourage the return to work. Though the National Assistance Act of 1948 did assist to help solve some of these issues as it imposed a duty on local authorities to provide accommodation for those in need for people over 18 who are ill or disabled Beveridge, J (1954). This is still an ongoing trend today that these people are still disadvantaged by the system and by the means tested way it works. The welfare rights process though helps those who are disadvantaged in several ways like assisting as advisor and advocate Marshall cited in Banks S (2002) 'recognised that the aim of the welfare state is not to remove inequalities of income, rather than to eradicate poverty and give everyone equal status as citizens in society', as was William Beveridge's aim and vision for the welfare state. However Langan, M (1998) argues that 'the welfare state has gone too far, and turns state dependence into a badge of exclusion rather than a guarantee of inclusion'. This argues against the original thinking behind the welfare state and Beveridge Report of a vision of a better society Beveridge, J (1954) describes her husbands work as 'a contribution to the history of British way of living based upon unique experience and a comprehensive study of facts' the report is referred back to as a milestone for the welfare state and has been the basis for consistent improvement and changes in the welfare state today. The problems that we have now in society are due to the changes that are occurring in the population. That people are living longer due to medical technology and birth rates are at decidedly lower levels than what they used to be. We have more of a population and more of an elderly ailing population that the government is finding it difficult to subsidise and not enough working age people to put money back into the economy Dallos, R and McLaughlin, E (1999).
