Retrenchment and restructuring: family support and children's services reform under the coalition
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-05-2013-0020 |
| Date | 09 September 2013 |
| Pages | 209-222 |
| Published date | 09 September 2013 |
| Author | Harriet Churchill |
Retrenchment and restructuring: family
support and children’s services reform
under the coalition
Harriet Churchill
Harriet Churchill is a Lecturer
in Social Work, based at
Department of Sociological
Studies, University of Sheffield,
Sheffield, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – With the UK Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government reaching its mid-term point, this paper
examines its austerity measures and public expenditure reductions in family support and children’s services,
and its revisions of family support, family intervention, child poverty, child well-being and children’sservices
reform policies in contrast to the former Labour governments.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper is informed by policy analysis and research reviews.
Findings – The analysisfocuses on three dimensionsof policy change: first, reductionsin income supportfor
childrenand families and central governmentfunding for children’sservices; second,refocusing child poverty,
child well-being and family policies around the Conservative’s “Broken Britain”campaign and the Liberal
Democrats targeted social mobility initiatives; and finally, broader children’s services reforms. The paper
recognises some progressive developments but charts the social welfare implications of reduced welfare
entitlements for families and the pressures onsupport services for families from children’s services reforms.
Originality/value – The paper combines reflections on the aims, achievements and limitations of Labour
reforms to family support and children’s services with a broader analysis of welfare state retrenchment and
restructuring under the Coalition. It places current changes in family support and children’s services within
the context of the ideological influences on the Coalition’s social policies and the primacy of its austerity
programme and welfare state reform agendas.
Keywords Family support, Family services, Children’s services, Family policy, Child well-being,
Child poverty, The social investment state, Early intervention, Austerity, Family, Children
Paper type General review
Introduction
The indecisive 2010 UK General Election led to the formation of the Conservative Liberal-
Democrat Coalition Government, ending 13 years of Labour administrations. Its Programme for
Government took forward radical austerity measures and, informed by Conservative and Liberal
critiques of Labour’s “Big Government” approach to public policy, encompassed the following
policy goals: to promote private sector-led economic growth, reduce the size of the welfare
state and “devolve power to local government and communities” (HM Government, 2010,
p. 7). The Coalition further pledged to protect the living standards of those on low incomes,
“unlock social mobility”, “make Britain more family friendly” and work toward the 2020 child
poverty reduction targets (HM Government, 2010). After a period of welfare state expansion and
significant improvements in child well-being under Labour, this paper reviews the development
of the Coalition’spolicy programme in practice and assesses the implications for family support
provisions, children’s services reform and social welfare trends.
First, the paper reflects on the aims, achievements and shortcomings of Labour’s Third
Way welfare state reforms and child-centred approach to social investment. Second, the paper
An earlier version of this paper
entitled “Family support and the
coalition: retrenchment, refocusing
and restructuring” was published
in Kilkey, M., Ramia, G. and
Farnsworth, K. (Eds), Social Policy
Review 24: Analysis and Debate in
Social Policy 2012 Policy Press,
Bristol. The author would like to
thank Policy Press for permission to
revise the chapter for submission
to this journal.
DOI 10.1108/JCS-05-2013-0020 VOL. 8 NO. 3 2013, pp. 209-222, CEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-6660
j
JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES
j
PAGE 209
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