Published
Apr 22, 2020Page count
270 pagesISBN
978-1447346432Dimensions
216 x 138 mmImprint
Policy PressPublished
Apr 22, 2020Page count
270 pagesISBN
978-1447346456Imprint
Policy PressPublished
Apr 22, 2020Page count
270 pagesISBN
978-1447346456Imprint
Policy Press
Children’s Charities in Crisis
In the media
On our blog: COVID-19 provides momentum for meaningful collaborative partnerships in children’s services
Following a decade of radical change in policy and funding in children’s early intervention services and with the role of the third sector under increased scrutiny, this timely book assesses the shifting interplay between state provision and voluntary organisations delivering intervention for children, young people and their families.
Using 100 voices from the frontline, it provides vivid accounts of the lived experiences of charitable groups and offers crucial insights into the impact of recent social policy decisions on their work.
Telling the story of how the landscape of children’s early intervention services has changed over the last decade, the author highlights important lessons for future policy while demonstrating the immeasurable value of voluntary organisations working in this challenging terrain.
"Body clearly charts what has been lost and the turmoil and trauma of what has been created. But she also offers insights about what can be reclaimed and achieved... It is a journey that urgently needs to be started and Body maps the rationale and route for the way forward." The British Journal of Social Work
"Anyone seeking to understand the complex relationships between children’s charities and state services, why current approaches are failing children, and possible alternatives, will find this book invaluable. It achieves admirable breadth and depth, exploring experiences across diverse services from early intervention to education, illustrated through multiple voices - frontline workers, children and state actors." Linda Milbourne, Birkbeck, University of London
“To those of us who’ve lived, worked and breathed the children’s charity sector for the last decade, this will be an authentic picture of what’s happening and why. To any reader who wants to learn about us, this pretty much covers it all!” Kathy Evans, CEO, Children England
"This book raises fundamental issues in service provision and in how we understand the contemporary world of children’s services. Well-written, and drawing on original data, it provides a cogent and stimulating analysis." Nick Frost, Leeds Beckett University
Alison Body is a Lecturer with the Centre for Philanthropy in the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research at the University of Kent.
Previously, she was a CEO of a leading children’s charity and a lead Commissioning Officer for early intervention services for Kent County Council and has significant experience of working closely with voluntary sector organisations and funders to deliver essential services which achieve maximum impact for children, families and communities.
Introduction
Part 1: Preventative Services and Children’s Charities: Policy and Paradigm Shifts
New Labour, Children’s Services and the Third Sector
Contemporary Preventative Services, Coalitions, and the Conservatives
Part 2: On the Frontline of Early Intervention
The Policy and Service Delivery Field of Early Intervention Services
State Education: The Relationships Between Schools and Charity
Part 3: The Lived Realities of Commissioning Children’s Early Intervention Services
Commissioning Children’s Services: Challenges, Contestation and Crisis
The Changing Role of Children’s Charities Delivering Early Intervention Services
Partnership Working, Securing Advantage and Playing the Game: Thriving, not just surviving
Part 4: Concluding Thoughts
The Action Imperative to Do Things Differently?
