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The last two decades of the twentieth century saw the most fundamental changes in British social policy since the creation of the welfare state in the 1940s. From Margaret Thatcher''s radical reassessment of the role of the state to Tony Blair''s ''Third Way'', the voluntary sector has been at the heart of these changes. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, voluntary organisations have been cast in leading roles on the social policy stage. They are expected to make key contributions to countering social exclusion; to regenerating communities; to providing social housing and welfare services; to promoting international aid and development; and to developing and sustaining democratic participation and the active community.But how are voluntary sector organisations grappling with the implications of their new, expanded role? How is their relationship with the state changing in practice? This book, which has its origins in an international conference of leading academics in the field, provides answers to these pressing questions. It analyses the numerous and complex ways in which the formulation and implementation of social policy is dependent on the contributions of the voluntary sector. It discusses the impact of the new policy environment on voluntary organisations. And it suggests that the successful implementation of social policy requires government to acknowledge and nurture the distinctive features and contributions of voluntary sector organisations. Voluntary Organisations and Social Policy in Britain is essential reading not only for the many people studying, working in or working with the voluntary sector in Britain but also for anyone who is interested in the formulation and implementation of social policy.>
List of contents
Voluntary Organisations and Social Policy: Twenty Years of Change; M.Harris, C.Rochester and P.Halfpenny
Public Policy, Social Policy and Voluntary Organisations; N.Deakin
Tackling Social Exclusion: The Contribution of Voluntary Organisations; D.Billis
Contracting: The Experience of Service Delivery Agencies; D.W.Scott and L.Russell
Regulation: The Impact on Local Voluntary Action; C.Rochester
Regeneration: The Role and Impact of Local Development Agencies; S.P.Osborne and K.Ross
Partnership: Insiders and Outsiders; M.Taylor
Providers of Care for Older People: The Experience of Community Care; J. Kendall and M.Knapp
Grant-Making Foundations: Policy Shapers or Policy Takers?; D.Leat
International Development NGOs: Policy Conflict and Convergence; D.Lewis
Non-Profit Housing Agencies: 'Reading' and Shaping the Policy Agenda; D.Mullins and M.Riseborough
Boards: Just Subsidiaries of the State?; M.Harris
Volunteers: Making a Difference?; J.Davis Smith
Users: At the Centre or the Sidelines? M. Locke, P.Robson and S.Howlett
Voluntary Organisations in a Changing Policy Environment; M.Harris
About the author
Margaret Harris, Colin Rochester
