Social Policy

Page 1

Contents
Identify key historical landmarks in social welfare, focusing on the period up to 1945 ............... 2
Outline evolution of health and social care policies following World War II until 1979 ............... 3
Outline health and social care policies from 1979 to the present day............................................. 4
Identify and analyze the processes involved in development of a key Act of Parliament ........... 7
Analyze the factors that influenced the key themes and concepts in the Act ............................... 8
Evaluate the impact of the Act on service users .................................................................................. 9
Identify current policy initiatives in all health and social care ......................................................... 9
Evaluate the impact of these policy initiatives on service users ...................................................... 9
Analyze the differences in formation and adaptation of social policy initiatives from other
national perspectives .............................................................................................................................. 10
References ................................................................................................................................................. 11


Social Policy

Page 2

Identify key historical landmarks in social welfare, focusing on the period up to
1945
The key historical landmarks in social welfare before the period of 1945 can be
elaborated as; in the 19
th
century, the role of religion have been the voluntary sector
in welfare whereas in the early 20
th
century, liberalism and the foundations of British
welfare votes for the women. The historical landmarks in social welfare policies for a
period up to 1945 can be analyzed as under:
1901: Seebohm Rountree's first investigation of destitution in York, Poverty:
an investigation of town life
1903: Charles Booths study of poverty in London, Life and Labour of the
People of London
(1906 1912): THE NEW LIBERALISM: To make people liberal in their living.
LIoyd George declared that We will draw line below which will not allow
people to live and Labour
1906: School Meals Act
1908: Old Age Pensions Act: means-tested pensions from age 70
1909: The Peoples Budget: super tax introduced, child tax allowances
introduced
1911: National Insurance Act: sickness insurance and limited provisions for
unemployment
(1913 1941) CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT: It mainly focuses on dealing with
problems individually. Beveridge Report goes this way: In all this change and
development, each problem has been dealt with separately, with little or no
reference to allied problems
1920: Unemployment Insurance Act: non-manual workers included
1925: Widows, Orphans, and Old Age Contributory Act: first national scheme
of contributory pensions
1936: J. M. Keynes General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money
1940: Old Age and Widows Pensions Act: pension age for women reduced
from 65 to 60
1942:Sir William Beveridges Report on Social Insurance and Allied Services
1943:Juliet Rhys Williams work-tested Citizens Income
(1942 1945) TOWARDS A BEVERIDGE WELFARE STATE: Contributing for the
welfare of the people. Beveridge Report goes this way: It is, first and
foremost, a plan of insurance of giving in return for contributions benefits up
to subsistence level, as of right and without means test, so that individuals
may build freely upon it
Social Policy

Page 3


Outline evolution of health and social care policies following World War II until
1979

The evolution of health and social care policies after the World War II until 1979 was a
dramatic and a period of continuous change in the historical labels of health and
social care policies that progressed positively and it can be outlined as under:
1946: National Insurance Act: Has flat-rate NI benefits. Provided a
comprehensive system of unemployment, sickness, maternity and pension
benefits funded by the employers and employees, together with the
government.
1948:National Assistance Act: Poor Law got abolished
1955: Richard Titmuss Eleanor Rathbone Lecture on the Social Division of
Welfare: The tax saving that accrues to the individual through income tax
allowances is, in effect, a transfer payment
1959: National Insurance Act: graduated pensions got introduced
1962: Milton Friedmans Capitalism and Freedom includes negative income tax
proposals
1965:Poverty Rediscovered: The Poor and the Poorest, Brian Abel-Smith and
Peter Townsend
1966: Supplementary Benefits replaces National Assistance. Rate rebates got
introduced
1971: National insurance invalidity benefit got introduced. Family Income
Supplement (FIS) introduced (and with it the poverty trap)
1972: Health Governments Proposals for a tax-credit scheme. Tax credit
become Conservative policy. First national scheme of rent rebates (and higher
rents)
1975: Social Security Pensions Act. State Earnings-Related Pensions (SERPS).
Earnings-Related national insurance contributions introduced at 5.75%
Social Policy

Page 4

1976: One-parent benefit got introduced
1978: Meade Report on The Structure and Reform of Direct Taxation includes
a chapter on a Social Dividend. SERPS gets implemented
1977-1979: Tax-free child benefit phased in, replacing taxable family
allowance and child tax allowances.
Outline health and social care policies from 1979 to the present day
The health and social care policies from 1979 to the present day can be enumerated
as under:
1979-1990:TOWARDS A RESIDUAL WELFARE STATE: Margaret Thatcher declared
that We offered a complete change in direction
1980: Social Security Acts 1 and 2: Instead of earnings, the pensions uprating
got linked to the prices
Education Act: Local Education Authorities allowed to choose whether to
provide school meals: fixed prices and national nutritional guidelines were
diminished.
1982: National insurance contribution increased up to 8.75%. Earnings-related
supplements with national insurance unemployment and sickness benefit cease
to operate
1983: National insurance contribution increased up to 9%. National insurance
sickness benefit replaced by statutory sick pay. Housing benefit was given
despite fluctuating the rent rates.
1984: Basic Income Research Group was formed. Child dependency additions
with national insurance unemployment benefit cease to operate.
1985: Norman Fowlers Social Security Review. Billed as the most fundamental
since World War II, but did not examine integrated systems.
1986: Social Security Act: Three major Bills in one (Got effective from April
1988)
1987: National insurance maternity grant replaced by statutory maternity pay.
Payment of half and three-quarter rate national insurance unemployment
benefit ceases.
1988: Tax cuts and benefit cuts. Top rate of income tax down from 60% to 40%.
Standard rate of income tax down from 27% to 25%.The withdrawal of income
support from most 16-17 year olds. Cuts in housing benefits, SERPS and national
insurance widows pensions. Maximum rate rebate limited to 80% of liability.
Child benefit frozen. Income-tested Family Income Supplement replaced by
Social Policy

Page 5

means-tested Family Credit. Free school meals restricted to families on Income
Support.
1989: Child benefit frozen. Abolition of pensioner earnings rule. Social Security
Act introduces actively seeking work test.
1990: Liberal Democrats' Conference votes in favor of Citizen's Income. Free
assessment of spouses and wives presented, yet with wedded couples'
remittance for spouses.
Child benefit still frozen
(1991 1996): CUTS AND TINKERING: Peter Lilley said that the progressions I
have published today will help move the equalization once again to a profit
framework that does not victimize wedded couples, and which plans to
decrease profit reliance by helping individuals into work.
1991: Child Support Act introduced. Benefits Agency established. Child benefit
unfrozen.
1992: Disability living allowance replaces mobility allowance and attendance
allowance for the under-65. Disability working allowance introduced.
Additional minor reforms of disability benefits.
1993: Peter Lilley dispatches area by segment survey of review of social
security.
1994: Budget introduces welfare to work measures to ease transition into
paid work and encourage full-time work. Introduction of child care allowance
for certain parents claiming family credit and related benefits.
1995: Incapacity Benefit replaces Sickness Benefit and Invalidity Benefit.
Eliminating of extra aid for solitary folks. Cuts in lodging profit for youngsters.
Pensions Act reforms occupational pensions, reduces value of SERPS, extends
scope of personal pensions, and equalizes pension age for women born after
5th April 1955 (with phasing in from 60 to 65 for those born after 5th April
1950).
Cuts in lodging profit and in help with mortgage interest for income support
claimants.
1996: Jobseekers allowance replaces unemployment benefit and income
support for the unemployed. The Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, introduces
restrictions on benefits, lodging and employment for asylum applicants.
(1997 2008): NEW LABOUR: Tony Blair said In future, welfare will be a hand-
up not a hand-out
1997: Tony Blair became Prime Minister. First Labour government for 18 years.
1999: Family Credit replaced by Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) and
Disabled Persons Tax Credit (DPTC).Winter fuel payments of 100 per year for
those aged 60 or over. Payments are not means-tested.
2000: Benefit entitlement for new asylum seekers ends.
Social Policy

Page 6

2001: Childrens Tax Credit introduced a tax allowance for those with
children.
Loss profits changed so that widowers and also widows qualified for profits
when their life partners kick the bucket.
2002: State Second Pension replaces SERPS. Carers and those with youngsters
under 6 get to be qualified for credits in accumulating benefits rights.
2003: Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Working Tax Credit (WTC) replace WFTC,
DPTC and Childrens Tax Credit. WTC includes payments for childcare but only
up to 70% (later 80%) of the childcare costs and a maximum limit. Pension
Credit introduced, replacing income support for people aged 60 or over. Work-
centered meetings for profit petitioners presented.
2005: Civil partnerships introduced for same-sex couples. Cohabiting same-sex
couples treated in the same route as hetero couples for profit purposes as
opposed to as two people.
2006: The Governments White Paper Security in Retirement proposes an
increasing retirement age, personal savings accounts, and a basic state pension
uprated in line with earnings from 2012.Winter fuel payments increased to
200
2007: The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee's report on
Benefits Simplification proposes a Single Working Age Benefits and distributes a
threw Citizen's Income Scheme in its confirmation.
2008: Welfare Reform Act 2007 comes into existence. And additionally rolling
out minor improvements to profit enactment, it acquaints a Local Housing
Allowance with rearrange Housing Benefit for secretly leased inhabitants. The
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) replaces Incapacity Benefit and
Income Support paid for new claimants on the basis of incapacity for work.
2010: The administration set out its plans for transforming the NHS in 'Value
and fabulousness: Liberating the NHS'.
It was expressed that the main role of the NHS is to enhance the results of
health awareness though: to convey couldn't care less that is more secure,
more compelling, and that gives a finer experience to the patients.
2012: A mandate was made to NHS England to set out a necessity to give 'mind
which feels more signed up to the users of services' and which 'guarantees
individuals experience smooth moves between forethought settings and
associations.'
2013: The Chancellor's 2013 Budget repeated the Government's dedication to
securing the NHS plan which analyzes the ramifications of the Budget for the
NHS.

Social Policy

Page 7

Identify and analyze the processes involved in development of a key Act of
Parliament
Role of Parliament:
An Act of Parliament cause to make a new law or changes in an existing law.Likewise,
Acts will be Acts of Parliament which have been given Royal Assent. In the
Parliament, bills are proposed which must pass through the parliament by the two-
third majority. These must not be confused with the Private Members Bills which are
actually Public Bills proposed by backbench Members of Parliament. Open Bills begin
from various distinctive sources. It may emerge from government, common
administration, government organizations, political gatherings, boards, enquiries,
authoritative methodology, green/white papers, and verbal confrontation. The
Government chooses whether or not to consent to these recommendations and put
them before Parliament. The first stage in the processing of recommendation after
approval for discussion is often a consultation document called a Green Paper which
sets out in general terms what the Government is seeking to do and asks for views.
Once these are received and taken account of (or not) the Government will produce a
White Paper, which marks the proposals decided upon and the reasons for the
legislation. Occasionally Bills are scrutinized by the Parliament.
Legislation Process with Context to Health and Social Department:
In terms of Health & Social department, health policy is a set course of action (or
inaction) undertaken by governments or health care organizations to obtain a desired
health outcome. The overall health care system, including the public and private
sectors, and the political forces that affect that system are shaped by the health
care, policy-making process. Public health-related policies come from local, state, or
federal legislation, regulations, and/or court rulings which govern the provision of
health care services. Nurses are very familiar with institutional policies including
those developed and implemented by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations.
Phases of Policy Making:
Policy making happens in a wide mixture of settings running from fairly open and
public frameworks. The part of decision making in the public or the private sector,
the scope of the issue, and the nature of the policy all have an influence on the
characteristics of a policy. A basic understanding of the policy process is the first step
in deciding how to mimic potential power and introduce meaningful changes in the
health care system. Basically there are three phases of policy making:
1. Formulation phase
Social Policy

Page 8

2. Implementation phase
3. Evaluation phase
During the formulation phase there is input of information, ideas, and research from
key people, organizations, and interest groups. As of right now the issue is confined;
the reason and desired outcomes are clearly recognized & methods most proper to
the desired outcome are chosen; and required resources are distinguished and
arranged.The implementation phase involves analyzing information about the
adopted policy and putting the policy into action. In this phase, the suggested policy
is converted into a plan of action. The policy process also includes an evaluation and
modification phase when existing policies are revisited and may be needed to amend
or rewrite to adjust to changing circumstances.
Analyze the factors that influenced the key themes and concepts in the Act

Factors influencing the Key Themes and Concepts in the Act:

Health depends on various factors, including biological factors, environmental factors,
nutrition, and the standard of living. The main factors, at present, affecting people's
health in the United Kingdom include the sedentary life style; bad diets, smoking,
drinking alcohol, and lack of exercise. While the British government has worked to
minimize the influence of these factors, only the people themselves can put an end to
them by changing their attitudes toward health. Despite these many other factors act
as influential factors which shapes the key themes and concepts in a parliamentary
act.

Assessment and confirmation are by all account not the only variables that impact
policy making and service delivery. The experience, ability and judgment of policy
makers, and those individuals who have responsibility regarding planning and
delivering policies and public services, are essential components in the policy making
procedure. The values and value systems inside which contemporary politics take
place are likewise contributory factors to the policy making process. This incorporates
beliefs, belief systems, and party manifesto commitments. Policy making additionally
includes habitual and customary methods for doing things that may frequently resist
rational explanation yet regardless exist and often characterize what can and isn't
possible in making and implementing policy. The impact of lobbyists and pressure
groups on policy making likewise clears a critical approach to achieve the target. The
approach making procedure could be strongly influenced by unforeseen circumstances
and possibilities, the reaction to which can at times be shrewd instead of well
thoroughly considered, soundly assessed, and confirmation based.
Social Policy

Page 9

Evaluate the impact of the Act on service users
Generally, as the capacity of health and social care, it could be closed as a body
which give benefits that identifies with 'care services' yet the two bodies are divided
in term of administering, arrangements, act, etc. The UK government are concerned
with the partition of social and human care. On account of the partition, it cause a
significant issue, for example, administration discontinuity, higher expense of
treatment and issues in proceeding with care after discharge from the hospital.
Reflecting to this issue, the UK government has put a necessity in integrating these
two elements. The Govt. organization can guarantee better benefits to service users
by having benefits to:
Strategies for health promotion
Health and safety
Manual taking care of
Data security
Food handling
Care drill
Mental health
Children Disability
Identify current policy initiatives in all health and social care
The Department of Health & social care attempts to define strategy and direction for
conveying a social care framework that gives mind equally to all, whilst empowering
individuals to hold their autonomy, control and dignity. Government systems and
strategies went for giving a wide scope of medicinal services administrations and
facilities. Other current activities incorporate correlative health settings, or open
wellbeing arenas, with youngsters, older people or those with incapacities. Away from
these activities there are additionally few that act as strategy activities in all health
& social care facilities. They are disability, gender, ethnic issues, group care, poverty
and standardized savings, wrongdoing and criminal justice and health administrations.
For gaining health the activities that need to be taken are labelling regulations to
educate buyers of nutritional substance of foods, educational battles to promote
healthy diets and special programmes focused to children, promotion of utilization of
products of fruit and vegetables for the general population, fruit and vegetable
appropriation programs for school youngsters. Work in accordance with government
activities to address health change, health imbalances and social prohibition, the
health of youngsters, families, care and health of more established individuals, those
suffering from mental health issues and group development. This in turn offered
ascent to expanded job opportunities in these Health & Social care. Child social care,
in the same way as other open administrations is under pressure to make budgetary
funds, more prominent utilization of assets and viable working practices are
fundamental if the area is to keep delivering brilliant care. Other initiatives might be
employee related activities: Increasing abilities & employability of unemployed
people, working Family tax credit, and national Minimum wage area Focused
activities: Health centered zones. Activities to handle social exclusion: national
Strategy for Neighborhood restoration (Hunter, 2003, 58)
Social Policy

Page 10

Evaluate the impact of these policy initiatives on service users
The United Kingdom Government utilizes an extensive variety of assessment strategies
to guarantee that policies, projects and open administrations are arranged and
conveyed as effectively and productively as could be expected under the
circumstances to the administration users. A real main thrust for superb strategy
assessment in U.K. is the Government's dedication to proof based arrangement
making. This requires strategy producers, and the individuals who implement policies,
to use the best accessible proof from national facts, scholarly research, financial
hypothesis, pilots, assessments of past policies, commissioned exploration and
deliberate interview with delivery operators. The Government's strategy for spending
publically and taxation additionally gives the setting inside which strategy evaluation
happens in the U.K. The UK Government has undertaken, and is right now
undertaking, various randomized controlled trials of approach activities. In the field
of Labor market and welfare approach, the Restart assessment (1990) arbitrarily
allotted unemployed individuals to a mandatory major interview at 6 months
unemployment to check whether this had the impact of effectively reintroducing
them to the Labor market. This is one of the biggest and best-known randomized
controlled trials in U.K. and it built an agreeable and positive effect on passageways
from unemployment with lasting impacts still.
Analyze the differences in formation and adaptation of social policy initiatives
from other national perspectives
The social & medicinal services arrangement activities developed as an inaccessible
region in the UK in the early twentieth century. To make a civilized society by
procurement of welfare benefits to the citizens, irrespective of their capability to pay
for them and go for widespread health service, pensions & state training.
In USA human services is been controlled by private & word related insurance schemes
with the state playing no part. It is the same with Japan.
In Western Europe there are health awareness administrations schemas that are
controlled by both private & state run protection schemes. In wales it keeps up the
patient focused center and liable to all subjects of the state. Also it includes the
groups in the advancement of the arrangements for health care.
Such a variety of health issues are controlled before they begin of. In Scotland the
arrangement is an agreement between the legislature & the individual subject. The
English approach is straightforward. It guarantees responsibility to enhance the health
service instead of the policy itself. It is an agreement between govt., service & the
client. In Welsh record it is focused around the ideas of group improvement & group
Social Policy

Page 11

capacity building. But it is absent in English & Scotland documents (Adams, Robinson,
2002:63-65).
References
http://www.ukessays.com/essays/social-work/identify-key-historical-landmarks-
in-social-welfare-social-work-essay.php
http://www.yale.edu/bioethics/contribute_documents/SocialPolicyasHealthPolicy
-JAMA3-18-09.pdf
http://caipe.org.uk/silo/files/cipw-policy.pdf
http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2012/feb/15/person-centred-
approach-care
http://www.ccwales.org.uk/the-codes-of-practice/
http://www.cyberessays.com/lists/explain-how-local-policies-and-procedures-
can-be-developed-in-accordance-with-national-and-policy-requirements/
http://www.universaldesign.ie/exploreampdiscover/policyandlegislation
http://www.ukessays.com/services/example-essays/social-work/social-care-
practice.php#ixzz39K3NLicH