Twenty-first century social work: the influence of political context on public service provision in social work education and service delivery

Abstract

This article explores the thesis that there is a discernable ‘direction for social work’ in Britain, and considers the ways in which its development is influenced by state policies influenced by New Managerialist, ‘market’ based and neoliberal ideologies. It concludes that there have been substantial changes across services for children, for adults and in social work education over the last decade that reflect the ethos of central government policy, rather than the ethos and values of social work. Awareness of the role of government policy in shaping the identity of the profession, and responsiveness to that agenda, is critical to maintaining social work's integrity.

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