Australian Social Policy and the Human Services

Australian Social Policy and the Human Services contends that human service practitioners benefit from understanding the relationship between social policy, the human services and their own practices. In this comprehensive introduction to the subject, readers are encouraged to develop their policy literacy, or critical understanding of the development, implementation and evaluation of social policies. Part I explores the debates and organising principles of social policy and the human services. Part II focuses on the development and delivery of social policy, including its history, and a discussion of the Third Sector in Australia. Part III covers specific areas of social policy: income maintenance, employment, housing, health care, family and child care, and indigenous social policy. Emerging issues, such as globalisation and sustainability, are examined in Part IV. Each chapter features discussion points, exercises, case studies, further reading lists and links with the Australian Association of Social Workers Practice Standards (2013).