Changes in Social Policy on Social Work in the UK - Report Example

While aiming at understanding these changes, this paper analyses the concepts of social work and social policies. Further, it discusses the social policies in the UK while drawing attention to the changes from the twentieth century to the current twenty-first century. Finally are the effects of these changes on social work across all sectors. While it is important to consider the changes in the social policies since 1979 in the UK, it is equally important to understand what is constituted in the social policy and social work and finally analyzing the impact of the changes in the social policies on social work.

Understanding Social PolicyThe term social policy has been defined in several ways among which include the policies that are devised by the government of a given state while aiming at protecting the welfare of the citizens (Cunningham, 2012). Another definition is the protection of the weak while aiming at their wellbeing. Though the terms wellbeing and welfare are used interchangeably, their difference is insignificant since there are both concerned with the survival of the citizens. The domain of social policy is enormous and in understanding it; scholars determine several dimensions that can be used (Alcock, 2014).

Among these include the welfare, administration, economics, and the models of social policy. As stated above, one of the profound definitions of the term is the act of protecting the weak. However, it is important to note that it must meet the needs of all citizens which is the ‘just’ concept of social policy. Social policies are what define a society. Among the major aspects of social policy includes ‘work’ which is also divided into several dimensions such as forms of employment, work distribution, conflicts between the workers, employers, and the laws governing the work selection and process (Storey, 1994).

The social policy thus aims at protecting the workers who have little or no one to benefit from. Over the years, these policies have been altered while aiming at different goals. In social protection concerns, some of the groups that have been considered include the elderly, uneducated, disabled, and the poor (Hill, 1997).