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BJSW Advance Access published online on September 18, 2008
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcn121
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved

Is Social Exclusion a Useful Concept in Children's Services?

Nick Axford

Nick Axford has been a Researcher at Dartington Social Research Unit since 1997. His work has involved defining and measuring child well-being and designing and evaluating new services. He is co-editor of the Journal of Children's Services.

Correspondence to Nick Axford, Dartington Social Research Unit, Lower Hood Barn, Dartington TQ9 6AB, UK. E-mail: naxford{at}dartington.org.uk


  Abstract

The concept of social exclusion has a high profile in children's services in the UK. But how does a focus on exclusion change the way in which services seek to define vulnerable children and help them? In particular, how does it compare with (i) a risk and protective factor model and associated attempts to meet need and (ii) efforts to tackle poverty? This article examines the influence of the concept on policy and practice by considering seven emphases commonly associated with a social exclusion perspective. It argues that the concept offers helpful insights into child well-being and the shape of children's services but that these could be exploited more fully, and that many of its perceived benefits in terms of service orientation actually sit well if not better within existing conceptual frameworks.

Keywords: Children's services, need, poverty, social exclusion


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