York university at the forefront of social policy

With the Tour de France Grand Depart looming the next day the whole of York was in a state of some excitement when I visited the Department of Social Policy and Social Work.  What made it doubly exciting was the range of conversations Professor Jonathon Bradshaw had arranged for me.

Himself an expert on comparative social policy made an interesting start to the day when he painted an informed picture of the state of the social policy landscape in Britain and its likely implications in the near future.  Like a forward sounding echo it was easy to see the road he described as one Australia is likely to travel in part at least. Technically falling unemployment is accompanied or helped by "zero hours contracts", underemployment and an increase in working poor (two thirds of children defined as being poor are in working families).  When the government does not look after the bottom of the labour market then the state picks up the casualties and in effect subsidises low wage employers and adds to the profits of these companies; a poignant point for us in
Australia.

My meeting with Dr Christine Skinner , Chair of the Board of Studies of the school and an expert in child support was enlightening as we discussed the attempts of both Australian and British governments to enter the intimate and vexed space of troubled family relationships.  After borrowing policy ideas on this issue from our CSA Britain is now steeping back out of the space and closing its version, acknowledging that it has become a "toxic brand"!  In what seems like fee for service taken to extremes parents volunteering for its replacement, the Child Maintenance Statutory Scheme will pay a fee for government involvement in the future.

Dementia and the relationship between health and social care were the main topics of my meeting with Karen Bloor Professor of Health Policy in the Department of Health Science.  One concern that emerged is that as we get closer to the desired nirvana of integrated health and social policy allowing better outcomes for clients we may be opening the door to individual aside budgets for health care, in turn leading to mean testing for health care.  Interestingly Britain, with similar demographics in population ageing to Australia is finding that it is co morbidity, not age that is leading to spiraling health costs.

Dr Wendy Mitchell of the school has been working on many of the issues we are struggling with as our NDIS starts us thinking about people with disabilities as employers.  The Social Policy Research Unit has developed videos on this to use to train social workers for their role in this.

Next I met with Professor Gillian Parker and our conversation concentrated on the relationship between hospitals and aged care, and dementia.  Of interest will be the upcoming research from Gillian's team will be the upcoming evaluation the department is undertaking of  music and dementia programmes as well as research into social isolation for adults accessing community care.

Dan Meyer I'd Professor of Social Welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and visiting fellow at the school in York.  His area of interest is lone parents and I was able to discuss with him the comparisons he makes between the US and UK.  One programme that struck me as innovative and worthy of a further look was occurring in the US.  After years of noticing that putting those falling behind in child support payments into the criminal justice system was not working, 8 States are experimenting with bringing these parents into employment, parenting and other programmes.  At first glance it seems to be working!

Nicholas Pleace is the Director of the School's Housing Policy.  It was interesting personally to see the effect of policies from the 80's and 90's as I worked on the frontline of homeless and housing charities in the UK. Of real note was that in 3011/12 housing expenditure was half that of Defence.  I don't have the Australian comparator on me but I'm guessing its nowhere near.  As I left Australia the debate was around the federal government having no role in housing.  Here even conservative MPs can be heard regularly on the news discussing the role the national government must take in provision of housing. All is not benign of course with the relatively new bedroom tax affecting those in receipt of housing or housing benefits.

My last meeting for the day was with Dr Gill Main, researcher in child wellbeing.  One of her main areas of interest and work is the Good Childhood Report along with the Church of England's Children's Society (another of my former employers!).

Many many thanks to all those who shared their time with me, and especially to Jonathon for arranging the day!