Welfare Reform on the Web (February 2003): Social Care - Overseas
DOES SOCIAL WORK OPPRESS EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS: A "NEW CLASS" ANALYSIS OF SOCIETY AND SOCIAL WORK
D R Hodge
Social Work, vol. 47, 2002, p.401-414
Argues that social workers form part of a new professional class which is secular in its outlook. Its ideology therefore clashes with that of evangelical Christians and other people of faith who believe in a personal God. Atheistic social workers are in a more powerful position than various religious minority groups and are unable to extend tolerance to this population. Their secular ideology sanctions and legitimises discrimination against Evangelicals and other people of faith.
ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY IN HUMAN SERVICES CONTRACTING: CAN STEWARDSHIP FILL THE BILL?
L A Dicke
American Review of Public Administration, vol. 32, 2002, p.455-470
Article reports on an empirical field study that assessed the effectiveness of external control methods derived from principal-agent theories and used to ensure accountability in contracted services. Assessments were based on evaluations provided by case managers and employees in organisations providing care services. Article considers whether control methods derived from stewardship theory could replace or supplement external control methods when these fail to uphold accountability or when gaps are revealed.
RELIGIOUS VS SECULAR HUMAN SERVICE ORGANISATIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC POLICY
E C Twombly
Social Science Quarterly, vol. 83, 2002, p.947-961
The Bush administration has proposed several initiatives to increase the involvement of faith-based groups in welfare service delivery. Study found that while faith-based and secular human service groups had nearly identical expenditure patterns, they relied on different types of funding. Faith-based groups were found to be significantly more likely than secular non-profits to depend on donor contributions. On the other hand secular groups relied more on government grants and contracts. Suggests that faith-based groups may prove to be uninterested in bidding for government contracts.
NURSING HOME VOUCHERS IN SPAIN: THE VALENCIAN EXPERIENCE
M A Tortosa and R Granell
Ageing and Society, vol 22, 2002, p.669-687
In the early 1990s the Valencia Autonomous Region introduced vouchers for individual users of nursing homes. Paper describes the origins, establishment and administration of the programme and evaluates whether it has fulfilled its aims. Concludes that nursing home vouchers have contributed to an increase in the supply of publicly financed rooms, have promoted equality of access to the service and have increased user choice. They have also increased utilisation and expenditure.