The Term Social Exclusion

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

The term ‘social exclusion’ within the new labour social policies (1997-2010), was to describe the gap between the ‘rich’ and the ‘poor’. This permeates factors that suggest and contribute towards the processes of social exclusion, disadvantage and vulnerability as well as poverty. These are often seen as, unemployment, low incomes, high crime neighbourhoods, poor health, poor housing, poor educational attainment and family breakdown (Levitas, Pantazis, Fahmy, Gordon, Lloyd, & Patsios, 2007). These are the processes aimed either at individuals or communities that are marginalised through the lack of denial of opportunities, rights, goods, resources and/or services, which would ordinarily be available to the majority of people within society. Adversely, impacting upon all facets of their lives and personal experiences; sustaining inequality, and in turn has a detrimental effect on peoples well-being through such environmental factors (Yuill & Gibson, 2011; Harden, Brunton, Flatcher, Oakley, & Backhans, 2006).

Social exclusion factors for young people living in areas of disadvantage included; not attending school and truanting leading to exclusion from school. This predicts that young people would be at risk of becoming, not in employment, education or training (NEET); this term is often coined with anti-social behaviour within communities, coupling with higher rates of teenage pregnancy. Research indicates that it is likely that these teenage parent(s) have been excluded from employment, education and training and may experience adverse outcomes continually over their life course, limiting financial security, being in social housing and claiming benefits, through the exclusion of education (Harden, Brunton, Flatcher, Oakley, & Backhans, 2006). The lack of financial resources can incur a cycle of deprivation, with little future prospects of moving out of the ‘poverty trap’ into prosperous employment (Yuill &Gibson, 2011). In the eyes of social policy, this would be seen as a major risk factor towards exclusion for Sally. Levitas (2005) described this as a structural barrier, employing that some in society would fail to see the causal factors that prescribes young people’s negative outcomes. Individuals are blamed for their misfortune and the ‘culture’ from which they share their values within their communities’, taking a ‘moral underclass discourse’ view. This stigmatises and labels young people living in areas of disadvantage, denying them citizenship; as they are not conforming to the societal ‘norm’, of preparing themselves for entry into the ‘labour market’.

Government policies usually stress that the social exclusion of Young people is down to becoming NEET. Society and policy makers are concerned about young people not successfully making the transition into employment in early adulthood. Society expects that young people should be integrated into the work ethic, thus contributing to society, securing a prosperous future into the career, housing and employment market. Defining a young person as NEET; labels the young person as being defective and therefore leads to further exclusion, in light of class systems.

In the aid to tackle this, the following policy was developed ‘Aiming high for young people: a ten year strategy for positive activities (2007), the primary focus was on increasing positive activities for young people in the hope to successfully improve positive outcomes, particularly adolescents and their transitions into adulthood.

The rationale for the early intervention approach underpins the fact that children’s social problems are created because they are not receiving the right support at a crucial point in their stage of development, and hinders their progress and their rights to reach their full potential. Cunningham and Cunningham suggest that as a society we focus on safeguarding and protection as our primary focus of intervention, Allen suggests that we need to tackle issues around social problems before they get to the point of these issues. If early intervention is used before critical points then the need for statutory involvement would therefore be reduced significantly offered at a different tier on the continuum of need. Alleviating services to continue to carry out their work at level three and four.( early intervention and the big society.. localised communities offering targeted and universal services, offering programmes in local areas, enabling school readiness and enhancing a child development when difficulties arise, not just focusing around particular issues such as education , employment, health and crime reduction. This approach needs to be at the heart of all polices. Offering a holistic approach towards the well-being and development of our children in society (Allen, Early Intervention:The Next Steps, 2011). Munro, states to tackle problems before they begin and end up with multiple factor s. (Munro, 2011) (Allen & Smith, 2008)

Nsf framework- 21 standards and 203 key actions and the un convention of rights,ecm- services being delivered around the child, child centred focus, preventative action to ensure children have the best possible chance and realise their full potential, children, child poverty and children from disadvantaged backgrounds risk not realising their full potential as they grow up and develop into adolescent and adult life ( poor transitions) looking at the whole child, not just the illness or problem, picking up problems early. So children can then grow up successfully move into the parent transition and therefore be equipped to bring up their own children. (State intervention) being listened to and involved with their care. To tackle child poverty, thrive to grow and be healthy by integrating services between hospitals, schools, nurseries, maternity units. (Early years, childcare services and health sector.)Mental and physical health needs are a result of childhood. Need to bridge the gap sooner. Joint working between agencies and sectors, smooth transitions and partnership with children young people and families. Prevent children suffering harm, promote welfare, services identified to meet their needs, and safeguard children who are being or who are likely to be harmed. (Children act 2004) address health, social, educational and emotional needs. Give children increased information, power and choice over the support of treatment they receive, being aware of actions to take where safeguarding is concerned. Be healthy, stay safe4, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic wellbeing. Information sharing between agencies, common assessment framework. Extended schools as a provision. (Brodie, Goldman, & Clapton, 2011)- mental health service transistions- hifgh eligabilty thresholds meaning, they cannot access services until they atre at crisi point. Housing costs and changing patterns of education means that young pople stay at home into their twenties, problems between transisitons from childrens mental health service to adults is difficult again they would have to meet the thresholds which are different for adults services. Needs to incorperate the wider social context of childrens lives, inc- education, employment, hosuing and overall health needs.

The term adolescent is defined as developmental stage; where by neurological changes affect brain behaviour and functioning. This is known as a transition period of physical, psychological changes, resulting in transitions between childhood to adolescent; adolescent to early adulthood. Most people would make reference to this as the ‘teenage years’ although these changes can occur from the age of ten, entering a pre-adolescent stage and is typically distinct in females. The later stage of adolescent to early adulthood occurs from 14 to the age of 25 with an increase in capacity, ability to have insight and make judgments with experience. Hormonal changes occur, cognitive development and the notion of abstract thinking, expressing independence and individual reasoning(piaget). This is a crucial time in brain development, with psychological changes and the ability to view the world in a much wider concept. This can influence adolescent’s life and future prospects, as well as developing a sense of identity and shaping personality (Erickson).

Solution focused practice in psychodynamic way, low self-esteem, cognitive ability through development, time of storm and stress, identity crisis role confusion, has adapted a current care giving role, confused around her social status, transactional analysis as a way of talking to sally about her situation on an adult to adult way, although this can be used to measure sally’s responses towards her situations, loss and grief, attachment issues and relationships, primary care giver , create successful transition into adulthood by addressing sally’s needs at this time, positives strengths, sally has accepted support, previous aspirations, does have the capacity to form relationships, ask about relationships as this is key. Discuss issues surrounding responsibility and independence over choices particularly around the age issue that she has not disclosed to her boyfriend and the possibility of abandonment issues again or him becoming angry, safeguarding as she a young person, if she discloses further relationships work, family look into family dynamics when father was there, possibility of domestic violence, still an issue to raise and address, protective factors for sally, and her sister, look at relationships with siblings. Exposed to a lot of adversity since the age of 9 until 14. Access to cahms for a mental health assessment. Child and adolescent mental health service- organised around the 4 tier system, usually tier 3

Systemic theory as an intervention- the depressive symptoms of the child conceptualised in interactional terms, the child is seen as a part in the number of different contexts in which the child responds and their behaviour and symptoms is connected to and varies within these contexts. The child’s depressive behaviours are primarily maintained within and by various systems of which the child is a part, in particular their family, responses of family members to the child can be seen as maintaining or contributing towards the child’s distress and symptoms. Feedback systems will operate both to affect the child symptoms as well as the behaviours and attitudes of key relatives, parental reactions to the child’s depressed behaviour will be responded to in turn by the child, creating a cycle of feedback. Sally is also excluded from her family. Practical forms of support through school and groups.

What does the relationship with her boyfriend mean to sally, how does she internalise this? Teenage pregnancy exclusion. Form of education around the family and her development. Ways of working with sally…relationships and psychotherapy allowing her to explore her own concepts and views about what she thinks and feels. Love security and attachment, is this why she wants to be with this guy? Adolescents do move out of the family sphere and begin to develop relationships of importance to themselves, natural progression, it’s about identifying what is typical of sally’s age group and what is not so typical, conflict within families are normal, but too much or too less effects their ability to become resilience and effects their risk taking behaviours. Important to explore what’s going on sociologically for sally as again reflecting the cultural and structural aspects that are being felt by sally, how these two interlink and continue to oppress sally and maintain a cycle of deprivation. To increase sally’s outcomes, participation of structured activities, socialising with children and the potential for positive role modelling from adults.

Spending cuts within the government make intervention impossible, closures of sure start centres that offer guidance and help towards the wellbeing of the society.

Partnerships working with the school, extra activities after school to encourage sally to mix with her appropriate age group, as she had developed sue to roles and responsibilities, encourage positive experiences of normal teenage routines. Considering the adolescent stage and boundaries that may be pushed and sometimes the dispelling has to be brought into the role. Appropriate ness of work Munroe â€"child centred

Method of intervention, theory approach… what will I do with sally practically- sally is past the stage of early intervention, what have the schools done , her emotional state is not being picked up at school.

Do not igonore dv as part of the assessment

Munro- development of human rights, safety and welfare. United Nations conventions support a child centred system and promotes the rights of the child. Services are expected to keep the child in focus, ‘every child has the right to say what they think in all matters affecting them, and to have their views taken seriously’

Free from harm children act 1984 article 19 evokes that all children have the right to be free from harm

Sociology books, importance for social work practice to take into consideration

Coolabourative working and the challenges

Thresholds, partnerships, accessing services, no community based , all cut. Need for holistic approach, understanding the wider context helps us inform how this is affecting sally and her circumstances. Partnerships in terms of safeguarding issues.

Partnerships working with the school, extra activities after school to encourage sally to mix with her appropriate age group, as she had developed sue to roles and respnsibilties, encourage positive experiences of normal teenage routines. Considering the adolescent stage and boundaries that may be pushed and sometimes the dispaline has to be brought into the role. Appropriate ness of wotk munro â€"child centred

Munro- development of human rights , safety and welfare. Untited antions conventions supports a child centred system and promotes the rights of the child. Services are expected to keep the child in focus, ‘ every child has the right to say what they think in all matters affecting them, and to have their views taken seriously’

free from harm children act 1984 article 19 evokes that all children have the right to be free from harm

codes of practice hpc. Inderstanding autonomy whilst duty to safeguard young people. Understanding the risks and risk factors of the young person. Society does not define the individual, the individual had choices, important to educate and inform of the avenues explored in order for young people to unstand their own postions. That way they can make an informed choice about their own life path.