Social work as family policing

Concerns about a shift towards more punitive and disciplinary welfare systems can be found in many countries, especially those influenced by neoliberal ideologies and a resulting desire for ‘welfare reform’. Social workers are often at the sharp end of these reforms, and longstanding concerns about the role of social workers in caring for or controlling certain groups are particularly relevant today. This chapter explores the long history of social works’ relationship with disciplinary and regulatory practices, going all the way back to the profession’s emergence towards the end of the 19th century, when social workers would ‘patrol the streets’, looking for neglected children, before following them home. More recent examples of social workers’ roles in disciplining and ‘policing’ disadvantaged families and individuals are also discussed. Examples from both the UK and the USA are highlighted to demonstrate the reach of such practices. An exploration of the challenges and opportunities for social work practice and development within these new frameworks concludes this chapter.