UK Higher Education OUP Humanities & Social Sciences Health & Social Welfare

• How does residential care in England compare with that of other European countries? • What is social pedagogy, and how does it help those working with children in care? • How can child care policy and practice be improved throughout the United Kingdom? This book is written against the background of the gross social disadvantage suffered by most looked-after children in England. It compares European policy and approaches – from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands – to the public care system in England. Drawing on research from all six countries, the authors analyze how different policies and practice can affect young people in residential homes. A particular focus is on the unique approach offered by social pedagogy, a concept that is commonly used in continental Europe. The book compares young people''s own experiences and appraisals of living in a residential home, and the extent to which residential care compounds social