Who designs Welfare Policy?

Professor Ewen Speed, who is leading on the UK-wide analysis of policy documents relating to volunteering and the voluntary sector is speaking at the British Sociological Association 70th Annual conference – ‘Remaking the Future’.

The conference is virtual because of the pandemic, and his paper poses the question “Who designs Welfare Policy?”. He argues that contemporary society and politics are consistently constituted as being in a state of democratic deficit. Practices of engagement and involvement are routinely mobilised to address this deficit. The particular problem he explores in his paper is the disconnect between health and social care policy and welfare policy. He concludes by asking a number of questions around what participative welfare policy might look like, and how it might be realised.

Is involving citizens in shaping public services active citizenship? Let us know what you think.