Prevention and Social Exclusion: New Understandings for Policy and Practice

Existing conceptual and policy understandings of prevention draw on the work of Hardiker et al. undertaken during the 1980s and 1990s. This article considers the changing landscape for child welfare provision and argues the value of developing new understandings that reflect contemporary practice and policy contexts. Building on the analysis of data gathered during the National Evaluation of the Children's Fund (NECF), this article suggests that new and different understandings of prevention can be explored when located within a contemporary context of social exclusion. The article suggests that a framework based on the work of NECF provides a useful way forward for the development of preventative policy and will enable practitioners to reflect on their activities and roles.