Description
Book SynopsisPaving the way for a government to fulfil its responsibility to families, this authoritative and critical account of the Troubled Families Programme reveals the inconsistencies and contradictions within it, and issues of deceit and malpractice in its operation.
Trade Review“Troublemakers’ undoubtedly deserves to be widely read and is to be highly recommended to anyone with an interest in community development, sociology, social policy or other cognate disciplines.” Community Development
"Public sociology at its best. With great skill, Crossley skewers the assumptions behind the Troubled Families Initiative and exposes the flaws in its development. The result is a compelling and disturbing analysis of the production of ‘troubled families’ as a category and as a project for social policy." Steph Lawler, University of York
"This book presents an eviscerating case study of a deeply flawed policy intervention. It is insightful, original and deserves to be widely read." Val Gillies, University of Westminster
“A much-needed rigorous interrogation of the troubled moral dimensions of recent social policy and state intervention in family life. A must-read at a time when so much of our public discourse about policy and practice has been reduced to mere metrics and money.” Kathy Evans, Chief Executive, Children England
"Stephen Crossley is out to make trouble, and in this book he succeeds in his aim...There is a lot of muck to be raked within contemporary social policy regarding work with children and families, and Crossley has produced an important book by performing this action here..." Critical and Radical Social Work
"...the most comprehensive study of this particular intervention to date, a detailed, passionate, and persuasive critique. It is highly recommended, and should be widely read." Journal of Social Policy
Table of ContentsIntroduction; The ‘ong and undistinguished pedigree; The opening of a policy window; The 'evolution’ of the programme; The responsibility deficit; This thing called family intervention; Street-level perspectives; Research: help or hindrance?; ‘Nothing to hide’?
