The eighth edition of this successful textbook provides a student-friendly assessment of the key substantive areas of social policy and the context and processes which surround their development. It is written to engage students across the health and social sciences as well as those studying social policy as a main subject. It features a greater emphasis on key principles, themes, and issues, an overview of recent policy changes, broader coverage of the historical and global context, and new chapters on social care for adults and on education and children. It uses case studies and other text box material to illustrate the contents of each chapter. It provides an accessible introduction to key areas of policy while inviting readers to consider these in historical, social, and comparative context. It investigates current constitutional changes and their potential impact upon social policy.