Human Rights and Social Care : Putting Rights into Practice

Sam Smith explores the development of a human rights based approach to social care, thus she contributes to the development of a culture of awareness of human rights that challenges the perception of human rights law and practice being solely the preserve of lawyers. By approaching human rights in an accessible and informative manner, Sam Smith demystifies human rights in their social care context.Starting with a brief historical summary of the development of human rights from the UN Charter 1945 through to the development of the European Convention on Human Rights, Sam Smith explores the differing approaches to the development of Civil and Political Rights and Economic Social and Cultural Rights. Particular attention is given to the development of specific convention rights such as those embodied in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the implications that these convention rights have for social care policy and practice.The book is structured to explore particular areas of social care (client groups) and makes use of thought-provoking practical examples and case studies to illustrate how human rights theory can enhance social care in practice. While the focus of the book is on the development of Human Rights and Social Care in Scotland, a review of international policy developments is undertaken in each area, to provide scope for comparative analysis and the cross-jurisdiction applications of its key themes.

Dr Sam Smith is the founder and Director of C-Change Scotland, a social support charity in Glasgow enabling positive change in the lives of individuals and families with support needs, regardless of age and personal circumstances. She thrives on new ideas, innovation and finding creative solutions for challenges. Her area of academic interest is risk and human rights.