Privatization is a major issue in British social policy in the 1980s and 1990s and practitioners must come to terms with the practical and philosophical questions concerned. This volume covers both theoretical and practical issues involved in the privatization of social services and health care, and highlights some of the challenges posed by privatization to those who have to make social welfare services work. An introduction relates the historical place of the private sector in British social welfare to current privatizations and is followed by chapters on the privatization issue and on the impact of private growth on social services planning. The second section of the book presents recent research in the service where private supply has increased most rapidly - residential care, especially for the elderly. Linda Challis reviews recent policy developments; Robin Darton and Ken Wright discuss the findings of a major survey into the characteristics of homes; Peter McCoy and Judith Phillips report on their research into practitioners' attitudes. The final section looks at wider perspectives - the state of community care in the US and the potential extension of privatization to other agencies, such as the prison service, in this country.