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This paper discusses the neglect of old people as an element of mistreatment. It considers the definition and prevalence of neglect and issues arising both in self‐neglect and in the context of professional and personal relationships. It is argued that the underlying reasons for ‘omissions of care’ are various and complex and that distinctions between ‘intentional’ and ‘unintentional’ neglect may be unhelpful. Present evidence suggests that it is the oldest and most vulnerable of elderly citizens who are most likely to experience neglect and that the numbers are not inconsiderable. This has far reaching implications for society and for many aspects of social policy and poses a moral challenge to us all.

This article considers the wide‐ranging situations and circumstances in which sexual abuse of elderly people occurs and suggests that the complexities inherent in the issue mean that policy‐makers and practitioners face real challenges in minimising future instances of victimisation.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the legacy of six pioneer child care researchers.

An assessment of the achievements of a generation of child care researchers.

The early researchers were not only highly innovative in terms of theory and methodologies but also left a set of studies that stimulated and informed subsequent studies.

A review of the work of six pioneering child care researchers.

This paper reports findings from a recent study of adult protection case conferences, focusing on how the victim's views may be represented or heard.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the particular characteristics and strengths of mainstream undergraduate and postgraduate university education for social workers.

A brief summary of the establishment of the honours degree or M-level qualification as the requirement for registration as a social worker in England is followed by a summary of the main aspects of “mainstream” social work courses. The values underpinning a “student” rather than a “trainee” route into social work are explored and some limited comparisons made with recently introduced fast-track specialist programmes. Where relevant, the student experience is contrasted with that of fast-track specialist trainees.

The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential impact on the social work profession and on agencies providing social work services of the cuts over the past few years in the numbers of students on “generalist” mainstream social work programmes.

This is a conceptual paper. It recognises that more information is available on long-established university programmes than on the more recently available fast-track routes into social work and cites relevant research.

The paper points to the changing balance between numbers entering social work in England via mainstream and fast-track specialist programmes and argues for a fuller debate amongst all stakeholders as to whether this change is in the interest of the profession and those who need social work services.

The author argues that the unequal level of funding between the different entry routes into social work is distorting choice (for students and future employers) between fast-track specialist and mainstream social work education. It is hypothesised that differences between the curricula and learning experiences of the two routes may have an impact on the social work service available to vulnerable people across age and needs groups. It also points to a potentially negative impact on social work education and the knowledge base of the reduction in numbers of academics with both social work practice experiences and research qualifications.

This is an original paper that draws on the author’s experience and the published research and grey literature cited.

Social Workers and their time — continuing our account of a project to study how social workers spend their time and how this time could be used more effectively:

This paper provides a commentary on research outcomes in the field of elder abuse and challenges assumptions about older people, carers, vulnerability and risk.