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THE MORAL STATE WE'RE IN

Julia Neuberger, Harper Collins

ISBN: 0007181671, £16.99

Star Rating: 3/5

Neuberger sketches a Breughel-like panorama of the modern dispossessed, and how society continues to let most of them down. She is scathing about today's risk-averse professional cultures, although she is too casual about the specific risks many service users face and the difficulty practitioners encounter when trying to protect them, writes Anthony Douglas.

The book concentrates on vulnerable groups who are hardest to help, like those needing long-term care, and uses case examples to illustrate society's ambivalence.

Yet Neuberger ignores the majority of people who use state welfare services for short periods, often successfully. Short-term work is rewarding for service users and staff, as quick wins can be achieved. And public opinion is complex. Even the super-me generation gives generously to charity if inspired.

While pacy, the book lacks balance and a clear thread of argument. Many suggested solutions are admirably aspirational, but the complexity of implementing real change is underplayed.

Anthony Douglas is chief executive of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) and chair of BAAF adoption and fostering.