Social inclusion or exclusion? Recent policy trends in Scottish children’s services for disabled children E . K AY M . TIS DA L L

Both conceptually and practically, ‘joined-up’ or ‘inter-agency’ working is central to the social inclusion policy agenda (O’Connor and Lewis 1999; Room 1995; Scottish Executive Social Inclusion Network (SIN) 1998). Reacting to criticisms of past urban regeneration programmes, government documents insist that social inclusion policies and programmes are based on devolved decisionmaking, supporting local people to take responsibility for their own communities (SIN 1998: para 3.10). In Scotland, as well as in England and Wales, children and young people have been identified as a key group who are at risk of social exclusion.