People throughout the community are affected by social issues, and it is the job of social workers to ensure that they are getting the best care, help and support that they need. The 16 tracks on this album look at numerous circumstances within the community - from the different ways of schooling young people with visual impairment, to fuel poverty, homelessness and the charity Mencap. The material forms part of The Open University course K202 Care, welfare and community.

Everyone has their own perspective on mental health, especially those who have experienced it. 'An untimely death on Passchendaele Ward' is written and performed by members 'The Orphans of Beulah' - a theatre group consisting of mental health service users and survivors. It is a modern day farce focusing on life in a Mental Health Institution. A death on the the ward leads to a lot of questions being asked. There are nurses self-medicating, patients acting as nurses, commissioners turning a blind eye. Who turns out on top, and what actually did happen that fateful night on Passchendaele Ward? In two of the audio tracks, service users, professionals and practitioners comment on the drama an some of the issues it raises. In the remaining audio tracks, Jonathan Leach of The Open University's School of Health and Social Welfare explains why the drama was commissioned, and how it fits in with the aims of the course. He also gives an overview of the course and who it's aimed at, and talks about how he came to be involved in mental health education. This material forms part of K225, Diverse perspectives on mental health.

The Welfare State was the defining act of the Clement Atlee's government. But does that overshadow a strong hand played in defence of the realm?

No place in the sun? Britons who followed the sun and relocated for the more pleasant Spanish climate are worried that when the UK leaves Europe, so must they.

Three short equations may help determine the likely outcome of Theresa May's dealings with the EU, believes Kalypso Nicolaïdis.

Change, diversity and uncertainty are unavoidable features of modern life. Collectively, we may be living through a major transformation in society and the traditions that hold it together. Individually, we may face increasing barriers to taking responsibility for our own destinies, exercising power and making our own decisions. The tracks on this album focus on these and other big issues in the contemporary world. The past and the future - the Welfare State through to Globalisation. The material forms part of the course DD100, An introduction to the social sciences: understanding social change.

Discrepancies between secular law and Jewish aims are discussed in this video with Rabbi Naftali Rothenberg.

Britain has seen a surge in applications for permenant residency from EU nationals. But will the document help secure their future? 

How do 'welfare to work' programmes such as the New Deal take into account and shape people's personal lives? This free course, Remaking the relations of work and welfare, looks at how participation in, and drop-out from, 'workfare' programmes are interpreted within different theoretical perspectives, and uses two case studies to connect the theory with the reality of people's lives.