Sam Smith explores the development of a human rights-based approach to social care, contributing to the development of a culture of awareness of human rights that challenges the perception of human rights law and practice being solely the preserve of lawyers. By approaching human rights in an accessible and informative manner, Smith demystifies human rights in their social care context. Starting with a brief historical summary of the development of human rights from the UN Charter 1945 through to the development of the European Convention on Human Rights, the differing approaches to the development of civil and political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights are explored. Particular attention is given to the development of specific convention rights, and the implications that these convention rights have for social care policy and practice. While the focus of the book is on the development of human rights and social care in Scotland, a review of international policy developments is undertaken in each area to provide scope for comparative analysis and the cross-jurisdiction applications of its key themes.