This article aims to examine the accountability that social welfare corporations should have to their multiple stakeholders to perform in the public interest from the viewpoint of multi-stakeholder (MSH) theory adopted by European social enterprises and co-operatives. The purpose of this article also is to examine the possibility of a social balance sheet as a system to evaluate the public interest of social welfare corporations through the concept of "social accountability." A social balance sheet is a mechanism to limit biased allocation of wealth and value, to inform stakeholders, and to ensure accountability. Accountability was first explained to the multiple stakeholders in social welfare corporations, i.e. welfare personnel, clients (including recipients), the local community, and government personnel. Next, the validity of using a social balance sheet to evaluate social welfare corporations was determined. The acquisition of control of social welfare corporations from the outside based on an MSH approach represents a new system to ensure the proper expenditure of public funds, adequacy of internal reserves, and transparency of management. This new system offers valuable insight into the future management of social welfare corporations. A process is needed to devise more practical approaches suited to social welfare corporations in Japan.

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Keitai-Nyuji are infants who were imprisoned with their mother, or who were borne by women in prison. The system of Keitai-Nyuji in Japan was established during the Meiji period. This study focuses on the transition of laws and regulations related to Keitai-Nyuji based on a study of documents from the prison administration during the Meiji period, and considers the actual situation of infants who lived in prison with their mother. It is clear that these infants were recipients of severe exclusion and discrimination, and that many had developmental problems. Therefore, the number of infants who had been imprisoned, which at one time was more than 2,000 in a year, was gradually restricted. However it is also a contemporary problem, because the discussion of Keitai-Nyuji was not addressed after the Meiji period, and the provision remains in the existing law.

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It has been important to follow up former youth in care. Recently, four studies, aimed at understanding care leavers' living conditions, were conducted by municipalities in Japan. This study subjected these studies to secondary analysis, and we conducted two original surveys in order to determine the condition of more care leavers. As a result of these analyses, care leavers who received public assistance are more than 18 times than the average of the same age. Some care leavers had judicial or/and mental health problem and needed public interventions. It is suggests that there were some deprivations in the lives of former youths in care. We hypothesize that these deprivations occurred in a particular subgroup of care leavers, because of differences in the chances of going onto higher education and of employment status. In particular, youth who had left care at the age of less than 18 tended to have difficulties with both living and jobs. Child social care systems must research care leavers living conditions and should guarantee LIFE CHANCES of youth in and out of care.

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This study investigated improvement in treatment of persons with dementia by their primary caregiver and the relationship between improvement and the care management process ("CM process") that includes verifying intentions, offering explanations and giving advice. Subjects were 2,097 people with Dementia Scale I or higher who had a care plan created for them by home-based care support centers or regional comprehensive support center. Binomial logistic regression analysis (stepwise method) was performed with improvement in treatment by the primary caregiver as the dependent variable and explanatory variables of care levels, the relationship between the patient and the primary caregiver, and a CM process index comprised of four questions on the CM process with a maximum score of 4 points. A significant association was seen with the CM process (p<0.01), with a higher odds ratio as the index score increases (0 points : ref, 1 point : OR=3.73 to 4 points : OR=9.57), suggesting that a more multi-faceted care management process for the dementia patient and family members may improve treatment of the dementia patient by the primary caregiver.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify the structure and the features of "Quasi-Abuse" for the "redefinition of elderly abuse in practice", based on the recognition of abuse of nursing care staff. The 5,000 nursing care staff who work in nursing homes across Japan participated in this research and we analyzed 1,143 respondents. The research was conducted from October llth to 25th in 2012. Results show that four factor structures of "Quasi-Abuse" such as "lack of Dignity", "lack of Role", "lack of Autonomy" and "lack of Interchange" were extracted. The comparison between the average of each "lower score" indicates that the recognition of nursing care staff about elderly abuse in relation to lack of "Dignity and Interchange" is high. But the recognition of nursing care staff about elderly abuse in relation to lack of "Role and Autonomy" is low. From the result mentioned above, we now have a clear idea about the following things: 1. The lack of "Dignity, Role, Autonomy and Interchange" in relation to the life of elderly people is 'Quasi-Abuse'. 2. We need to improve the understanding of the nursing care staff regarding the importance of life of the elderly people in relation to "Role and Autonomy", because they tend to overlook this matter.

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In general, children are supposed to be protected and cared for by adults. However, some children assume as much care responsibility as adults owing to their family situation. These children are referred to as "young carers." This study analyzes a questionnaire survey administered to Tokyo medical social workers to study the approximate scale of the young carer population in Japan as well as how health and social service professionals recognize these young carers. The results indicated that about 30% of 402 respondents had felt the presence of young carers through their work. In addition, the frequently cited reasons why these children assumed care responsibilities, included parents' disease or hospitalization and belonging to a single-parent family. On the whole, the respondents demonstrated a high level of interest in young carers. However, it was revealed that a method of supporting these children has not yet been established in Japan. Thus, individual professionals deal with young carers through trial and error.

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This study aims to examine the reality of school social workers and the relationship between critical components and outcomes, based on the arrangement programs of school social workers. Quantitative analyses were conducted on the matching data obtained from 372 school social workers working within 155 local governments. The quantitative survey led to two findings. First, school social workers conduct many practices aimed at generating positive outcomes. Second, the assignment schemes of school social workers affect their practice and its implications.

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