In this mission, a critical assessment of the impact of social exclusion will be implemented with an overview of historical and current social policy . One of the main points of attention will be social exclusion in relation to victims of domestic violence; from the perspective of a children's center. Discussions on how integrated services can reduce the impact of social exclusion will also be examined, as well as the barriers that might also prevent them. The term social exclusion is widely contested (Parkin, 1979) because the term itself has no definitive definition. It is suggested that the term social exclusion should be used to refer to the term poverty or inequality (Levitas, 1996), as it has become the most fashionable terminology (Blakemore and Griggs, 2007). However, it could be argued that a shift has occurred in that definitions of social exclusion are no longer focused on poverty. It is debatable whether there is widespread acceptance that social exclusion is multidimensional and prevents people from actively engaging within their community. This is clear from the Commission of the European Communities (1993, in Percy-Smith, 2000 p.3) which states that "social exclusion refers to the multiple and changing factors which result in the exclusion of people from trade, practices and normal rights of modern society. ". The Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) (2001) reinforces this point by defining social exclusion as more than just poverty, arguing that it is a broader concept encompassing wider causes and consequences of deprivation . As a result, social exclusion is likely to occur when people or areas suffer from a combination of problems such as unemployment, low skills, low income, poor housing, high crime, poor health and the breakdown of families (SEU, 2001). Although social exclusion can... middle of document ...... (2008) Changing children's services: working and learning together. Bristol: The Policy Press.Teather, S. (2010) Focus on families - a new initiative to help struggling families [online]. London: DFE Publications. [accessed November 28, 2011]. Available at .Trevithick, P. (2000) Social work skills: a handbook of practice [online]. Buckingham: Open University Press. [Accessed December 1, 2011]. Available at: .Williams, F. (2008) Empowering Parents. In Anning, A. and Ball, M. (eds.) Improving services for young children: from Sure Start to children's centres. London: Sage pp. 62-78. Help for women. (2006) Why doesn't she leave? [online]. [Accessed November 29, 2011]. Available at: .Women's Aid. (2007) What is domestic violence? [online] [Accessed November 29, 2011]. Available at: .