Book excerpt: This introductory text discusses the development of social pedagogy as an academic discipline and explores its influence on UK debates about welfare practice. The book provides the theoretical structure for understanding: the potential of social pedagogy in UK welfare practice * how key ideas from within social pedagogy can be linked to ideas of inclusion, creativity, and personalization * the impact of power relations on the social pedagogic relationship * the importance of creativity in building inclusive practice. Focusing on practice situations within which social pedagogy can be seen to be effective, the book provides a background to the introduction of social pedagogy in the UK. It investigates how European and UK services could benefit from a better mutual understanding of what each other does. It also discusses how social pedagogy can contribute to other areas of practice, including youth work, adult social care, and community development.