Deprivation of liberty safeguards guide for care homes
Care homes sometimes find it difficult to identify when they are depriving a resident of their liberty. Here deprivation of liberty safeguards expert John Leighton sets out what they need to look out for.
07 November 2011
'The deprivation of liberty safeguards are not dead'
A recent Court of Appeal judgement was described as the death of the deprivation of liberty safeguards. However, best interests assessor Lorraine Currie disagrees, and says Lord Justice Munby's ruling provides useful tools for practitioners.
18 January 2012
How one council boosted social work's quality and status
Social work performance management has become associated with bureaucracy, a negligible impact on quality and poor morale. However, one council says that it has designed and implemented a system that has delivered precisely the opposite.
27 January 2012
Book review: Reminiscence and Life Story Work: A Practice Guide
This book would prove to be an invaluable tool to anyone involved in reminiscence work, from paid carers or family members to trained professionals, writes Ian Taylor.
13 December 2011
Practice issues in adult safeguarding at a time of cuts
Adult safeguarding consultant Patrick Worthington (pictured) examines the key practice issues facing social care professionals in keeping adults at risk safe at a time of austerity and change
05 December 2011
The impact of competitive tendering on social services and service users
Mark Drinkwater reports on how competitive tendering of services can leave staff, and service users, feeling all at sea
18 November 2011
Research: supported housing for people with learning disabilities
Reducing the number of people with learning disabilities in residential care requires a creative, personalised approach, writes
Dr Trish Hafford-Letchfield
14 November 2011
Social work's most influential thinkers
Who are the people whose ideas have done the most to shape the nature of social work? Community Care profiles some of the profession's most influential brain boxes
10 November 2011
Helping people with learning disabilities take control of their lives
A project to help learning disabled people take charge of their support is helping Cornwall shed its legacy of abuse, reports Maria Ahmed
13 November 2011
How a board game is helping social care staff implement personalisation
A board game that helps staff, providers and service users understand personalisation has succeeded in changing the culture in some organisations, reports Louise Hunt
02 November 2011
Should SCRs be mandatory when vulnerable adults are killed?
Calls to mandate serious case reviews when adults at risk are murdered fail to recognise there are other ways of learning lessons, finds Natalie Valios
24 October 2011
Book review of Learning Difficulties and Sexual Vulnerability
I found this book thought-provoking and a welcome challenge to established ideas about vulnerability, writes Beth Billington.
26 October 2011
How disability services can benefit from voluntary sector input
Kate Baxter reviews research showing how the third sector can innovate in order to deliver care in times of cuts and restraint
24 October 2011
Overcoming social work barriers to person-centred care
Some social care staff struggle to deliver person-centred care. But a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation offers advice on how many of the perceived barriers can be overcome with the right attitude and commitment
14 October 2011
The role of the social care broker
Personalisation and personal budgets have brought new skills and jobs in social care, including brokerage. But it is unclear what this role involves and who should be doing it. Steve Dowson argues it is best done independently of the local authority rather than by council care managers
19 October 2011
Safeguarding adult hub promises easier access to information for practitioners
A website is about to be launched that could radically improve professionals' access to information when handling adult protection cases. Mithran Samuel reports
26 September 2011
Personalisation: Are personal budgets improving outcomes?
Research published this year found personal budgets were improving outcomes for users. Consultant Colin Slasberg (pictured left) claims the positive effects are not the work of personal budgets but of funding levels. In a response, research author Chris Hatton (right) says his findings are robust
30 September 2011
Welfare rights: Cuts to contributory ESA
Stand by for some worried clients in the next few weeks, writes Gary Vaux. The Department for Work and Pensions is writing to 100,000 people telling them that from April 2012, they might lose their right to benefit.
29 September 2011
Supporting service users to become employers
Community Care and Unison's 2011 personalisation survey found social workers needed advice on supporting service users to employ a personal assistant. Independent social worker Kelly Hicks offers some guidance
28 September 2011
Practice Panel: Isolated woman with learning disabilities risks her health by overeating
Experts offer advice on supporting a learning disabled woman whose health is at risk because she will not leave her mother
28 September 2011
