Adult Care Blog: September 2010 Archives

Department of Health takes the reigns on nutrition

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 30, 2010 4:17 PM | No Comments

All nutrition policy will be set by the Department of Health, from tomorrow.

Policy on portion size, reducing salt and reducing sugar in foods will move from the Food Standards Agency into the Department of Health.

If you want to know hoe food and nutrition impacts upon social care, check out Community Care's food issue.

The Department said this was a step towards forming a Public Health Service.

image by wendalicious on Flickr

Social worker Jo Williams confirmed as CQC chair

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 30, 2010 4:11 PM | No Comments

Dame Jo Williams has been confirmed by the Department of Health as the new chair of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

A member of the Commission on Long Term Care Funding and former president of the Association of directors of Adult Social Services, Williams, has been appointed to serve for four years, working three days a week at the CQC.

Read the Department of Health press release including comments from Jo and Andrew Lansley, secretary of state for health, after the jump.

Continue reading Social worker Jo Williams confirmed as CQC chair.

Care homes' star ratings kept alive - but not by the CQC

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 30, 2010 3:35 PM | No Comments

In June this year the Care Quality Commission (CQC) stopped awarding star ratings to care homes based on the quality of their service.

However, BestCareHome.co.uk has stepped into the breach and announced that it will be providing its own star ratings (and the CQC's) on its website.

BestCareHome.co.uk plans to use the CQC's own reports to award ratings to homes not yet rated by the CQC. It plans to award hundreds of ratings over the next few days.

Richard Phillips, founder of the site, said it was a mistake to abandon the star ratings without an alternative in place. He added: "Choosing a care home is a difficult task and star ratings provide an excellent way of helping the public shortlist homes. Without these, you need to read through inspection reports, which can be 30 pages or more.

"Finding the right care home, often at short notice can be incredibly stressful and people need all the help they can get," he said.

The CQC's old star ratings will remain on its own website until a new system is introduced (not before May 2011) but they will not be search-able from tomorrow.

The move may well prove popular with providers who have expressed concern that they could be saddled with bad ratings until May 2011, even if conditions at a care home have improved. The public, social workers and local authority commissioners have all used the star ratings to decide which care homes to use and so their removal without a replacement could be construed as a barrier to progress.

However, whether the website will be able to offer the same level of quality assurance of a full national inspectorate is yet to be seen.

image by takingthemoney on Flickr

The new mid-life crisis swamping Britain

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 29, 2010 11:00 AM | No Comments

There's been some interesting research carried out by Relate, which struck a chord with me.

Its top line is that people in their late 30s and early 40s are the unhappiest in society.

Some of the findings were:

* One in five of those aged 35-44 feel lonely a lot of the time, or have suffered depression
* Nearly one in three aged 35-44 think shorter working hours would improve family relationships
* Communication is the biggest problem for over 800,000 35-44 year olds

News round-up: Paul Burstow, fraud and Big Society

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 29, 2010 9:59 AM | No Comments

There's an interesting comment piece in today's Guardian about whether care services minister Paul Burstow will have the courage to stand up to vested interests in the insurance industry.

It's worth reading in the context of the comprehensive spending review and the commission on care funding.

Meanwhile the coalition government has continued in familiar territory by unveiling new plans to tackle benefit fraud.

This time the fraudsters face a lifetime ban on claiming welfare.

There's also an interesting blog on Liberal Democrat Voice on Big Society underlining scepticism within the party about the pace of the agenda's roll out. Such voices underline the difficulties Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is having in keeping his party together.

Yes it has just had its conference and members were obviously proud their party was in power but the concerns about the government's overall agenda were evident.

The interesting quote from Liberal Democrat Voice is this: "As the New Victorians of the Conservative party seek to catapult the country back to a more hostile era in which, in the name of self-reliance, the vulnerable are expected increasingly to fend for themselves, we would do well to remember the good that the state can achieve - without for one minute ceasing to be concerned about its weaknesses."

Osborne's savage cuts given backing by IMF

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 28, 2010 9:41 AM | No Comments

Chancellor George Osborne was clearly going to leap on to any body backing his cuts programme.

So when backing came from that august body the International Monetary Fund, Osborne must have been jumping with glee.

The problem with this backing is that a deputy governor of the Bank of England has basically said that he is relying on people to spend to help pull the economy out of trouble.

Now I'm sure I'm not the only one but with so many job cuts around at the moment I'm in no mood to spend extravagantly.

If I am representative of most people then I have a worry that Osborne may feel compelled to issue an even tougher deficit reduction plan.

And cuts are already causing pain among the most vulnerable. As the Nottingham Post reported today homelessness and rent arrears are set to rise in Nottingham as hard up families have their benefits cut.

It reported the findings of analysis by regeneration organisation One Nottingham, which has warned that up to 6,500 low-income private tenants, who receive an allowance toward their rent, will be worse off.

The are fears families in the city could be forced out of their homes, with some losing as much as £3,291 a year in Local Housing Allowance alone.

The cuts will put increased pressure on an already stretched council housing stock. This is also the fear of council leaders in London.

Picture courtesy of altogetherfool on Flickr.com

O2 to launch 'tag' for vulnerable people

By Mithran Samuel, adults' editor, on September 27, 2010 8:56 PM | No Comments

Mobile phone company O2 is entering the world of telecare with the launch of a mobile service to enable professionals and family members monitor the movements of vulnerable people. Or, in the words of a Telegraph headline on the story, to "tag a granny".
A little while ago this would have raised a few eyebrows but monitoring technology, particularly for dementia patients, seems to have ceased to be so controversial.

Labour still lacking alternative to government's social care plans

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 27, 2010 11:33 AM | No Comments

Labour are still struggling to formulate cohesive alternative to the government's health reform plans if they are to effectively oppose them.

Although current shadow health secretary Andy Burnham has been outspoken about the party's opposition to the health white paper reforms which would hand more power to GPs, he lacks ideas on what to do in the interim, before further reform. In meetings with the those in the care sector Burnham has reportedly been all ears on what Labour's policy in this area should be.

Labour's indecisiveness on the issue was characterised by its ill fated Personal Care At Home Act, passed before the election in May. It was widely criticised as too small in its thinking and too high in its cost. But while in power the party could afford to patch over the cracks, safe in the knowledge it could affect swift reform, it no longer has this comfort and must offer a viable alternative if it still wants to be the party of public services, and by extension care services.

Defining health policy which is opposed to the government's current agenda will also be tricky to balance with a consensus approach to forming a long term solution to the reform of care. All parties broadly agree that the care system needs reforming and there is some agreement on what this end product will look like, the battle ground remains the years before reform is enacted, which will probably not be before 2014.

Debate rages on what the government's health reforms and the dawn of GP consortia commissioning will mean for social care. Those working in the sector are divided on whether it represents an opportunity for local authorities to get involved in strategic commission or whether it will just drive a wedge between health and social care as the new privately run GP consortia seek to sure up their position.

There is an opportunity for Labour to provide a structured view within this debate and work to regain support in the sector, right now, however, that work is far from complete.

Andy Burnham wants to keep shadow health secretary job

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 26, 2010 9:38 PM | No Comments

Andy Burnham has put his name forward to stay-on as shadow health secretary.

Burnham came fourth in the Labour party leadership contest, the results of which we announced on Saturday night.

Rumours have circulated around the Labour Party Conference in Manchester that one of candidates was set to resign their shadow cabinet post following the result.

However, Burnham told Community Care he had expressed interest in remaining in the shadow cabinet. He said: "I would be very honoured to continue as shadow health secretary."

However, Burnham confirmed that he had not entered into any formal discussions as yet.

Ed Miliband has already started shaping his shadow cabinet with reports emerging that he has offered his brother David Miliband the job of shadow chancellor.

Earlier in the day new Labour leader also endorsed ushering in a national care service, a proposal which had been central to Burnham's campaign. Burnham said it was a "great moment" for him to hear.

The creation of a national care service was a hot issue during the election campaign in May this year.

Speaking to attendees of a reception hosted by The Care and Support Alliance, Burnham said the unveiling of the Conservatives campaign poster which characterised the Labour compulsory levy for care as a death tax was his lowest day as secretary of state for health. He quipped: "I think when my own gravestone it will say Andy 'Death Tax' Burnham."

Image by DIUSGOVUK on Flickr

Deputies needed to safeguard people who lack capacity

By Mithran Samuel, adults' editor, on September 24, 2010 1:37 PM | No Comments

Just a quick note to say the Office of the Public Guardian - set up under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to safeguard the rights of people who lack capacity - is looking to broaden the membership of its panel of deputies. These are people appointed by the Court of Protection to manage the affairs of people where nobody else is willing or able to do so. Currently, the vast majority of panel members are solicitors and the OPG is looking to attract people working in advocacy roles and other professions to the panel. Contact the OPG if you are interested or know somebody who might be.

Links: Ban TV, keeping drinking and read the Daily Mail

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 22, 2010 10:02 AM | No Comments

The Sun reports on a study which finds watching too much TV harms your mental health: "It shows Scots who sit in front of the TV for over four hours a day are 80 per cent more likely to be depressed and anxious than those watching less than two." It's not clear if being Scottish is also being identified as a risk factor for depression.

Scrapping residential wardens makes service for older people poorer, if Bristol's experience is anything to go by.

Is it me or is there an obsession with the links between drink and dementia? On a regular basis studies warn us off booze or encourages us to quaff it. The latest one says it makes no difference to the risk of dementia if you drink or not.

Meanwhile the Guardian reports on a scheme which is seeing a good level of success in reducing the prison recall rate of offenders with personality disorders.

Finally, Essex Coalition of Disabled People's chief, Richard Watts has an excellent blog post up about the Daily Mail's contradictory coverage of benefit recipients, which is good for a few weary chuckles.

Personal budget take-up is a disgrace

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 22, 2010 9:44 AM | No Comments

There's been an interesting response to the care services minister's allegation about the reason behind the low take-up of personal budgets.

Paul Burstow claimed at the Lib Dem conference that it was due to public services not wanting to give up control.

In this there has been some anecdotal evidence that there is a reluctance to let go - particularly among some middle managers, though the extent of this hold-up is tough to ascertain.

However the blogger Fighting Monsters has in a word said "Ridiculous" and that he really needs to get out more and speak with the people who actually do the job to understand the difficulties rather than meet and talk to people who manage people who do the job or people who write the policies or people who audit accounts.

She says it's more to do with "with poorly adapted and poorly administrated systems and piloted exclusively in teams and departments that were 'easy'."

This has been a problem recognised by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.

She goes on to ask: "Where are those 13%? I can bet they are with adults with physical disabilities and adults with learning disabilities where a lot more resources and efforts had been pumped into direct payments so they had a sound base to start on.

"That 13% is also likely to include older adults who have capacity and families to help advocate for them."

She says the system falls down among the people who do not have the capacity to manage and organise their own care.

So for me the truth lies somewhere inbetween, but Mr Burstow will you take her up and meet with those on the ground?

What do you think? Have your say on CareSpace.

Scotland backs direct payments default option

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 21, 2010 1:49 PM | No Comments

The social care sector in Scotland has backed plans to make direct payments the default option for care users.

This was the finding from a consultation on proposals for a bill on self directed support in Scotland, which also included plans on consolidating and developing legislation on self directed support.

When the consultation was launched Community Care reported the Scottish government's thoughts that if people had to opt out of direct payments the current low take-up there would be addressed.

Among the 130 respondents, most gave qualified support for self-directed support to be the new default, though made it clear that any reform must be accompanied by adequate support and advice to allow people to make informed choices.

A common view was for the right of informed choice to be enshrined in law rather than an opt-out as such.

Stumbling block appears to health reforms

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 21, 2010 11:51 AM | No Comments

The health secretary's reform plans appear to be facing a serious obstacle after the body that represents GPs said it could not fully endorse them.

Pulse reports that the General Practitioners' Committee has decided the views of its members are too polarised and fears of the potential pitfalls too acute, to hand health secretary Andrew Lansley full backing.

This surely represents a serious blow to meeting the proposed timetable and indicates that unease is growing.

Crunch-time for MS Society as campaigners prepare for show-down against residential respite care closures

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 20, 2010 2:29 PM | No Comments

A campaign to prevent the MS Society from ending its provision of residential respite services is gathering pace.

Campaigners have set up a website - www.savemsrespite.com - where they are asking MS Society members to vote on resolutions being tabled at the general meeting on 25 September.

They are urging members to vote in favour of a vote of no confidence against the board of trustees at its general meeting and for a suspension of the board's decision to pull out of providing residential respite care at centres in York, Surrey, East Lothian and Leamington Spa.

They also want members to vote against a motion in support of the board's decision to withdraw from the centres, which says it will "benefit more people with MS and carers throughout the UK, and provide fairer access to the society's services".

The MS Society decided in June to press ahead with its plans, citing the personalisation agenda as a core reason.

Cuts in the health service

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 20, 2010 12:09 PM | No Comments

There's a story on the GPs' website Pulse warning that GPs are to be presented with a doomsday scenario by NHS managers claiming the health service will be financially crippled unless they sign up to huge cuts in spending and service reconfigurations.

Clearly this will impact upon social workers.

How out of touch is the CBI?

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 20, 2010 9:51 AM | No Comments

Today the business bosses lobbying group, the CBI, recommends that infrastructure be prioritised over social care and welfare when Chancellor George Osborne swings the spending axe.

In their usual self serving manner they think that roads (fare more essential to British business than vulnerable and poor people) are where tax payers money would be best spent. One assumes this is because it will make it easier for them to make pots of cash.

However, this flies in the face of almost every survey of the public on spending cuts that I've seen. The New Local Government Network showed the public prioritised social care and education above all other. Importantly the NLGN's members have no ingrained interest in one council department over the other, unlike the CBI and, so have no reason to spin their survey results.

More importantly the economic think-tank the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, warned on Friday that the outlook for the world economy was not as good as previously expected and governments should hold off on austerity measures.

Yet the CBI seems oblivious to this. Given the Chancellor's faith in the private sector driving economic recovery my biggest fear is that he will listen to them rather than the tax payers, elderly, carers, benefit recipients and vulnerable and disabled people who will be picking up the bill.

Image by Harshal Shah on Flickr

Welfare reform plans appear in trouble

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 17, 2010 12:21 PM | No Comments

Interesting story on Public Finance suggesting that Iain Duncan-Smith's proposed reforms to the welfare and benefits system appear to be in jeopardy.

Apparently talks between the Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions have now stalled and analysts now think the plans are unlikely to be implemented.

Image by Steve Punter on Flickr.com

Growing discontent against government health plans

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 17, 2010 11:55 AM | No Comments

Grass roots opposition is building against the government plans for health.

According to Pulse, the magazine for GPs, 10 unions representing around four million workers have teamed up with grassroots health campaigners and patient groups against the reforms.

The campaign, which is organised by the NHS Support Federation, said it was aiming to mobilise NHS staff and patients against the white paper to 'exert maximum pressure on MPs' before the health bill is put to Parliament.

This campaign clearly could impact upon councils and social workers with the increasing close cooperation between health and social care.

Your guide to good nutritional care for older people

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 17, 2010 9:40 AM | No Comments

At Community Care nutrition is something we really care about, that's why we ran a whole issue on it a few weeks ago.

Nutrition is often one of the basics that gets forgotten about if it's not monitored properly. Luckily SCIE TV have put together a handy video guide to this as well covering the industry favoured MUST tool.

Nutritional care for older people from Social Care TV on Vimeo.

Pickles points to cuts in specific grants

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 16, 2010 10:22 AM | No Comments

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has given the clearest indication yet that cuts to council funding will fall heaviest on grants ring-fenced for specific purposes, according to the Local Government Chronicle.

In his first appearance before the communities and local government select committee, LGC said Pickles made clear he wanted ring-fences removed from as many grants as possible to protect formula grant as much as possible.

"I haven't made a final decision but I'm attracted by the idea of giving money away without strings," he told the committee. "How easy that is to do is another matter but it probably [makes it easier for local authorities] to put that money into formula grant."

On the face of it this appears to give further indication that grants such as the Aids Support Grant and the Carers Grant are doomed.

Picture courtesy of paul-clarke on Flickr.com

How to lose friends and alienate people, by Nick Clegg

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 16, 2010 9:27 AM | No Comments

There's tough talking from the Tory led government on the pages of the The Times this morning.

"Welfare needs to become an engine of mobility, changing people's lives for the better, rather than a giant cheque written by the State to compensate the poor for their predicament," writes a Tory spokesperson. Oh no, wait a minute it's actually Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister and Lib Dem leader.

Unsurprisingly his words will ruffle a few feathers in his own party with several Lib Dem MPs already uneasy about the government's welfare reform agenda.

It will also be of little comfort to those disabled people who are bearing the brunt of welfare cuts, especially if they voted Lib Dem in May.

Quite how the slick political master that Clegg appeared to be during the election has morphed into writing statements like today's is not clear. He does put together a half decent argument for "fairness" in the system being a long held liberal ideal, but this isn't likely to convince the disaffected left-wing voters who plumped for the Lib Dems having become disillusioned with 13 years of Labour rule.

With the Lib Dems approval rating having plummeted in the polls over recent months it's not clear why he's coming out and saying this now, other than in an attempt to further bind the coalition parties' fates together. If their supporters are deserting them now then it's difficult to imagine how closer alignment with the Tories will improve that.

Meanwhile it will be disabled people and the poorest that will suffer as they are tested to distraction and stripped of their benefits. At least they can look forward to kicking a minimum of one of the coalition parties out of power when the polls open in four years time.

Image by Liberal Democrats on Flickr

IDS denies £4bn benefit cut plan

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 15, 2010 11:32 AM | No Comments

The plot thickens in the ongoing saga of benefit cuts as Iain Duncan Smith denies ever being aware of the £4bn figure Osbourne is said to be demanding in savings.

In an interview with the Guardian Duncan Smith denies any rift with Osborne over the cuts.

Last week it emerged that Osborne planned to also cut 2.5bn from the employment support allowance budget. On top of this he also plans to squeeze £2bn from the incapacity benefit budget.

It also has plans to introduce a medical assessment for disability living allowance.

You can join the debate on benefit scroungers on CareSpace.

Links: 'Mate crime', law reform and nightmare linked to Parkinson's

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 15, 2010 9:22 AM | No Comments

There's an interesting story in the Guardian today. Apparently 'Mate crime' is an emerging phenomena for those with learning disabilities.

If you missed our story the other week on what the government sees as the direction for adult social care law, you can now take a look at the full submission to the Law Commission on the Department of Health website.

While terrifying nightmares 'could be the first sign of Parkinson's disease', according to the Daily Mail.

A Labour MSP is warning that if Scotland passes its controversial end of life assistance bill it will see doctors becoming suicide specialists and become a death tourist hot-spot.

Independent Living Fund set to close

By Mithran Samuel, adults' editor, on September 14, 2010 11:19 AM | No Comments

More on this later but it looks like the government's cuts drive has claimed its biggest casualty in social care in the Independent Living Fund.
As today's Herald newspaper reports, Department for Work and Pensions officials plan to close the fund, provide no funding for new clients and reallocate the funding of existing clients, most probably to councils, with no guarantee that this money will be ring-fenced.

This - if true - confirms the worst fears of disabled people across the country who have been concerned about the future of the ILF since it (temporarily) shut its doors to new clients earlier this year.

Continue reading Independent Living Fund set to close.

Riots, cuts, drugs and tycoons. Just another day at Community Care

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 14, 2010 9:49 AM | No Comments

With the TUC conference in full swing it's near impossible to avoid stories about cuts and their possible effect, today.

Most interestingly if there are cuts then, apparently, there may be riots. Maybe that's what the Kaiser Chiefs were singing about like a floppy haired Nostradamus.

If you're in your twenties and hadn't yet worried about the possibility of dementia then start because it may well be possible for you to be scanned to see if you are likely to develop the disease, according to new research.

It's rare i get to report on celebrity news but thanks to a 'TV tycoon' having their care home black listed by the local council I can. Mind you being a 'secret' millionnaire probably doesn't qualify you as a celebrity above G-list.

Lacking glamor but high in substance is the Commission on 2020 Public Services report giving their vision for public services in 2020. Individual budgets in social care should be at the forefront of change, they say.

The drugs debate is back in the news with a leading cannabis expert calling for it to be controlled and sold in shops.

Finally, it's official drugs can make you happy, sort of.

Image by andronicusmax on Flickr

Government attempts to defend its welfare cuts programme

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 13, 2010 3:55 PM | No Comments

There's been little hint of sympathy in the House of Commons today from the chancellor for the most vulnerable as he attempted to defend his deficit reduction plan.

George Osborne said the most vulnerable would be protected but insisted the welfare bill had to be reduced and said the current system condemned millions to worklessness.

Backbench Lib Dem MP Bob Russell said the cuts would hurt the least able to survive them and continued his assault on tax dodgers.

Meanwhile shadow work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the cuts as targeting the most sick and vulnerable in society.

Picture courtesy of altogetherfool on Flickr.com

Royal College of GPs concerned at pace of health reforms

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 13, 2010 12:25 PM | No Comments

It's no great surprise that GPs are supportive of the health White Paper and the plans for them to take on a commissioning role.

However it is surprising to me anyway that they are concerned at the pace of reforms.

The Royal College of GPs' college council has been consulting members for the past six weeks and while supportive of the emphasis in the paper on clinical leadership they expressed major concerns about the pace of change, the cost of change, the disruption to existing management structures and relationships in local health communities where good practice already exists and the increasing role of commercial organisations in the provision of care.

Will health secretary Andrew Lansley take note of these concerns and act upon them?

I doubt it. He's given the impression, like many in this coalition government, of being a man in a hurry and certain he is doing the right thing.

Disabled work programme failure may be blow to IDS

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 13, 2010 10:23 AM | No Comments

Iain Duncan Smith's benefit reform plans have taken another hit today as the Public Accounts Committee declares Labour's Pathway's to Work program ineffective in reducing the numbers of people on incapacity benefits.

Duncan Smith plans similar work programs with private firms as his solution for moving people off benefits.

The report also serves as something of a warning for those in the voluntary and private sector providing employment support as it confirms conclusions of the National Audit Office that these firms are being forced to take on too high a risk.

Pathway's to Work's replacement, Work Choice, has fewer prime contractors who will contract out services to smaller firms. With fewer prime contractors to go to it is possible smaller organization may be forced into even higher risks still.

Image by Steve Punter on Flickr

Presure on the most vulnerable in society grows through government cuts

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 13, 2010 9:38 AM | No Comments

Anger is clearly growing over the government's planned cuts to benefits.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has released a report showing the coalition government's spending cuts will hit the poorest in society 10 times harder than the richest as the health, social and education services they rely on are slashed.

The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, says the research proves that the Conservatives are breaching their election promise to introduce cuts fairly.

Meanwhile The Observer has seen documents that plans are being drawn up by the chancellor George Osborne to slash the welfare bill by £2.5bn for people who are disabled or too ill to work are being up drawn up by the chancellor.

All of this is building into a massive fight against the cutbacks and the most vulnerable suffering. To what degree social workers will support strikes is debatable as this means pouring pain on to those least likely to cope and possibly affecting how social workers carry out their work. And yet we all know that already social workers are suffering from heavy workloads.

Politically it is causing problems for the government with backbench Lib Dems known to be deeply unhappy, with works and pensions secretary Iain Duncan-Smith wanting money upfront for reforms to the system and with the government being accused of being unfair.

As Fighting Monsters says: "There are far more people who would benefit a lot more by being supported and encouraged through the periods of time that they might have to claim state benefits to live than by being continually hounded, harangued and ostracised by the government itself buying into a media frenzy of targeting people on benefits."

Meanwhile independent care providers in Wales are calling on the assembly government to follow Scotland's lead and establish a single national approach to social care.

Care Forum Wales said the current system, in which 29 individual local authorities and health boards determine fees, contracts and eligibility, was creating a "post code lottery" of care provision.

Picture courtesy of Subterranean Tourist Board on Flickr.com

GPs say they have to build links with social workers

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 10, 2010 5:10 PM | No Comments

GP consortia must build successful collaborations with their social care colleagues to help develop and commission integrated care systems within the new health world envisaged by the government.

This is new advice from the the British Medical Association's General Practitioners' Committee, which has just released its guidance on the Health white paper.

Unmet need set to rise with Big Society at risk from cuts

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 10, 2010 2:51 PM | No Comments

A fascinating piece about Big Society at risk has caught my eye.

The piece, from Public Finance, is based upon a blog from Stephen Bubb, the chief executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations.

The blog, written on 6 September, warned that the concept is in trouble.

Bubb wrote: "There are few signs that those involved in making cuts understand the importance of protecting our sector and its vital work in supporting communities and beneficiaries. The Coalition promised fairness in this process. How will that be achieved if the sector has its funding slashed?"

Subsequent to that 370 charity and social enterprise chief executives wrote to the Treasury asking it to take to set up a "Fairness Panel" of third sector CEOs to review decisions to see if they are unfairly hitting the most vulnerable.

The National Council of Voluntary Organisations has said that some charities had already ceased trading as public money dried up.

If this is so then in the area of social care we should all be worried as voluntary organisations are already helping deliver this. If they are struggling in an era of cutbacks and councils are retrenching then unmet need is bound to rise.

Further pain for clients after Osborne's attack on welfare cheats

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 10, 2010 10:01 AM | No Comments

Chancellor George Osborne's announcement that he will slash a further £4bn off the benefit budget for the unemployed is macho politics at its worst.

Osborne said last night that he would go after those who regarded welfare benefits as a "lifestyle choice".

It indicates that work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan-Smith has lost his long-running battle with the chancellor and could be an appeal to the Tory right.

It shows little understanding of the root causes of poverty and worklessness, unlike IDS, who to his immense credit has realised there needs to be a more nuanced approach to welfare reform.

Although Osborne has said the vulnerable will be protected the omens do not look promising and social workers will almost certainly be under even greater pressures.

Osborne's words are said to be an attempt to get communications director Andy Coulson off the front pages over the News of the World phone tapping affair.

If so it has worked for a day, but the downside for the coalition is more unrest within the Lib Dem ranks, which has its conference coming up soon. On Radio 4, Bob Russell, the MP for Colchester, called blaming the welfare cheats for the country's ills a smokescreen.

Meanwhile IDS will be less than pleased at his colleague's input into his department.

Linked to this is the ongoing row over housing benefit reform and its effects particularly on London. Shelter has commissioned new research on the financial effects of the cuts.

This has shown that the Government will face costs of up to £120m a year because of the huge rise in homelessness caused by cuts to local housing allowance.

The costs would cancel out a fifth of the £600m the Treasury has said it will save from the cuts in 2012, the first full year they are in force.

Experts have already been warning ministers that something along these lines will occur, but the impression is that ears are closed.

So it is fascinating to note that Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, a darling of many in the Tory party and an opponent of the across-the-board cuts to housing benefits as they impact on London, has announced he will stand for a second term.

Since he has already taken a line independent of the coalition government, some of these for good old-fashioned political reasons (it's unlikely he would win without opposing the cuts to housing benefit), he could prove to be a source of irritation to Prime Minister David Cameron.

More effects of the cuts have been seen up in Yorkshire where hospices are warning of job losses and a reduction in services because they can no longer afford to run at a financial deficit. This story comes at the time when the UK is revealed to be ranked third in terms of giving to charity. Clearly though we are not giving enough.

In other news a payment by results scheme to cut reoffending is set to officially begin.

Investors have put £5m into social impact bonds to fund rehabilitation work with 3,000 Peterborough Prison inmates.

They could earn a return of up to £8m from the government and the Big Lottery Fund if their cash helps rehabilitate criminals and ultimately reduce the justice bill.

The scheme is initially working with short-term inmates, but experts have said that it needs to prove its worth with repeat offenders. This area will clearly prove more difficult.

Finally it is World Suicide Prevention Day. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) have a website about the day and they suggest lighting a candle at 8pm to remember those who have been lost and are or have been affected by suicide.

Picture courtesy of altogetherfool on Flickr.com

Are adult safguarding cases languishing on waiting lists?

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 9, 2010 11:33 AM | No Comments

Are social work departments shelving safeguarding concerns on waiting lists?

In response to Community Care's case loads survey a number of adult social workers raised concerns that the volume of safeguarding referrals meant investigations were having to sit on waiting lists before staff could investigate them.

One adults social worker said: "Social workers have no more capacity, even for Safeguarding work, which is now on a waiting list - a shaming, worrying and untenable situation!"

Another social worker said: "There is so much safeguarding coming through now and the waiting list gets longer"

No Secrets, the government document giving guidance on adult safeguarding, doesn't specify a timescale for how quickly cases should be allocated and investigated, however, many councils endeavor to do this within about a week.

"People who would have been on waiting lists a few years ago are now allocated to individual workers and waiting to see them. This disguises the amount of people waiting and the true extent of cases eg. awaiting assessment," said an adults social worker.

No Secrets is currently under review and is due to be republished early next year.

In the mean time, it seems some councils may be struggling to investigate cases in a timely manner.

If you are struggling under the number of safeguarding cases or have to put off safeguarding investigations, let us know. Also you can join safeguarding the debate on CareSpace.

Convicted sex offender robs bank to be sent back to prison

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 9, 2010 10:01 AM | No Comments

The strange story of a man with mental health problems who threatened a pregnant cashier with a knife to ensure he was sent back to jail has caught my eye.

Anthony Revill, 35, of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, claimed he had not received sufficient punishment for his previous offence of sexually abusing mental health patients at a care home where he worked in 1998.

To what degree he will receive the help he requires in jail is a moot point as is whether he was receiving enough help prior to carrying out the hold-up.

B vitamins fight Alzheimer's disease

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 9, 2010 9:41 AM | No Comments

Today's big story is that vitamin B is the new key to tackling Alzheimer's.

However, this will only work if we know about the disease in the first place ,so diagnosis is key.

Still, it can't hurt to eat a bit more whole foods, which naturally contain B vitamins.

Posters aim to raise awareness of STIs in the over 50s

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 9, 2010 9:28 AM | No Comments

Easily the most enjoyable thing on the web today is FPA's campaign to tackle the spread of sexually transmitted infections in the over 50s.

The posters are due to launch next week but here's a selection that have already been published on FPA's website.

More after the jump...

Continue reading Posters aim to raise awareness of STIs in the over 50s.

22% adult social workers have 40 cases or more

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 8, 2010 11:22 AM | No Comments

Twenty-two per-cent of adult social workers have 40 cases or more, research by Community Care has revealed.

It's a shocking result as the tendency, in the national press is to cover the problems in children's social work but this makes their high case loads (10% have 40 or more cases) seem pale by comparison.

The figures form part of the results of our survey into social workers case loads which garnered responses from over 600 social workers.

The stress is having an impact on social worker's health so it's not surprising that many respondents are calling for a cap to be introduced. How that might work is another question.

The effect of the cuts agenda, round-up

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 8, 2010 10:11 AM | No Comments

In case you've been away on holiday and have missed the coverage of cuts to social care, benefits and jobs over the summer, the Guardian has a very hand round-up.

Social housing repair firm Connaught collapses

By Mithran Samuel, adults' editor, on September 8, 2010 10:04 AM | No Comments

Social housing repair firm Connaught has gone into administration, as I'm sure you've heard. I'm not sure what the implications are for tenants but it has about 180 contracts with councils and housing associations. The firm had been hit by cuts in public spending this year.

(Picture by boliston on flickr)

Assisted suicide debate kicks off in Scotland

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 8, 2010 9:42 AM | No Comments

Members of the Scottish Parliament heard the first round of oral evidence yesterday on whether the country should adopt a proposed end of life assistance law.

The BBC reports that members of the committee overseeing the bill heard from a panel of international experts that in those countries where assisted suicide had been made legal the practice had had widespread support.

Doctors are reluctant to assist death but will do so to ease suffering, one Dutch physician told the committee, The Scotsman reports.

Patients can expect the doctor to look them right in the eye when they administer a lethal dose of medication, Dr Ron Jonquiere, told MSPs. His testimony makes for both both scary and reassuring reading, an odd mix.

Representatives of social work groups are due to give evidence to the committee on 20 September. What should they tell the committee? Have your say on CareSpace or in the comments below.

Image by Zaldylmg on Flickr

Community treatment orders need closer monitoring

By Mithran Samuel, adults' editor, on September 8, 2010 9:41 AM | No Comments

There's briefing out yesterday from the Mental Health Alliance about community treatment orders, which is worth reading if you have a moment.

It picks up on some of the concerns that have already been raised about community treatment orders or supervised community treatment for mental health patients, including:-

Many more CTOs being issued than the government expected.
They are disproportionately affecting some BME groups.
A lack of second opinion doctors to authorise the continuation of CTOs after one month. This means that people could be on CTOs illegally.

The briefing also raises concerns that people are being discharged from hospital on CTOs when this is not appropriate, to free up beds.

It recommends closer consultation between hospital and community staff in drawing up care plans for patients under CTOs, as well as closer monitoring of orders by the Care Quality Commission.

Social care sector needs to think of alternatives to cuts to save services

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 8, 2010 9:30 AM | No Comments

Unions have called for the public to get behind their campaign to stop government spending cuts.

Brendan Barber, TUC head, is even warning of poll tax style uprisings.

The problem with this whole debate was encapsulated by Nick Robinson's report on the BBC last night. Robinson was asking people how they felt about the cuts to which most said they were uneasy, or at best reserving judgement.

However, when Robinson asked a member of the public what they would cut they were stuck.

The public, understandably, want it all and find it difficult to make a sensible decision. Sector leaders and the unions all need to pull in the same direction to provide a viable solution to the problem and make that decision easier.

If the unions and social workers want to really fight the waves of cuts and garner public support they had better start talking louder about viable alternatives.

Staffordshire County Council is latest to consider adult care cuts

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 7, 2010 9:54 AM | No Comments

Staffordshire County Council has become the latest local authority to swing the axe on adult social care.

The Sentinel, Staffordshire's local paper, reports that the local council is looking to cut social care in order to save £120m from it's budget over the next three years.

Interestingly, the council is set to be £9.17m in the red come April 2011 and £8m of that is attributed to adult social care over spending.

They are looking at increasing charges for home-care, review care packages and provider contracts.

Councils across the UK are considering how they will slash their social care spending. Some have raised eligibility criteria while others are looking to increase charges for non-residential services.

Many elderly people already fear that social care will be first hit by cuts.

If your council is increasing charges, making cuts or raising eligibility criteria, let me know. Please.

Image by Rene Erhardt on Flickr

Links: Benefit assessment plans 'unjust' plus men prone to senior moments

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 7, 2010 9:36 AM | No Comments

If you are a male mental health nurse with a substance abuse problem, a disability and an attraction to one of your patients then today's news probably won't fill you with joy. Here's the headlines:

A study finds that men are more prone to mild cognitive impairment than women.

A coalition of charities has told the government that its proposals to introduce a medical assessment for disability living allowance is unjust.

Drug abuse, not mental illness, causes violent crime a study finds.

Mental health nurse 'started relationship with former patient over Facebook'

Mind calls for regulation of bailiffs

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 6, 2010 10:02 AM | No Comments

Having a visit from a bailiff can have a devastating impact on your mental health, according to the charity Mind.

In light of the economic climate it is now calling on the government to act on its commitment to protect the public from overly aggressive bailiffs and introduce regulation of the profession.

A survey carried out for Mind revealed that 50% of those questioned reported suicidal feelings after a knock on the door from bailiffs.

Mind's survey of people's experiences of bailiffs also found that:

·         96% reported increased levels of anxiety after a visit from bailiffs and 87% reported increased levels of depression
·         80% had experienced threatening behaviour
·         Over 65% were subjected to aggressive behaviour
·         74% felt it had a negative impact on their family
·         1 in 10 were being pursued for debts of under £100
·         70% were charged excessive fees on top of their debts
·         Only 5% said bailiffs provided them with information when they requested it
·         78% did not complain because they didn't know who to complain to (55%), they thought there was no point (60%) or they were too distressed (52%)
·         Of those who did complain, only 8% felt their complaint was dealt with adequately.

Mind's Chief Executive Paul Farmer says there must be a review of the existing national standards for bailiffs, excessive fees must be tackled and there must be movement towards a better complaints procedure.

He says: "We would welcome the opportunity for ongoing dialogue between leading bailiff agencies, the Ministry of Justice and the advice sector. It is only by all parties working constructively together that strong and effective regulation will be achieved."

Picture courtesy of PinkMoose on Flickr.com

Links: £3.7bn cuts in Scotland, disabled mortgage arrears and therapy robots

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 6, 2010 9:24 AM | No Comments

Today's best things on the inter-web:

Scotland will face £3.7bn of cuts over the next four years. It also seems to have reignited the debate over giving Scotland greater fiscal independence.

Cuts in mortgage uplifts in benefits could push disabled people into arrears on their mortgage, housing organisations warn.

Pharmacists could reduce care home medication errors by 90%, the Telegraph reports.

Up to 40 cases of carers applying for help from Western Health and Social Care Trust in northern Ireland, could have been handled better. The trust was said by a judicial review to be in breach of its duty to one carer of her disabled son.

Britain is considering Portuguese drugs decriminalisation model, the Guardian reports.

More than 40% of domestic violence victims are male, which is a steep rise from former accepted wisdom which used to put the figure around 10%.

Finally, in news from Japan: Therapy robots coming into their own

Douglas Sinclair's priest: "No excuse for taking your own life"

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 3, 2010 1:51 PM | No Comments

The case of Douglas Sinclair, a disabled man who travelled to Switzerland to take his own life, is causing quite a bit of controversy.

Now the local priest has declared there is no excuse for taking your own life, at Sinclair's funeral.

Fall in alcohol consumption

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 3, 2010 11:19 AM | No Comments

It's been interesting seeing the coverage about the fall in alcohol consumption.

From a business perspective this can't be great news for the drinks industry, but for those involved in dealing with the effects of alcoholism or binge drinking it must be encouraging.

Whether it's due to the effects of the recession or that messages about responsible drinking have hit home is unclear and this will only become apparent once the recession is over.

Links: Victorian benefits clampdown plus gypsies fleece elderly

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 3, 2010 9:23 AM | No Comments

Here are today's links:

Peter Beresford has few thoughts on what the benefit clampdown will mean for communities.

'Gypsies fleeced elderly' The Sun reports

Disabled people are excluded from democracy in Wales

'Talks Were Held' Over Assisted Suicide Case

Fighting Monsters weighs in with a critique of Burstow's Vision for mental health care.

Links: Disabled crime, Alzheimer's breakthrough and dementia caring

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 2, 2010 9:56 AM | No Comments

I'm used to linking to stories of disability hate crime so maybe today's Sun story that a disabled ex-husband threatened his ex-wife's new partner with a baseball bat serves in part to redress some cosmic balance.

Care home closure controversies are however a daily occurrence. There's another one brewing in Gwent.

However, new proteins linked to Alzheimer's are not that regular a find, so the news that an American scientist has discovered one is quite exciting.

finally the Today programme has a moving account from Bruce Bovill about how he cared for his late wife with dementia.

Scotland set to propose minimum price for alcohol

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 2, 2010 9:49 AM | No Comments

Scotland's health secretary Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) is due to announce today the minority Scottish National Party government's proposed minimum alcohol price for the country.

The declaration is seen as a fresh effort to persuade opposition MSPs it is the best way to tackle binge drinking.

The expectation is to stop the sale of cheap booze by pricing alcohol at between 40p and 50p per unit.

However Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative politicians are in favour of using the tax and duty system instead of introducing a "blanket, discriminatory" pricing mechanism.

The suggestion comes with the Treasury looking into a review of alcohol pricing across the whole of the UK so this could be seen as jumping the gun.

Some experts are also doubtful whether a pricing mechanism will really tackle the problem and may lead to increased problems within deprived families.

Meanwhile Tony Blair's biography refers to his requiring alcohol as a prop and according to The Guardian his intake did put him among the higher risk category.

Picture courtesy of Scottish Government on Flickr.com

Figures show alcohol intake worst in north of England

By Jeremy Dunning, senior adult beat journalist on September 1, 2010 9:32 AM | 2 Comments

Research by public health experts has shown there are geographical divisions in the toll alcohol takes on health in England, with men in the North West more likely to die prematurely than those in the South East.

The figures, which are released today by the North West Public Health Observatory, show almost 16,000 people died in England last year as a result of alcohol-related harm.

Two-thirds of the areas with the highest harm levels were in the North. The link appears to be in places with the highest levels of deprivation.

With the Treasury looking into alcohol duty this surely strengthens the case for booze to become more expensive along with more research into what drives this behaviour.

Picture courtesy of xJasonRogersx on Flickr.com

Links: Edinburgh care tendering restarts plus under staffing in safeguarding

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 1, 2010 9:28 AM | No Comments

Hear are my choice links for the day:

Edinburgh's much troubled learning disability care services tendering process is set to get under-way again.

Delayed discharges from hospital are on the rise in Scotland

Fighting monsters has a blog post on the under staffing and under-skilling of adult safeguarding

Woking cycle plan 'puts disabled at risk'

China accused of holding woman in mental hospital for challenging officials

Pensioners in protest over fears of carer cuts in Lancashire

Is the Big Society agenda a recipe for fraud?

By Vern Pitt, journalist, on September 1, 2010 9:20 AM | No Comments

The chief of The Charity Commission says it will no longer have the resources to investigate allegations of fraud, The Independent reports.

Now I half expect him to fight for resources for his own department, but coming at a time when the government is looking to charities and social enterprises to pick-up a greater level of social care services, this could prove disastrous.

Shoving a greater proportion (notice I didn't say sum) of public finances at one sector of the economy while having the regulator lose it's bite seems to me to be asking for a few unscrupulous people to pocket some tax payers money.

If that happens in social care it won't just be the public purse that loses out but service users could also be left with poor quality services. I suspect that will end-up costing more in emergency care than George Osborne hopes to save from the Charity Commission budget.

Image by Mike Schmid on Flickr

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