by Andrew Holman
I spend huge amounts of time reassuring parents with learning difficulties that social workers do not make the decision about child removal. That the decision is made by a court, or exceptionally with the help of the police, but that would only be in extreme circumstances of imminent danger.
by Allan Norman
"Prisoners to be chipped like dogs" - this was the lead story in the Independent on Sunday on 13th January. And if prisoners, what about others who feature habitually among our service users, including people detained under the Mental Health Act, people with dementia and related conditions, people subject to immigration control and liable to be removed. I found the story horrific, it made my stomach churn. Why?
by Alex Williams
Mental health services are being reconfigured for "recovery", but who says when someone has recovered: patient or practitioner?
by Helen Bonnick
Children and families would be better served if teachers and social care staff at school could overcome their mutual suspicion
by Bob Reitemeier
The vast majority of young offenders should be rehabilitated in the community; prison is for the most serious of crimes
by Andrew Holman
It was inevitable there were going to be inconsistencies. Decision making in social care has been increasingly devolved to local authorities over the past few years. This has been portrayed as a way of empowering local democracy and conveniently avoiding tedious questions about a lack of funding, by being able to say budget allocation and spending is all down to local decision makers. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there are differences between areas. Indeed how could it be otherwise, this was surely to be expected?
by Jennifer Harvey
Older people's care too rarely takes individuality into account. But then, many families have unrealistic expectations of staff.
by Jeff Jerome
Marrying resources and clients' needs is the big challenge facing councils, so we should embrace the Resource Allocation System.
by Simon Stevens
The Putting People First agenda is a symptom of the sea change in attitudes toward disability that have taken place of late
by Allan Norman
I have recently been preparing for a part of a module I deliver to student social workers, which examines the characteristics of a profession, and explores where social work fits in. As usual, I need to address the historical ambivalence to professional status that arises because we fear professional status provides a marker of inequality between us and our service users, and a mechanism to use power to oppress.
by Allan Norman
The story so far: A group of Harrow residents have just tested the lawfulness of Harrow’s policy of restricting adult care services to those assessed as having critical needs only. The practice implications are discussed in a companion post. The test case is Chavda & Ors, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Harrow [2007] EWHC 3064 (Admin) (20 December 2007) <>.
by Allan Norman
The London Borough of Harrow is one of a handful of authorities that has decided to set its eligibility threshold for adult care services so high that only those needs banded as ‘critical’ are met. A group of its residents have just tested the lawfulness of its policy in the High Court, and the court’s ruling in the case Chavda & Ors, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Harrow [2007] EWHC 3064 (Admin) (20 December 2007) indicates that Harrow has nearly and possibly got away with it. For a legal analysis, see a companion post – this one is about social work!
by Anna C Young
Milder mental health cases deserve more than the GP's quick fix. Instead, psychological therapies should be available on the NHS
by Peter Corser
It is easy to be judgemental about the US star but her outlandish behaviour is evocative of many mental health service users
by Anne Williams
As professionals we must take our lead from Sir Derek Wanless to make a stand for adult social care and enhance its status in 2008
by Allan Norman
The question of language and terminology is particularly pertinent to us at Celtic Knot, as we are both social workers and solicitors. By convention, social work has “service users”, but solicitors have “clients” – even though solicitors, too, are essentially offering a service.
by Andrew Holman
Valuing People Now always runs the risk of turning into a top down approach rather than listening to what the users of services think and want. Let’s face it, most people with learning disabilities haven’t heard and know nothing about Valuing People – and most don't want to know either. People want a good life and good support, most do not want to become involved in politics, government policies and practices or to have to fight at local levels to get the life or support they want and need, and to be honest, who does? That seems a totally artificial concept of ordinary living, fine for those who want to be involved, but not for the majority.
by Allan Norman
I am delighted to note that the Health and Social Care Bill, published in November 2007 and currently going through Parliament, includes proposals to provide clarity and simplicity to the regulation of care standards, by creating a new regulator. Let me just check that I’ve got this right…
by Nigel Leaney
Peter Hain, take note: being at the bottom of the job pile is more than demoralising it can seriously affect your life expectancy
by Bob Holman
Despite his disillusion with Labour, Bob Holman says he will not quit the party as it would betray his grandad's memory
by Peter Beresford
Could 2008 be the year that social care really gets going? There is a new confidence in the air. There is a sense that it is at last being given the political priority it demands. The Prime Minister is talking about social care. Cabinet Ministers are being wheeled on to give it clout. There is a strong new team providing leadership in the Department of Health. A public consultation is pending. A new Green Paper on social care funding is due. The BBC have made it the focus for a month long series of programmes this January on Radio 4’s You And Yours and Women’s Hour.
by Allan Norman
It is more than a decade now since the application for judicial review on behalf of HL, of Bournewood Hospital in Surrey began the sequence of litigation that eventually became the seminal ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, which overturned the judgements of every court in this country and held the informal arrangements for holding and treating certain people lacking capacity to consent or object contravened their human rights.
by Allan Norman
“The law of humanity, which is anterior to all positive laws, obliges us to afford them relief, to save them from starving” – so said the Lord Chief Justice, in a landmark case on our duty to destitute foreigners, in 1803. And so, effectively, said the Court of Appeal again, just a week before Christmas, reminding social workers in Lewisham of their common duty to humanity.
