June 2008 Archives

Peter-Beresford-60.jpg by Peter Beresford
 
It's a long way from old British motorbikes to social care and the National Health Service - or is it? This is the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the NHS, the organisation that proved there is an alternative to people only doing things or looking after each other for profit. There's also another anniversary this year which warrants similar celebration and I have just discovered a key connection between the two.

Do social workers have to 'like' their clients?

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By Peter Corser

Social workers must hide their emotions in the cause of non-judgemental practice. But they don't have to "like" their clients...

Police autonomy is the way forward for social work

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Rogowski, Steve web.jpgby Steve Rogowski

Under New Labour, there have been longstanding concerns in the public services about the amount of bureaucracy and resulting pre-occupation with paperwork, targets and performance indicators. Teachers, police officers, health and social workers all bemoan and question this aspect of their jobs.

allan norman 60.jpgby Allan Norman

"If we don't intervene, we don't know what we might find!" My discussion with the students was taking an interesting turn, as I tried to debate with them a case study of a chaotic and fluid household, in which nonetheless no evidence of specific harm had ever been identified.

The instinct to intervene was strong. I wondered in response whether that made it okay for social workers to intervene everywhere? I was presented in return with the self-serving argument that social workers wouldn't be carrying out an investigation unless there was good cause for concern.

Well done, Tyneside social workers!

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allan norman 60.jpgby Allan Norman

The short, public judgement in the case of Durham County Council v D & Ors [2008] EWHC 1306 (Fam) (11 June 2008) appears to have been issued for the sole purpose of praising the excellent social workers and other professionals in Tyneside. I doubt the tabloids will pick it up, but I thought I would. Here's a sample:

The care workers who fail in their duty

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Heng web blog.jpgBy Simon Heng

I'm a service user because I'm physically disabled, paralysed from the neck downwards, the result of a tumour on my spinal cord, 14 years ago. I was one of the first people in my area to try direct payments and I'm one of its success stories.

Plans and targets: remember the human factor

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Social care needs plans but we should subordinate them to the realities of being human - after all we can't all hit our targets.

By Nigel Leaney
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by Peter Beresford 

Something rather worrying currently seems to be happening to personalisation. It's unlikely that many social care managers or professionals have managed to avoid this terms in 2008. This hideous piece of jargon has increasingly crept into our consciousnesses. But that's not the problem that concerns me.  

by Sarah Brennan, chief executive, YoungMinds

There are a number of reasons why young people may consider taking their own lives. Young people approaching adulthood are at a pivotal stage. They can be more impulsive, and may need more support than they realise to cope with low moods or feelings of insecurity. The influence of peer groups is also important: young people whose friends have attempted or committed suicide may feel that it is the only solution to their difficulties.

Stress and drugs and rock n' roll

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One by one the vices that relieved stress for the poor are being denied them. Fags, booze and now food are in the firing line, writes Simon Stevens


Autism: a day in the life of George

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Harvey for blog.jpgBy Jennifer Harvey

A flick-through of the newspaper obituaries marks the start of George's day. But it is in the evening that he really lets rip...

allan norman 60.jpgby Allan Norman

If domestic violence reduction initiatives reflect commitment to the cause, then it is high up on the government's agenda. The recent Practice Direction 'Residence and Contact Orders: Domestic Violence and Harm' emanated not from the government, however, but from the President of the Family Division of the court system.

Who won Lisa Arthurworrey's appeal?

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by Allan Norman

Who will be pleased by the decision of the Care Standards Tribunal on Lisa Arthurworrey's registration?

The GSCC?

Apparently not. They have said they are disappointed.

My problem with trade unions

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by Simon Stevens

One of the interesting things to come out of personalisation is that suddenly trade unions have pricked up their ears and want a piece of the action after failing to recognise personal assistants for the past few decades. 

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