November 2009 Archives

Whatever happened to evidence-based government policy?

By Simeon Brody, community editor, on November 26, 2009 2:32 PM | No Comments
Steve-Rogowski.jpgby Steve Rogowski, a social worker (children and families) with a local authority in NW England

New Labour has made the most of advocating evidenced-based practice as far as social work and social care is concerned. Not least, we have the Social Care Institute for Excellence which keeps on pushing approaches such as personalisation which, simply put, places the onus on service users to sort out their own problems and difficulties.
Continue reading Whatever happened to evidence-based government policy?.

What is an Interim Care Order?

By Allan Norman on November 26, 2009 11:47 AM | No Comments

allan norman new.bmp by Allan Norman

...is the "deceptively simple question" explored in the judgement of the Court of Appeal yesterday in KB (A Child) v Borough Council & Ors [2009] EWCA Civ 1254 (25 November 2009).

Behind this question lies the controversial caselaw phrase from 2007, that such an order required an "imminent risk of really serious harm". This, in turn, has led to social workers expressing concern that they cannot properly protect children if the threshold is so high; and even that judges are re-writing the law.

Continue reading What is an Interim Care Order?.

Yorktown to San Franciso: social worker takes cycle tour of USA

By Simeon Brody, community editor, on November 23, 2009 11:10 AM | No Comments
celia-parker.jpg
by Celia Parker

After 28 years non-stop social working in the statutory childcare sector, I took 6 months unpaid leave to re-charge and restore my perspective on the world.  During this time I spent 3 months cycling across the USA from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Here is my diary condensed into three weeks.

Monday: 270 blue ribbons

Starting in Yorktown, Virginia and after 348 miles across the plantations and civil war battlegrounds, we come to Monticello and the former home of Thomas Jefferson who wrote the American Declaration of Independence in 1776. This has influenced progressive movements throughout the world. My favourite Jefferson quote is: "the boisterous sea of liberty is not without waves".

In the town centre is a tree decorated with 270 bright blue ribbons. They represent all the children in foster care in the local county and are part of foster care month to promote recruitment of carers to open their hearts and homes. All of Virginia smells gorgeous since honeysuckle rambles over the verges and hedgerows everywhere.
Continue reading Yorktown to San Franciso: social worker takes cycle tour of USA.

Forget multi-tasking myth: plodding social workers are best

By Simeon Brody, community editor, on November 19, 2009 3:44 PM | No Comments
Nigel-Leaney.jpgby Nigel Leaney, manager of a mental health residential service

Now it's official. Forget about the need to multi-task before you can consider yourself a competent, worthwhile member of the workforce. The word is out and it is what most sensible people have hoped for since the dreadful word was first coined.  

Continue reading Forget multi-tasking myth: plodding social workers are best.

Rooting around a graveyard: all in a day's work for a social worker

By Simeon Brody, community editor, on November 13, 2009 10:46 AM | No Comments
Jennifer-Harvey-1[1].gifby Jennifer Harvey, who works with people with autism

I've just got back from the graveyard shift. Not a night shift this time, but literally a shift in a grave yard supporting a man with autism in his hobby. Which begs the question, if someone has an obsession do you try to break them of it, or do you go with the flow, and if you can't beat 'em join 'em?
Continue reading Rooting around a graveyard: all in a day's work for a social worker.

A threat to our values

By Gary Brigden, Webmaster on November 11, 2009 9:17 AM | No Comments
writes Steve Rogowski

The doctrine of managerialism imported from the private sector is challenging the very existence of social work as we know it

The Social Work Taskforce is due to report soon but I wonder whether it will deal with one of the most fundamental issues. It will come up with (yet another) definition of social work, though whether this will cover why so many practitioners become disillusioned is another matter.

Continue reading A threat to our values.

Rejection of Cambridge primary review shows education held hostage to politics

By Helen Bonnick on November 4, 2009 12:16 PM | No Comments
Helen-Bonnick.jpgWe have to assume that government ministers have read the full final report of the Cambridge Primary Review: Children, Their World, Their Education, since they apparently have already found so much with which to disagree. Sadly, I have only seen the media coverage, so I must take care in reading the reports, understanding the agenda behind the choice of quotes, trying to balance the analysis with opposing views ... before I launch into a measured and entirely dispassionate tirade.
Continue reading Rejection of Cambridge primary review shows education held hostage to politics.
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