September 2008 - Fighting Monsters

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The New Year

Happy New Year! While being far from what could even generously regarded as a practising Jew, it would be remiss not to mark one of the most important days in the Jewish calendar, that of Rosh Hashanah, which is celebrated today and tomorrow. ronalmog...

Published 30 Sep 2008 5:49 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Jewish holiday, Judaism, personal, reflection, Religion and Spirituality, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur
Rated Good

The Commission for Social Care Inspection inspect and rate every registered care home in England - as well as every agency that provides care for others. The website provides access to inspection reports on every facility in England - both announced inspections...

Published 29 Sep 2008 6:10 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: advocacy in darlington, Commission for Social Care Inspection, csci, Darlington, England, health, learning disability, long-term care, nursing home, residential care, social care, social work, victoria house, victoria house darlington, winnie care, work
Placements and Practice

Last week, Community Care reported that a social worker, Ruth Hughes, was struck off the GSCC register after being found guilty of misconduct. There were a couple of details about the situation as reported that struck me. Firstly, in the hearing, one...

Published 26 Sep 2008 6:54 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: gscc., health, mental health, placement, ruth hughes, social care, social issues, social work, social work placement, work
Power to the People

Last Sunday, over 2000 people, set out on a march through London. They were marching against the rise in knife crime and to draw attention to it. Not that attention needs to be drawn in a sense - as we are very aware of the pervasive nature of violent...

Published 25 Sep 2008 7:30 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: demonstration, grassroots, knife, knife crime, london, march on knife crime, social issues, youth, youth culture
Reflections

Yesterday I passed my 150th published post. I haven’t really marked any of my ‘blog’ milestones publicly - and I know that statistics will interest few other than myself - but I never thought I’d be able to keep writing and thinking...

Published 24 Sep 2008 6:31 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: blog, social work, statistics, work
On Studying

This is around the time that a new batch of students turn up at the universities to enter training. I am no expert but I have been considering the ‘now’ me, would give to the ‘then’ me as it is now 10 years (gulp) since I started...

Published 23 Sep 2008 5:42 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: advice, Education, howto, reflection, social work, study, university
Lest We Forget

Yesterday was World Alzheimer’s Day. Events around the world were held to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s Disease and it’s impact. Some countries are holding study days, others picnics and walks. Different ways of drawing attention...

Published 22 Sep 2008 6:52 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Alzheimer, alzheimers, Alzheimer's Association, alzheimers blogs, Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's Research Trust, alzheimer's resources, Alzheimer's Society, dementia, dementia resources, elderly, health, mental health, old age, older people, Research, world alzheimer's day 2008
Links, links, links

Another quick round up through some of the places that my feed reader have taken me over the last couple of weeks. It’s a bit more haphazard this week so apologies but check some of the links out. There are some gems there! A random...

Published 20 Sep 2008 6:21 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: health, links, mental health, nursing, social care, social work
Why I love London

A few weeks ago, I went to a humanist naming ceremony to celebrate the birth of a child of a friend of mine. One parent is German Jewish and the other is non-denominational Sierra Leonian/Nigerian. At the quite small celebration, which took place in an...

Published 19 Sep 2008 7:44 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: England, humanist, humanist naming ceremony, london, love london, multicultural, travel, Travel and Tourism, United Kingdom, work
Patient/Professional Divide

We often talk in terms of us and them. Both users of services and providers of services. Quite often though, we are the same people. I work in a psychiatric hospital - that’s where my office is. Work defines me to a large extent. But I, or people...

Published 18 Sep 2008 5:24 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Europe, for whom the bell tolls, John Donne, local government, london, mental health, patient, social work, social worker, work
Sport for all - revisited

Today the Paralympics end. But I’m sure you all knew that anyway. Among the fine athletics displays on show and the memorable moments - is the welcome news, reported in Community Care, that the exclusion of learning disabled athletes is to be reconsidered...

Published 17 Sep 2008 6:06 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: International Paralympic Committee, ipc, learning disabilities, learning disability, london 2012, London Games, Paralympic Games, paralympics, social issues, sport, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, work
The Horse Man

It used to be quite straightforward. I was in an assessment team so someone would make a referral to our services - usually the person themselves, or a family member or a GP or district nurse - someone who had reason to understand that care was needed...

Published 16 Sep 2008 5:49 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: alzheimers, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, elderly, foal, General practitioner, hackney carraige, Horse, london, mental health, old age, older people, social care, social work, Taxicab, work
Reasons to the Cheerful - Part One

I had, for one reason or another, a particularly difficult week last week. Partly due to work-related matters and issues - trying to cram in a five day workload into three days with a couple of days out training - partly just stuff happening at home that...

Published 15 Sep 2008 6:33 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: cheerful, happy, health, london, mental health, old age, older people, social care, social issues, social work, socialcare, team working, work, work-related stress
On the ward

Image via Wikipedia I knew it wasn’t going to be a quiet day when I found a pink paper with a written recommendation for a Section 3 from one of our doctors sitting on my desk next to the ASW Duty Book - a book in which we note any Mental Health...

Published 12 Sep 2008 7:01 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: assessment, ASW, health, health care, hospital, mental health act 1983, mental health, old age, older people, paranoia, psychosis, social care, social work, uk, United Kingdom, ward, work
Is Caring a Skill?

The immigration rules are changing here. Generally I have a liberal view towards immigration - and one that probably wouldn’t win me any friends at dinner parties, if I ever went to any that is! I am aware though, that my view is sometimes prejudiced...

Published 11 Sep 2008 6:29 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: elderly, Employment, immigration, long-term care, low pay, mac, migrant, old age, older people, pay, politics, social care, social work, work
Eat or Heat?

Yesterday, the Royal British Legion and Age Concern launched the Return to Rationing Campaign. It is aimed to highlight poverty among older people and the name of the campaign itself, evokes a Britain during World War 2 and its immediate aftermath that...

Published 10 Sep 2008 6:06 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Age Concern, council tax benefit, elderly, fuel poverty, old age, older people, poverty, poverty site, return to rationing, Royal British Legion, social care, social issues, uk, United Kingdom, Veterans, work, World War II
Looking ahead

Yesterday I visited Mrs B and her husband. He has Alzheimer’s Disease and it is at a fairly advanced stage. She has been caring for her husband for many years watching his deterioration staying constantly at his side. I have been involved...

Published 9 Sep 2008 6:05 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Alzheimer's disease, caregiver, carer, carers, elderly, forewarning, long-term care, mental health, old age, older people, social care, social work, social worker, spouse
Good work, Evelyn

After some of the knocking of social workers that I mentioned over the last few days, how about a positive spin? The Daily Record published a story about a 15 year old girl who suffers from leukaemia who has nominated her social worker for the Scottish...

Published 8 Sep 2008 5:09 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: care ambassador, Child, CLIC Sargent, daily record, dreams, evelyn stewart, Forres, good news, health, positive social work story, social care, social issues, social work, social worker
Alton Centre - a further update

I do feel obliged to update on the Alton Centre run by Active Care - a subsidiary of Southern Cross - just as I have been following the story. Active Care won their appeal against closure yesterday and it is reported in the local Northamptonshire Evening...

Published 7 Sep 2008 12:20 PM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: active care, Alton Centre, care standards tribunal, Commission for Social Care Inspection, csci, health, learning disability, local authority, long-term care, northamptonshire, norwyn cole, social care, social work, Southern Cross, work
Some links for the weekend (pt 2)

It’s about time for another round-up post. I’m working on a fortnightly schedule now - far more manageable. In no particular order a delve inside what has emerged to greet me from Google Reader. Amy, at Amy’s Life in Brief, explains...

Published 6 Sep 2008 7:08 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Add new tag, blog, blogs, links, mental health, social care, social work, work
Alton Centre, Active Care and Southern Cross - an update

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Alton Centre, a home in Northamptonshire run by Active Care - a subsidiary of Southern Cross Healthcare who were reported to be suffering from financial difficulties earlier in the year. Today the appeal against the...

Published 5 Sep 2008 6:10 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: active care, Alton Centre, health, health care, local authority, long-term care, neglect, northamptonshire, residential care, social care, social work, Southern Cross, southern cross healthcare, Wellingborough, work
Social Work - a Daily Mail interpretation

I know I shouldn’t do it. I know it will just make me unnecessarily angry and raise my blood pressure. I know exactly what I’ll find but sometimes, just occasionally, my curiosity gets the better of me and I dip into the Daily Mail’s...

Published 4 Sep 2008 6:38 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: adoption, children act, Children Act 1989, County council, daily mail, local authority, local government, media, mp, politics, pregnancy, scaremongering, social care, social issues, social work, uk, United Kingdom, work
Shameless self-promotion

Not only shameless self-promotion but shameless stealing of a blog post title from Cellar_Door at Not Another Nursing Student Blog - I have a post up on the Social Care Expert’s Blog hosted by Community Care. Read and enjoy! I don’t think...

Published 3 Sep 2008 6:29 PM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: blog, community care, social care, social work, work
Guardianship - Making decisions

From my earlier posts here and here, I discussed the possible uses of the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act in a particular scenario. It seemed that in general, the Mental Capacity Act seemed to be offering similar authority as the Mental...

Published 3 Sep 2008 6:21 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: approved social worker, Guardianship, Human Rights Act 1998, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, Mental Capacity Act 2005, mental health, mental health act, work
Guardianship - What hope for the Mental Capacity Act?

So yesterday, I had found some of the reasons that the Mental Health Act could be used to apply for Guardianship in considering A. The Mental Capacity Act (2005) is fairly new ground - well, over a year now(don’t be fooled by that 2005 thing!) but...

Published 2 Sep 2008 6:13 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: ASW, Court of Protection, five principles, Guardianship, health care, local authority, MCA, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, Mental Capacity Act 2005, mental health, mental health act, social work, work
Guardianship - or a journey into Section 7 of the Mental Health Act

I was called into one of the CMHT (Community Mental Health Team) meetings last week. It was a bit of a surprise. We don’t tend to go into other peoples’ meetings. It is almost like entering an alternate universe. People have the same roles...

Published 1 Sep 2008 6:25 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: approved mental health professional, approved social worker, ASW, elderly, Guardianship, health, MCA, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Mental disorder, mental health, mental health act, old age, older people, social work, uk, work

September 2008 - Fighting Monsters

Syndication

Recent Posts

Tags

Archives

The New Year

Rated Good

Placements and Practice

Power to the People

Reflections

On Studying

Lest We Forget

Links, links, links

Why I love London

Patient/Professional Divide

Sport for all - revisited

The Horse Man

Reasons to the Cheerful - Part One

On the ward

Is Caring a Skill?

Eat or Heat?

Looking ahead

Good work, Evelyn

Alton Centre - a further update

Some links for the weekend (pt 2)

Alton Centre, Active Care and Southern Cross - an update

Social Work - a Daily Mail interpretation

Shameless self-promotion

Guardianship - Making decisions

Guardianship - What hope for the Mental Capacity Act?

Guardianship - or a journey into Section 7 of the Mental Health Act