May 2009 - Fighting Monsters

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What Price Care?

Today the Institute for Public Policy Research publishes a study about adult social care on the cusp of the publication of a new Green Paper next month. As they claim, the study seeks to generate public debate about the future of social care; and consider...

Published 29 May 2009 7:01 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: carer, carers, elderly, Green Paper, health, health care, Home Care, Home Health, institute for public policy research, old age, older people, paying for care, personal care, social care, social issues, social work, Tax, uk, universal care, work
Ginger

My duty as an AMHP (Approved Mental Health Professional) is fundamentally to co-ordinate and carry out assessments according to the Mental Health Act (1983 – as amended 2007). So in the case of a community assessment, I will request the doctor’s attendance...

Published 28 May 2009 6:15 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, animal warden, animals, approved mental health professional, approved social worker, ASW, cat, cat trap, health, hospital, local authority, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act, mha 1983, national assistance act, national assistance act 1948, national assistance act section 48, pets, s48, social care, social work, work
Why BASW matters

There has been a call both by Ed Balls for British social workers to ‘speak up for themselves’ as well as murmurings of the lack of professional bodies that approach his department to speak on behalf of social workers. Generally, social workers in the...

Published 27 May 2009 6:31 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: basw, British Association of Social Workers, General Social Care Council, gscc., Hilton Dawson, social work, Trade union, uk, work
Meals on Wheels

We can’t escape the fact that we are growing older – it creeps up on us at first – it is easy to ignore – and then seems to gallop alongside us a while – keeping pace, seen only went sought and then, becoming ever more visible next to us and...

Published 26 May 2009 7:00 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: elder services, elderly, family, Food, frozen meals, frozen meals on wheels, hot food delivery, local authority, Meal Delivery, Meals on Wheels, old age, older people, rhona johnson, social care, social issues, social work, uk, work
Expenses

Image via Wikipedia I have retained the general cynicism in the light of the expense claims made by MPs that have been highlighted in the Telegraph over the past few weeks. I don’t honestly think there is anything I can add to the debate or discussion...

Published 25 May 2009 7:04 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Archbishop of Canterbury, expenses scandal, government, london, member of parliament, mp expenses, Parliament of the United Kingdom, personal, politics, social issues, Society and Culture, uk
Decisions

Sometimes the most frustrating aspect of working with adult protection (or rather, safeguarding adults procedures as I believe the common parlance is now) is the lack of ‘places to go’ when there is a lack of hard evidence of abusive behaviour. It is...

Published 22 May 2009 6:09 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: adult abuse, best interests decision, Care Quality Commission, Conditions and Diseases, dementia, elderly, health, long-term care, MCA, mca 2005, Mental Capacity Act 2005, mental health, nursing home, old age, older people, safeguarding adults, social care, social issues, social work, uk, work
Chasing Housing

I try to avoid contact with Housing as much as possible. It comes very close to the ‘hello, head – meet brick wall’ kind of scenario. I know they are very busy and all but sometimes it seems like every conversation turns into a battle...

Published 20 May 2009 6:14 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: council housing, housing, local authority, london, securing housing, sheltered housing, social issues, social work, uk, work
A Course

Last week I went on a training course. As an AMHP I am obliged to complete 3 (I think!) training days every year which specifically relate to my role as an Approved Mental Health Professional in order to maintain my warrant. So it was that last week there...

Published 19 May 2009 7:49 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, approved mental health professional, ASW, Case law, edt, emergency duty team, health, in-house training, Law, legal training, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act, mental health act assessment, social work, training, work
Student Satisfaction Surveys

Over the weekend, I came across a story in The Times which deviated from the MP’s expenses which is increasingly leaving a bitter taste. Students across the country were asked to rate the quality of the teaching on the degrees in which they were currently...

Published 18 May 2009 6:16 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: brunel, Education, Graduate school, higher education, Kent, london, Royal Holloway, Royal Holloway University of London, social work, Swansea, teeside university, unistat, university of swansea, university satisfaction survey, work
Stacey and Eastenders

I have a confession. I watch Eastenders. For those from less rainy shores than these, it is the most popular soap opera in the UK. Not exactly high-brow but I enjoy it! I have watched Eastenders roughly from when it first started and while I’ve never...

Published 16 May 2009 7:38 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Bipolar disorder, easstenders, EastEnders, health, london, Mental disorder, mental health, personal, Soap opera, soap opera characters, social issues, stacey, stacey branning, stacey from eastenders
Positive

The Telegraph reports today on a study published in New Scientist which claims that believing you are sick can make you sick. The so-called ‘nocebo’ effect is explained. “The idea that believing you are ill can make you ill sounds far-fetched, yet...

Published 15 May 2009 6:52 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Alastair Campbell, eleanor harding, Evil twin, health, Mental disorder, mental health, mind book of the year, mind champion of the year, mind champion of the year 2009, mind journalist of the year, mind week 2009, mind week awards, New Scientist, Nocebo, nocebo effect, opposite of placebo, personal, social issues, social work, work
Drowning in Paper

I was on the ward yesterday morning. For a substantial chunk of time. Our borough had a rush of applications for assessments for authorisations of deprivation of liberty in the last few days in April. Just in time to take advantage of the extended April...

Published 14 May 2009 7:02 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: assessment, best interests, best interests assessment, Best Interests Assessor, deprivation of liberty safeguards, dols, health, hospital, local authority, mental health, old age, older people, psychiatric hospital, social work, work
Love and Death

At 8.58am yesterday I was just about arriving at work and Mr A’s death was certified. I didn’t know about it though. I didn’t know until about half an hour later because Mrs A’s carer had arrived at 8am that morning and had found Mrs A in a distressed...

Published 13 May 2009 6:58 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: after a death, animal warden, caregiver, carer, carers, Coroner, Death, dementia, elderly, family, health, Home Care, old age, older people, pets, respite care, social care, social work, work
Virtual Support Systems

The Guardian publishes an article today by Tim Lott who ‘reviews’ or rather, explores his experiences of a newly implemented online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programme available free through the NHS. I have to say my gut instinct is to be a little...

Published 12 May 2009 6:38 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: beating the blues, Disorders, fearfighter, glasgow university, health, living life to the full, mental health, moodgym, nhs, online cbt, online cbt on nhs, social issues, Tim Lott, uk, work
Survey Redux

Community Care have put together an improved version of The Sun’s survey about social workers. Please take the time to complete it here so they can send the data back to the Sun and the Social Work Taskforce and a more realistic view can be shown. Read...

Published 12 May 2009 4:04 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: work
Foster Care Fortnight

Today is the start of a UK wide Foster Care Fortnight. It has a particular significance for me firstly because this year – now – I am a foster carer. It was exactly one of these two week long campaigns that initiated the process as well. Although I’d...

Published 11 May 2009 6:54 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: being a foster carer, carer, Channel 4, children, dispatches, experiences of foster care, find me a family, Foster care, foster care fortnight, fostering, local authority, personal, social care, social issues, social work, Society and Culture, uk, work
The Paralympic World Cup

In or around or in travelling distance of Manchester between the 20th and 25th May? The Paralympic World Cup is taking place with a world class international athletes competing in wheelchair basketball, track cycling, athletics and swimming. Singapore2010...

Published 10 May 2009 6:51 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: work
Rage

Yesterday I was at the end of the phone when a carer called – furious that the service was not able to deliver what had been expected of it. Honestly, the rage was mostly deserved. There I was, trying to explain why transport for an appointment had not...

Published 8 May 2009 4:52 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, anger with social worker, approved mental health professional, Best Interests Assessor, cancelling appointments, carer, dementia, ear bashing, elderly, health, local authority, local government, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act, old age, older people, personal, social care, social issues, social work, work
Balls to Balls

Yesterday Ball announced a plan to ‘transform’ social work and inject £58 million into the system. This came as the government responded to Laming’s report following the ‘Baby P’ tragedy. Although actually it isn’t about transforming social work – it...

Published 7 May 2009 6:32 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: BBC, child social work, children and families social work, Conservatives, Ed Balls, health, local authority, local government, personal, politics, poor morale, social care, social work, social work taskforce, Tim Loughton, uk, work
Golden Hello

The Local Government Association stated yesterday that the public castigation of social workers in the UK through a variety of media outlets has had an impact on the recruitment of staff. This isn’t any great surprise after all, I’ve had to justify my...

Published 6 May 2009 6:32 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: carefirst, local authority, local government, Local Government Association, national skills academy, Phil Hope, social care, social work, social work management, training, work
Delirium and Dementia

The Telegraph publishes an article today relating to some research carried out in the US which links an initial episode of delirium at the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s with a more speedy development of the incidence of dementia. “The cognitive...

Published 5 May 2009 6:48 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Alzheimer's disease, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Conditions and Diseases, delirium, delirium and dementia, dementia, elderly, health, mental health, Neurology, neurology journal, old age, older people, tamara fong, work
Bank Holiday Mix

It’s a Bank Holiday here today so I’ve just cobbled together a few links that caught my eye. PsychCentral lists 12 Great Things about Twitter – and of course, you can follow me here! Personally, I found it took me a while to get into it but...

Published 4 May 2009 6:43 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: baby p, BBC, Haringey, health, links, men's mental health, mental health, Mind, panorama, social care, social issues, social work, spikol, Twitter, work
Dear Deirdre

Dear Deirdre I suppose you are making an effort with your survey on the Sun website asking readers to tell you all that is wrong with social work. Personally though, I find it insulting that you were given a place on the Social Work Taskforce that is...

Published 1 May 2009 5:49 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: dear deirdre, deirdre, deirdre sanders, Guardian, insulting social workers, mental health, newspaper, social work, social work taskforce, Sun, sun agony aunt, survey, work

May 2009 - Fighting Monsters

Syndication

Recent Posts

Tags

Archives

What Price Care?

Ginger

Why BASW matters

Meals on Wheels

Expenses

Decisions

Chasing Housing

A Course

Student Satisfaction Surveys

Stacey and Eastenders

Positive

Drowning in Paper

Love and Death

Virtual Support Systems

Survey Redux

Foster Care Fortnight

The Paralympic World Cup

Rage

Balls to Balls

Golden Hello

Delirium and Dementia

Bank Holiday Mix

Dear Deirdre