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: social care, social work, social issues, older people, work, carers, old age, elderly, uk, health care, health, carer, institute for public policy research, Home Care, Tax, Green Paper, universal care, personal care, paying for care, Home Health
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: social care, social work, work, ASW, mental health, local authority, health, animals, mental health act, hospital, approved social worker, mental health act 1983, cat, national assistance act, approved mental health professional, AMHP, pets, animal warden, cat trap, mha 1983, national assistance act 1948, national assistance act section 48, s48
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: social work, work, uk, gscc., Trade union, General Social Care Council, British Association of Social Workers, basw, Hilton Dawson
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: social care, social work, social issues, older people, work, local authority, old age, elderly, uk, family, Meals on Wheels, hot food delivery, Food, rhona johnson, Meal Delivery, frozen meals, frozen meals on wheels, elder services
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: social issues, government, politics, london, uk, member of parliament, personal, Society and Culture, expenses scandal, mp expenses, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Archbishop of Canterbury
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: social care, social work, social issues, older people, dementia, work, mental health, MCA, old age, elderly, long-term care, uk, health, nursing home, safeguarding adults, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Conditions and Diseases, adult abuse, Care Quality Commission, mca 2005, best interests decision
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: social work, social issues, work, local authority, london, uk, housing, sheltered housing, securing housing, council housing
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: social work, work, ASW, training, mental health, health, mental health act, mental health act assessment, mental health act 1983, approved mental health professional, AMHP, Law, Case law, edt, legal training, emergency duty team, in-house training
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: social work, work, london, Education, Royal Holloway, Royal Holloway University of London, higher education, Graduate school, university satisfaction survey, brunel, teeside university, Kent, university of swansea, unistat, Swansea
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: social issues, mental health, london, health, Mental disorder, personal, Bipolar disorder, stacey branning, EastEnders, soap opera characters, stacey from eastenders, stacey, easstenders, Soap opera
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: social work, social issues, work, mental health, health, Mental disorder, personal, Alastair Campbell, mind journalist of the year, mind champion of the year, mind week 2009, mind book of the year, mind champion of the year 2009, New Scientist, nocebo effect, eleanor harding, mind week awards, Evil twin, Nocebo, opposite of placebo
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: social work, older people, work, mental health, local authority, old age, assessment, health, hospital, psychiatric hospital, Best Interests Assessor, best interests assessment, best interests, dols, deprivation of liberty safeguards
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: social care, social work, older people, dementia, work, carers, old age, elderly, health, carer, respite care, Home Care, family, caregiver, Death, pets, Coroner, animal warden, after a death
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: social issues, work, mental health, uk, health, nhs, Disorders, online cbt on nhs, beating the blues, moodgym, online cbt, Tim Lott, glasgow university, living life to the full, fearfighter
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: social care, social work, social issues, work, local authority, uk, carer, personal, children, fostering, Foster care, Channel 4, dispatches, Society and Culture, experiences of foster care, being a foster carer, foster care fortnight, find me a family
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: social care, social work, social issues, older people, dementia, work, mental health, local authority, old age, elderly, health, carer, mental health act, local government, mental health act 1983, approved mental health professional, personal, AMHP, Best Interests Assessor, cancelling appointments, anger with social worker, ear bashing
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: social care, social work, work, local authority, politics, uk, health, local government, BBC, personal, Ed Balls, social work taskforce, Conservatives, Tim Loughton, children and families social work, child social work, poor morale
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: social care, social work, work, training, local authority, local government, Local Government Association, national skills academy, Phil Hope, social work management, carefirst
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: older people, dementia, work, mental health, old age, elderly, health, Alzheimer's disease, Conditions and Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, neurology journal, Neurology, tamara fong, delirium and dementia, delirium
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: social care, social work, social issues, work, mental health, health, links, spikol, BBC, Mind, baby p, Haringey, panorama, men's mental health, Twitter
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: social work, work, mental health, newspaper, Guardian, Sun, social work taskforce, deirdre sanders, sun agony aunt, deirdre, dear deirdre, survey, insulting social workers

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