February 2010 - Fighting Monsters

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University Interviews

It seems that interview season is under way for social work places at universities. I know a couple of people who have interviews coming up and have asked me for advice, so this is a basic summation of what I’ve come up with and I’d certainly welcome...

Published 26 Feb 2010 6:50 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Education, health, mental health, preparing for social work interviews, social care, social issues, social work, social work course, things to do before interview, work
Individual Fudge-its.

I have tried to embrace the personalisation agenda. Really, client-choice is wonderful. I welcomed Direct Payments and saw a few through to the finish although always keen to emphasise the difficulties as they arose. Basically, the idea of giving the...

Published 23 Feb 2010 7:29 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: care management, direct payments, Disability, elderly, health, ib, individual budgets, local authority, personal, personal budget, self-directed support, social care, social issues, social work, work
On Memory

We have a standard MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) which we use as a rough bar to judge how someone’s cognition may be changing over a period of time. There are lots of criticisms at the moment but taken with a pinch of salt and in conjunction with...

Published 22 Feb 2010 6:58 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Cognition, dementia, elderly, health, mental health, Mini-Mental State Examination, mmse, old age, older people, personal, social care, social work, work
Learning

The process of having a student with me has been a revelation. I am fortunate that the student is prepared, enthusiastic and interested. That goes a long way to be honest. She hasn’t had a lot of experience in the sector but has a lot of experience to...

Published 17 Feb 2010 7:07 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: mental health, old age, older people, personal, practice teaching, social care, social work, social work theories, social worker, student social worker, theory in practice, United Kingdom, work
A Home to Fit

I have worked with Mrs G for about 18 months. She has a degenerating dementia and is becoming more physically frail. Unsurprisingly this is not an uncommon basic scenario that rears it’s head at work. Mrs G has no surviving family but she was a very active...

Published 16 Feb 2010 6:52 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Add new tag, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, elderly, England, health, local authority, long-term care, mental health, nursing home, old age, older people, residential care, social care, social issues, social services, social work, social worker, work
On being a patient

Image via Wikipedia I feel like I’m playing ‘catch-up’ at work at the moment. I think it’s a difficult part of the year now and one of the busiest. Usually post-Christmas is busier than pre-Christmas as a lot of the issues raised at the ‘holiday season...

Published 15 Feb 2010 7:11 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: health, operation, personal, work
The Hamster

Our foster child has now been with us for five months. There are no plans for her to be moving on any time soon although previous (admittedly limited) experience proves that things can happen and change very quickly. She arrived late on a Thursday night...

Published 11 Feb 2010 7:08 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: animal therapy, Foster care, fostering, Hamster, local authority, london, personal, pets, social care, social work, work
Of Mouse and Man

I probably picked the wrong clothes to go to work yesterday. I knew I was going to visit a house that had been kept in what might be called ‘less than sanitary conditions’. Although that is a fairly gross understatement. As a student accompanying me remarked...

Published 10 Feb 2010 6:29 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: diogenes syndrome, elderly, health, hoarding, housing, local authority, mental health, old age, older people, personal, Rodent, social care, social issues, social work, social worker, unsanitary conditions, work
Into the Night

Image via Wikipedia Although the nature of AMHP work is that it will be crisis-orientated, I have found that assessments are usually planned to some extent. Last week, we received a referral to our team at about 3.30pm. For reasons that smack of ageism...

Published 8 Feb 2010 7:12 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Add new tag, Ambulance, AMHP, approved mental health professional, ASW, carer, carers, elderly, health, hospital, london, long-term care, mental health act 1983, mental health, old age, older people, personal, social care, social work, social worker, work
Note to Self

When clearing a day for a Best Interests Assessment under the Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards – even if you think you have planned and informed the hospital/care home well in advance, probably best to phone just before you head off...

Published 5 Feb 2010 7:49 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: best interests assessment, Best Interests Assessor, bia, dols, MCA, personal, social work, stupid things i do, work
Music

Earlier in the week, I went to see someone who had been newly allocated to me. He had been known to our team for a while and had been previously allocated to a number of other care coordinators, who had found it difficult to establish a rapport with him...

Published 4 Feb 2010 6:55 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: cmht, deaf, deafness, depression, elderly, health, individual budget, local authority, mental health, Music, musician, old age, older people, personal budget, social care, social issues, social work, work
The trouble with Aesop

The Aesop ( Aetiology and Ethnicity in Schizophrenia and other Psychoses) study is controversial. Reported last year, the conclusion of this large study completed by the Institute of Psychiatry read that social rather than genetic causes for severe mental...

Published 3 Feb 2010 7:08 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: aesop study, health, Institute of Psychiatry, institutional racism, mental health, personal, prevalence of schizophrenia, race in mental health, racism, Schizophrenia, social care, social issues, social policy, social work, uk, work
Failing Students

This week, Community Care prints an article about pressures on universities to pass students who might not ‘meet the grade’. This has always been a concern of mine as there is an incentive on universities to ensure students graduate rather than ensure...

Published 2 Feb 2010 7:34 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Education, social care, social issues, social work, social work education, students, uk, uk social work, university, work
ADASS concerns over Free Home Care

Over the weekend, a few news reports emerged regarding a statement from ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) which raised questions about the government’s speedily announced plans for ‘free personal care at home’ and particularly...

Published 1 Feb 2010 7:11 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: adass, association of directors of adult social services, care management, dementia, Disability, elderly, facs, fair access to care services, free care for elderly, free personal care, health, jenny owen, labour policy, local authority, long-term care, old age, older people, personal, personal care at home bill, social care, social issues, social work, work

February 2010 - Fighting Monsters

Syndication

Recent Posts

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Archives

University Interviews

Individual Fudge-its.

On Memory

Learning

A Home to Fit

On being a patient

The Hamster

Of Mouse and Man

Into the Night

Note to Self

Music

The trouble with Aesop

Failing Students

ADASS concerns over Free Home Care