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Docking Benefits and Blaming the Poor

I know I covered this more generally on Monday in my rant about ‘benefits’ but it’s worth coming back to with the proposals explained in the Guardian Magistrates and crown court judges could be asked to dock benefits from convicted criminals under preliminary...

Published 8 Sep 2011 7:16 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social work, social issues, work, benefits, politics, london, social justice, Department for Work and Pensions, personal, david cameron, iain duncan-smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, evil tories, Crime, Riot, blame the poor, Kenneth Clarke
Fixing the Broken not Healing the Wounded – a wrong-footed Government response

Our wise leader, David Cameron, clearly being an iconic Philosopher King, spent many days studying the possibly causes for the devastating riots in London and across England. He concluded after much intellectually rigorous pursuit, that the causes of...

Published 16 Aug 2011 7:04 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, social issues, work, discrimination, benefits, politics, london, health, personal, cameron, david cameron, Prime minister, iain duncan-smith, philosophy, Chipping Norton, broken britain, Emma Harrison, gang culture, gangs, Single-parent
Blame the Poor – A Riot Rhetoric

I apologise for keeping on one track in my posts this week but I am preoccupied by events of the last week. I’m not the same person I was a week ago. Some of the pillars that I held on both tangible and intangible have gone now, never to be replaced....

Published 12 Aug 2011 6:58 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social issues, work, local authority, london, television, England, poverty, personal, london riots, Clapham, Croydon, Ealing, Riot
Communities

One word that has come up a lot in the last few days are discussions about communities. Whether is it ‘affected communities’, or ‘community leaders’ or ‘rebuilding communities’ and it has made me wonder about what the meaning of the word is. whizchickonabun...

Published 11 Aug 2011 6:55 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social issues, work, local authority, london, community, personal, david cameron, community building, Online Communities, boris johnson, Chipping Norton, Community leader, Community management, what is community
London – Some thoughts and hopes

I didn’t sleep much last night. Or the night before. Or the night before that. My city is burning. There is a tangible fear in the air. I’m not above it because I feel it and I see it. I don’t want to listen to politicians being parachuted in (when they...

Published 9 Aug 2011 6:58 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social issues, local authority, london, England, personal, david cameron, big society, london riots, Tottenham
Riots, Poverty and Assumptions

It would be remiss of me not to mention the rioting that took place in London over the weekend. I work and live in some of the poorer areas of the city and felt, indeed, still feel desperately saddened by some of the pictures and reportage coming from...

Published 8 Aug 2011 6:51 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social issues, work, local authority, politics, london, health, anger, poverty, Twitter, facebook, Brixton, David Lammy, london riots, Tottenham, tottenham riots
There and Back Again

As I finished yesterday, I had left my first job and embarked on my little (well, it was two years) adventure and I decided to return to London and join the ranks of gainfully employed social workers again. I knew it was what I wanted to do. I had grown...

Published 16 Jun 2011 7:23 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social work, older people, work, local authority, london, health, Employment, personal
Neary, Hillingdon and Best Interests Assessments

The judgement in the case of Stephen Neary was published yesterday. I held off commenting about the case when it first hit the press because sometimes I feel there is a lack of detail and an overwhelming presence of misunderstanding in relation to reporting...

Published 10 Jun 2011 7:05 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, work, mental health, MCA, local authority, london, long-term care, respite care, local government, imca, independent mental capacity advocate, Disability, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Court of Protection, personal, London Borough of Hillingdon, Best Interests Assessor, best interests assessment, best interests, bia, mark neary, neary judgement, steven neary
Distractions and Uncertainty

Of Local Distractions I met one of the hospital social workers earlier this week. We don’t actually catch up with each other very often but when we do we always make a point of hanging around in whatever corridor we bump into each other in and chat. This...

Published 9 Jun 2011 6:54 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, older people, work, local authority, old age, politics, elderly, london, long-term care, Southern Cross, nursing home, National Health Service, Disability, southern cross healthcare, personal, Inspection, Care Quality Commission, cqc, Burgess Park, Tower Bridge
Weekly Social Work Links 18

Maybe not quite so weekly but I was away last weekend and unable to put anything together. Back now and ready – very ready – for the long weekend. Here are some of the posts I’ve come across over the last week that caught my eye. A post on the Social...

Published 28 May 2011 7:23 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social work, work, london, links, personal, Evidence-based practice, Obstetric Fistula
Carers, Conferences and Random Blog Search Terms – a Friday Special

Yesterday, I was sent an email by someone associated with Age UK to draw attention to the information on their website for carers. I get a number of requests from various sources every week but having checked out the information, it is definitely worth...

Published 13 May 2011 6:58 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, work, carers, community care live, london, carer, community care, blog, blog search terms, Social media, munro, Age UK, Islington, social work conference
The Hardest Hit Campaign

The ‘Hardest Hit’ Campaign is has been organised by a number of disability charities which form the heart of the UK Disabled People’s Council which is an umbrella group for many organisations across the country and Disability Benefits Consortium which...

Published 10 May 2011 6:49 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, work, carers, socialcare, benefits, london, carer, Disability, Disability Living Allowance, employment support allowance, disability benefits, Disability pension, hardest hit, National Insurance
Weekly Social Work Links 14

I know, not quite weekly as I was away last weekend and I’m off for the Easter break so I’m starting the long weekend with a few links from the last couple of weeks. The Masked AMHP continues his series … Continue reading → Read More...

Published 22 Apr 2011 7:52 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social work, work, mental health, london, health, links, Social Work Blogs, Institute of Psychiatry, European Convention of Human Rights, Easter, social work links
26th March 2011 – March for the Alternative

I’ll write more about the March for the Alternative during the week but wanted to feed back in the immediate aftermath. As arranged I attended with some friends and our intentions of meeting up with a larger group were scuppered … Continue...

Published 27 Mar 2011 8:33 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: work, politics, london, personal, cuts, 26th march, protest, banners, evil cameron, march 26, march for the alternative, march26, star wars, unions
Why I’m marching

The Guardian published an article on their website yesterday titled ‘Why we’re marching?’ and it gave the points of view of six people who were going to be attending the TUC organised rally on Saturday. ketu@Flickr I am going to … Continue reading...

Published 23 Mar 2011 6:47 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: work, government, politics, london, National Health Service, personal, Labour, the guardian, Liberal Democrat, Disability Living Allowance, 26 march, 26th march, protest, rally, Trades Union Congress, tuc, tuc demonstration, uk government, uk uncut, why i'm marching on 26 march
Changing the World

This weekend I met up with a friend of mine whom I first met when I started my MA in Social Work roughly 12 years ago. Since graduating and qualifying, our careers have taken different but in some ways parallel … Continue reading → Read More...

Published 28 Feb 2011 6:53 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, social issues, work, discrimination, local authority, politics, london, health, personal, philosophy, i want to change the world, Leadership, leadership and management, making the world a better place
Big Society Revisited

I am still having trouble understanding exactly what Cameron means by the ‘Big Society’. I am really trying. I have read up on it on it’s own website and I looked on Wikipedia (doesn’t that count as substantial research?). I … Continue reading →...

Published 4 Feb 2011 6:57 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, social issues, work, local authority, politics, london, local government, personal, david cameron, big society, philosophy, community building, cumbria, eden, role for future social work, Rory Stewart, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Sutton, voluntary work, volunteer, what is big society
Cuts – a personal tale

A couple of weeks ago, I had one of those deeply depressing moments that will generally punctuate a career in social care. I had to go and tell a woman, who cares for her mother with enormous patience and dignity, … Continue reading → Read...

Published 28 Jan 2011 6:56 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, social issues, older people, dementia, work, carers, mental health, local authority, old age, politics, elderly, london, health, carer, direct payments, personalisation, respite care, family, Disability, caregiver, personal, personal care, personal budget, individual budget, sds, self-directed support, budget, evil tories, cuts
Colleges and Conferences

Just a very quick post. 1. Excellent post by Malcolm Payne which gives a bit of background to the BASW College v SCIE College rift. Payne adds a great deal of information to the board and everyone should read this … Continue reading → Read...

Published 24 Jan 2011 6:05 PM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, social issues, work, london, local government, gscc., General Social Care Council, British Association of Social Workers, Leeds
First they came for the Taxi-cards..

I’m aware of the parochial nature of some of my writing. I am predominantly UK centric and generally make no apology for that which is reflected in my audience. Today, I’m going to be particularly London-centric. The story came to … Continue reading...

Published 16 Nov 2010 6:18 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social issues, work, local authority, old age, politics, elderly, london, Disability, Taxicab, personal, Public transport, access in london, london transport, taxicards, taxi-cards, transport for all, transport for london
The Evacuee

I have a poppy. I get one every year. Sometimes I get more than one because I tend to lose them or actually, they often fall off during the week before Remembrance Sunday. Sometimes, when I come across them, I … Continue reading → Read More...

Published 11 Nov 2010 7:13 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social issues, older people, work, old age, london, evacuation, World War II, personal, History, Remembrance Sunday, WAAF, White poppy (symbol)
Reconnecting

Last week, while trying to organise a hospital discharge, I was called into a hospital MDT (multi-disciplinary team) meeting to try and gauge/update the status of a particular service user. This particular hospital and this particular ward hold a few...

Published 13 Oct 2010 7:56 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social work, older people, work, old age, london, health, hospital, Medicine, personal, hospital social worker, multi-disciplinary meeting, ward round
Down and Out in Paris and London – A Review and Reflection

So I’m late to the game, I know that, but as an effort to re-engage with some of the books I had never quite got around to reading, I picked up a copy of Orwell’s ‘Down and Out in Paris … Continue reading → Read More...

Published 10 Oct 2010 11:05 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: london, personal, book review, books, down and out in paris and london, down and out in paris and london review, george orwell, lessons from books, orwell, Paris, reading
The Welfare Cap

The announcement that Child Benefit would no longer be payable to higher rate tax payers came about five minutes after I pressed ‘publish’ on my post yesterday. For the record, I have no problems with reducing or means-testing child benefit … Continue...

Published 5 Oct 2010 7:00 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social issues, work, discrimination, benefits, politics, london, conservative party, personal, Welfare, george osborne, Coalition government, child benefit, capped benefits, george osborn, housing benefit, spending review, welfare cuts
Five years on

It’s the fifth anniversary of the bombings in London. I couldn’t let the day pass. I wrote a post a couple of years ago with my reflections on that day and the aftermath. I’m glad I wrote it as already some of the details are beginning to fade from my...

Published 7 Jul 2010 6:13 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: work, politics, london, uk, personal, july 7, london bombings
Disenfranchised

Over the weekend, I found myself embroiled in a couple of political discussions with friends. The Guardian has come out for the Lib Dems and the Independent is promoting ‘tactical voting’ namely ‘anything to keep the Conservatives out’. I have to admit...

Published 3 May 2010 7:07 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: politics, london, personal, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Liberal Democrats, Conservative, david cameron, Lib Dem, Marginal seat, tactical voting
Locality

Earlier last week, I was wandering through one of the more pleasant parks in the borough following the last visit of my day and while admiring the flowers coming into bloom, I realised that – in the time that I had worked in the borough – I had covered...

Published 7 Apr 2010 7:41 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: work, london, personal
Good Quality Care

Yesterday, I went to visit a service user that I’ve been working with for a good while. Mrs K has Alzheimer’s at a fairly advanced stage and has and continues to be well supported in her home. She currently receives a care package via the local authority...

Published 5 Mar 2010 6:26 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, social issues, older people, work, carers, local authority, old age, elderly, london, carer, local government, Employment, personal, Wage
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: social care, social work, work, local authority, london, personal, fostering, Foster care, pets, Hamster, animal therapy
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: social care, social work, older people, work, carers, ASW, mental health, old age, elderly, london, long-term care, health, carer, hospital, social worker, mental health act 1983, approved mental health professional, Add new tag, personal, AMHP, Ambulance
Inside a Team Meeting

Every week, we have multi-disciplinary meetings. These involve us all, social workers, CPNs (Community Psychiatric Nurses), Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and Medics discussing the weeks work – we go through the referrals received and discuss...

Published 21 Jan 2010 6:42 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, social issues, older people, work, mental health, old age, london, community, personal, cmht, meetings at work, neighbors, neighbours, neighborliness, friendly london, cmht meeting, team meeting
Of Snowiness

Really it was a fairly busy day yesterday. The person I had been scheduled to visit and had completely expected to be out when I called was actually in. Of course, he wouldn’t let me in but we managed a fairly useful chat through the front door and kitchen...

Published 22 Dec 2009 6:40 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, older people, work, carers, socialcare, mental health, local authority, old age, london, carer, travel, personal, cmht, traffic, snow
A fostering update

I don’t like to patter on about the fostering I do but at the start of a new placement, some of the work-related issues shift onto the back burner temporarily in my thought-process. It also tends to lead to a slightly less regular post schedule to the...

Published 27 Oct 2009 6:56 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social work, work, local authority, london, uk, England, Child, personal, foster child, fostering, Foster care, update
Taking Back our Profession

On 12th November, BASW (British Association of Social Workers) is holding a rally starting at 10am at Friends House at Euston in London to support social workers and the social work profession. The rally is titled ‘Taking Back our Profession : Time to...

Published 19 Oct 2009 6:28 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, work, london, social workers, British Association of Social Workers, basw, moira gibb, Tim Loughton, british social workers, meeting, basw rally
Conference

I’ll preface this post by mentioning I have a stinking headache at the moment – but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot to say! Anyone in and around London, the Social Work Action Network which describes itself as ‘a radical campaigning network within...

Published 2 Jul 2009 5:51 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: social care, social work, social issues, work, politics, london, social justice, personal, social work training, conference, London Metropolitan University, SWAN, Social Work Action Network
Father’s Day

Image by Denis Collette…!!! via Flickr Yesterday, I , with my siblings, went to see my father. I’m sure that is nothing remarkable. I have been to hospices a few times for work-related matters. I know how they work. What kind of work they do and...

Published 22 Jun 2009 6:03 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: older people, carers, old age, elderly, london, long-term care, uk, health, carer, hospital, Medicine, personal, father, Hospice, father's day, help the hospices
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
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
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

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