Mad World

Social workers: have you ever had a security guard accompany you on a home visit?

Mad World — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:44:43 GMT

One of the major talking points in episode 2 of social work documentary Protecting Our Children was the use of security guards on a home visit. We put together a light-hearted poll to find out just how widespread the practice is: Online Surveys &...(read more)

Protecting Our Children: Live chat is back on Monday

Mad World — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:39:51 GMT

The second episode of BBC2 social work documentary Protecting Our Children screens on Monday 6 February at 9pm. And our live social work chat will be happening once again too. Join us and our panel of social work experts from 8.30pm as we preview and...(read more)

Protecting Our Children live chat - your comments

Mad World — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:47:30 GMT

We had a great response to the live chat we organised during BBC social work documentary Protecting Our Children. Just click on the chat box on the page and you can review the 500+ comments made by our panel of experts and the social work contributors...(read more)

Protecting Our Children BBC social work doc: Live chat tonight

Mad World — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:40:24 GMT

I'm sure you will have all heard about the BBC social work documentary, Protecting Our Children , which starts tonight (Monday). Don't forget that tonight you will be able to join a live discussion, directly before, during and after the programme...(read more)

SCIE appoints new chief executive

Mad World — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:28:19 GMT

News just in from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) - Andrea Sutcliffe (left) has been appointed as its new chief executive, to replace outgoing head Julie Jones. Sutcliffe is currently the chief executive of the Appointments Commission...(read more)

New psychological treatment for chronic depression trialled

Mad World — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:02:35 GMT

Researchers from the University of Southampton are testing whether a version of dialectical behaviour therapy is effective in treating refractive, or treatment-resistant, depression. The approach is based on the idea that "depression is not the primary...(read more)

Social care 2011: Who had a good year, who had a bad year?

Mad World — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:30:48 GMT

by Mithran Samuel and Simeon Brody Good year Kaliya Franklin Franklin has emerged as one of the foremost service user bloggers and campaigners against cuts to disability benefits and care. Blogging at Benefit Scrounging Scum and The Broken of Britain...(read more)

Community Care's top 10 stories of 2011

Mad World — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:30:00 GMT

We wrote hundreds of social care news stories, analysis pieces, features and good practice guides in 2011. But which stories proved most popular, in terms of hits, on our website? Here is the top 10, in reverse order: 10. Councils withdrawing social workers...(read more)

'This is early intervention': a social work view of family troubleshooters plan

Mad World — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:12:08 GMT

David Cameron's plan to tackle 'problem families' is early intervention work by another name, according to a College of Social Work representative. "And a lot of early intervention services have been cut," pointed out Laura Eden...(read more)

What do troubleshooters do that social workers don't?

Mad World — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:47:39 GMT

David Cameron is to announce plans for a network of "troubleshooters" to give more focused support to troubled families. It all sounds very good but leaves me with a few thoughts. What will these "troubleshooters" do that social workers...(read more)

Music, black dogs and better mental health

Mad World — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:40:54 GMT

Three things I've noticed: 1. Ruby Wax has launched Black Dog Tribe , a new site for people with depression - it's currently in beta and focuses on ways people can support each other. It features lots of interaction and multimedia stuff. 2. Social...(read more)

New social work boundaries tool and an ethical minefield

Mad World — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:12:47 GMT

The GSCC has produced a really snazzy looking interactive tool which social workers and students can use to test their knowledge of professional boundaries. I had a go at it and particularly enjoyed the sound effects. The tool involves a number of different...(read more)

Community Care Live Children and Families: Highlights

Mad World — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:53:36 GMT

Thousands of social workers, social care staff and students gathered at the Business Design Centre in London for Community Care Live Children and Families yesterday. There were lots of highlights and some incredibly popular sessions. Delegates queued...(read more)

Mental illness and creativity link

Mad World — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:11:04 GMT

People with bipolar disorder and healthy siblings of those with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia are overrepresented among creative professions, a large-scale study has found . The study is published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, which also points...(read more)

A social worker's ode to hot desking

Mad World — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:15:28 GMT

There was a time when people wrote poems about daffodils, or tigers or the night mail crossing the border. How times have changed. Here is a rather splendid poem about hot desking by an anonymous social worker: Hotdesking's fine if you're all...(read more)

Care home puppy cheers up residents

Mad World — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:39:59 GMT

Pictured above is three-month old puppy Roxy who is apparently bringing joy to fellow residents at Colten Care's Fernhill care home in Ferndown. The clever dog "breaks the ice" and gets residents talking, the company says. It seems that...(read more)

Podcast: homelessness, charging for care and social work assistants

Mad World — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:38:33 GMT

Just finished editing Community Care's latest podcast in which we discuss the idea of housing homeless people before dealing with associated substance misuse problems, charing parents who put their children into care and news that social work assistant...(read more)

Public sector stress and social workers

Mad World — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:00:38 GMT

It's probably no suprise to readers that public sector workers are more likely to take time off due to stress . Our government's particular hatred for the public sector has seen it being blamed for an economic crisis caused by the financial sector...(read more)

Twitter tips for social workers

Mad World — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:33:37 GMT

An article on our Student Zone about using social media has prompted folk on Twitter to start thinking about what advice they would give social workers or students planning to use the micro blogging site. A new hashtag #twittertips4sw is being used to...(read more)

Mental illness is a symptom of society's problems

Mad World — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:04:57 GMT

The following is a guest post by Michael Richmond, who has just published his first novel, Sisyphusa , an allegory of the mental health system. If there's one conclusion I've come to after five years of suffering from it, it is that mental illness...(read more)

Laughter yoga for social workers

Mad World — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:58:59 GMT

Will you be incorporating this into your social work practice in the UK? I would be interested to hear from anyone who tries it out. Read More......(read more)

Action for Happiness and meditation

Mad World — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:49:59 GMT

There was an interesting piece in the Guardian earlier this week about a reporter who spent a week trying to integrate into their lives some of the tips for happier living produced by Action for Happiness. The experiment was apparently not without success...(read more)

Community Care staff show support for Woolly Hat Day 2011

Mad World — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:28:51 GMT

Here at Community Care we are keen to do our bit to support Woolly Hat Day 2011 . On November 4, people across the country will be putting on woolly hats and raising money for homelessness charity St Mungo's. Community Care editor Bronagh Miskelly...(read more)

It's the year of the black dog

Mad World — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:02:38 GMT

Mental health charity Sane has launched a nationwide Black Dog campaign to raise awareness of depression. Winston Churchill famously referred to his depression as the "black dog" and Sane plans to install at least 40 black dog sculptures around...(read more)

Ruby Wax - Losing It: a mini review

Mad World — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:24:47 GMT

I went to see the show Ruby Wax - Losing It at the Duchess Theatre in London this week. It's a performance of two halves, the first involves Wax telling the story of her own breakdown and admission to The Priory and railing against the artificiality...(read more)

Get involved in Dementia Awareness Day

Mad World — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:07:06 GMT

It's Dementia Awareness Day tomorrow (17 September) take a look at the various events and ways you can get involved . You can join the campaign here. Also, check out this brilliant video: Well done to Norrms, who has spearheaded the whole Dementia...(read more)

Ruby Wax brings show and free mental health forums to West End

Mad World — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:17:05 GMT

Comedienne Ruby Wax has recently started a five week run of her show Ruby Wax-Losing It at London's Duchess Theatre. Accompanied by singer/pianist Judith Owen, Wax reflects on her own breakdown before engaging in a conversation with the audience about...(read more)

Tax, reading and aerobic exercise

Mad World — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:36:17 GMT

People living in countries with a more progressive tax system are generally happier than those in countries with a flatter tax system, a study suggests . Someone should tell UK chancellor George Osborne, who has been urged by certain economists to remove...(read more)

New site for residential and domiciliary care workers launches

Mad World — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:53:03 GMT

I'm very excited to announce the launch of You Care , a new microsite developed by Community Care for people working in residential and domiciliary care. We designed and built it ourselves so it's very pleasing to see it go live. Hopefully it...(read more)

Massive scale of mental health problems in EU

Mad World — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:41:19 GMT

More than a third of EU citizens suffer from mental health problems, new research suggests . While the figure has increased since the last survey in 2005, that is accounted for by the inclusion of a number of previously excluded conditions. The researchers...(read more)

Cigarettes, zinc and men in sheds

Mad World — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:01:07 GMT

I'm very excited to be once again writing about sheds. I wrote back in January about an Australian project to help men "interact and unburden" in the familiar and comforting surroundings of a shed. But it seems the Aussie shed movement has...(read more)

Probiotics and positive psychology in practice

Mad World — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:18:47 GMT

Two quick nuggets today: (can you have a "quick nugget"? Anyway...) Probiotic bacteria may help ease depression and anxiety, research suggests . And, here are some tips for incorporating positive psychology in your practice. Read More......(read more)

Poverty and decision fatigue and biscuits

Mad World — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:55:02 GMT

Fascinating article in the New York Times suggesting we have only a finite amount of mental energy available to make difficult decisions or exert willpower. This issue may be particularly relevant to those living in poverty as they have to devote a lot...(read more)

Happiness, crime and the "architecture of fear"

Mad World — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:12:26 GMT

Young people who are happy are less likely to be involved in crime, a new report suggests . "Our results suggest that the emphasis placed on happiness and well-being by positive psychologists and others is warranted," McCarthy said. "In...(read more)

Gail Porter on being sectioned: 'There was no treatment programme and nothing to do'

Mad World — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:14:36 GMT

TV presenter Gail Porter has spoken to the Daily Mail about her experience of being sectioned and being an involuntary in-patient earlier in the year. And it's hardly an encouraging but sadly not surprising account of life in a psychiatric ward. 'The...(read more)

A reflection on England's riots and their impact on social care

Mad World — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:35:44 GMT

I have just finished editing Community Care's latest podcast, which is a reflection on this week's riots in England. You can listen to it using the player below, or go to our podcast page . My colleagues and I enjoyed an unusually wide-ranging...(read more)

I've got a caseload that's bigger than yours

Mad World — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:56:13 GMT

An anonymous Community Care reader and social worker has sent in this rather splendid poem: I've got a caseload that's bigger than yours It's so large it won't fit in my drawers! All day long I struggle and sweat I'm a super-doopa...(read more)

Do social workers need iPads?

Mad World — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:38:09 GMT

They may well be very nicely designed but I'm usually rather sceptical about people saying they "need" the latest shiny consumer gadget, such as the iPad. However, in an article in Bizgene , a social worker says it has really helped with...(read more)

Therapy dog helps girl testify in US court

Mad World — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:21:26 GMT

Here is an interesting story about a dog that helped a girl testify at a US rape trial and the ensuing legal debate. Read More......(read more)

Living with schizophrenia and award for campaigning student

Mad World — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:04:42 GMT

There is a very readable piece in the New York Times about how a man learned to cope with his schizophrenia. Also, worth a look is the commentary by Shrink Rap , which I think may prompt a debate about diagnosis and recovery. Meanwhile, here in the UK...(read more)