The Social Care Experts Blog

Baby P: If only The Sun could campaign for properly resourced children's services

2008-12-10T12:23:40Z

by Peter Corser I wrote a piece four weeks ago about the Sun campaign against professionals in the Baby P case. It was written as a gut reaction. At the time of writing it I had not seen Sharon Shoesmith's performance so was less able to understand Read More......(read more)

Happy Birthday, Human Rights!

2008-12-10T12:07:49Z

by Allan Norman Today is the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , arguably still the most important human rights declaration. Yesterday, I was speaking about rights without remedies, and the Universal Declaration seemed an obvious Read More......(read more)

Health inequalities for black and minority ethnic people with learning disabilities

2008-12-10T11:36:28Z

by Andrew Holman At last night's meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on learning disability, I got the chance to ask Sir Jonathan Michaels a question about his report on the health of people with learning disabilities. His report, the Independent Read More......(read more)

Time to ask why?

2008-12-10T08:17:23Z

By Allan Bowman Child protection agencies need to look beyond "what went wrong" and identify the trains of thought that allowed mistakes to occur. When serious case reviews were first implemented, many of us working in children's services Read More......(read more)

Life squashed into a week

2008-12-10T08:08:34Z

by Jennifer Harvey With a job to hold down, elderly and needy parents, plus a grandchild to support, there is not a moment left to spare I'm one of the squashed generation. Squashed between supporting elderly parents and helping care for grandchildren Read More......(read more)

Call that a career?

2008-12-10T08:01:47Z

by Simon Heng If personalisation is to move forward, personal assistants employed by direct payments users will need a better deal. What attracts you, when you're looking for a job? Decent pay, for sure, maybe even a progressive pay scale. Also, good Read More......(read more)

Service users' rights when illegal presence is settled and stable

2008-12-06T22:37:31Z

by Allan Norman My colleague Yasmeen Qazi - a social worker and solicitor like myself - has recently been able to positively clarify rights to social services when a potential service user's presence here is both settled and stable on the one hand Read More......(read more)

A nail in the coffin for universal databases?

2008-12-06T21:31:52Z

by Allan Norman "Sir, We are frequently told that "if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear". Not so. I fear having to prove I have nothing to hide." ...ran Alan Douglas' letter published in the Times and Telegraph Read More......(read more)

We are no longer taboo

2008-12-03T12:17:19Z

by Simon Stephens Attitudes towards disabled people have changed but they are still not accepted as potential leaders The election of the first black US president got me thinking how long it would be before there was a significantly impaired prime minister Read More......(read more)

Fillings and Alzheimer's

2008-12-03T11:59:26Z

by Nigel Leaney Some believe that the amount of mercury used in some dental fillings could help cause dementia. But it's only a theory... Escaping to Manali, up in the Indian Himalayas, each morning I lifted my head from my pillow to see at the first Read More......(read more)

Bang the drum ourselves

2008-12-03T11:50:42Z

by Peter Beresford Service users must redouble their efforts to back personalisation because policymakers' initial enthusiasm appears to be waning. Earlier this year, individual budgets were heralded as the reform that would transform social care Read More......(read more)

Learning from each other: service user input into social work training

2008-12-01T11:45:02Z

by Peter Beresford Travel broadens the mind, but it's often more difficult for service users. There's an obvious reason for many people - they don't have enough money to get about much. Some are also restricted by failures to ensure access Read More......(read more)

Social Care, Compensation, and the Archon of Athens

2008-11-30T23:29:24Z

by Allan Norman It is allegedly Solon of Athens (c 638-558 BC) who we have to thank for having introduced the right of citizens to sue each other. Apart from lawyers, it is doubtful whether even those who participate in such litigation greet this development Read More......(read more)

The Death of Baby P: what do I tell my children?

2008-11-28T08:25:40Z

by Renuka Jeyarajah-Dent, Director of Operations, Coram The tragedy of Baby P's death has quite rightly dominated the media for the last week. Newspapers are full of details of his death and images of his bruised face and more recently a photo of Read More......(read more)

Social work after Baby P: the direction must change

2008-11-26T14:54:11Z

by John Hemming, Allan Norman and Sue White There have been many reports in the last year about 'false positives', where the state intervenes when it shouldn't. What is often missed is that the issue of 'false negatives', where the Read More......(read more)

Don't underestimate volunteers

2008-11-25T12:54:52Z

by Linda Graff Despite the important role of volunteers, they are sorely undervalued and volunteerism is largely taken for granted. That's why, somewhat tongue in cheek, I suggest that a widespread strike of volunteer workers may be the best way to Read More......(read more)

Barack Obama holds torch for disability rights in US and beyond

2008-11-25T12:27:16Z

By Si mon Heng The election of Barack Obama as US president holds particular significance for Americans with disabilities. Whereas his opponent, John McCain, proposed to put a cap on all "non-defence" spending, Obama set out detailed, costed Read More......(read more)

Credit crunch opportunity for green social work

2008-11-25T12:20:22Z

by Helen Bonnick The government's announcement last month of tougher targets on carbon emissions means we are going to have to do more than switch to low energy light bulbs, turn off the television and use the train instead of the car. We already Read More......(read more)

Learning disability parliaments

2008-11-24T09:37:21Z

by Andrew Holman I have restrained myself from comment on the growth of 'learning disability parliaments' for some time as I honestly thought they would go away. Read More......(read more)

Children's Services Reform: More Command and Control?

2008-11-21T10:50:45Z

Ed Balls' announcement that he is going to review the quality of Children's Trusts in England may be a necessary response to the tragic death of Baby P., but it is not likely to be sufficient. The evidence in the case seems to point to problems Read More......(read more)

Giving the children a bloody nose

2008-11-20T21:20:32Z

by Allan Norman Three questions: When will we be able to know that Adam Rickwood's death was not in vain? How should a social worker running a Secure Training Centre approach human rights? And would you remove a child from a parent who calculatingly Read More......(read more)

Baby P: why won't they listen?

2008-11-19T12:25:42Z

by Nushra Mansuri The death of Baby P has led to both the Prime Minister and the children's minister pledging not to allow such an awful tragedy to happen again. Many have described it as Victoria Climbié all over again; but is it? Read More......(read more)

We need a return to child protection

2008-11-13T14:17:03Z

By Liz Davies The social worker for Baby P described her role to the court as being 'there to support the family' a perspective restated by Haringey's document entitled Support offered to family of child A rather than "action taken to Read More......(read more)

Baby P campaign: The Sun at its worst

2008-11-13T14:02:35Z

By Peter Corser I get irritated with the old complaint of "the media only notices us when we get things wrong". But I have still been taken aback with the viciousness of the campaign by The Sun this week. Read More......(read more)

Is CareSpace a libel-free zone?

2008-11-13T09:58:54Z

by Allan Norman I once observed that a fellow social worker had posted a defamatory comment online here. Community Care - understandably cautious, when a lawyer makes such an observation to the world at large - removed the defamatory content, although Read More......(read more)

Disbility movement doesn't move me

2008-11-12T14:32:54Z

By Simon Stevens There is too wide a gulf among disabled people between those involved in campaigning and those focused on the daily struggle When I first became involved in disability issues, at Coventry University at the age of 18, I began to realise Read More......(read more)

Fall of the celebrity bully

2008-11-12T14:27:12Z

By Helen Bonnick The behaviour of Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand has exposed a world of TV and radio humiliation that popular culture portrays as entertainment Last week I was clear in my mind. I felt vindicated, my views on the Jonathan Ross and Russell Read More......(read more)

Obama's kinship lesson

2008-11-12T14:17:11Z

By Sam Smethers The US president-elect's family relationships show the value of kinship care, something we may have lost sight of in the UK Barack Obama's moving tribute to his late grandmother and his reference to the many other "quiet heroes" Read More......(read more)

The Poppy - A Symbol

2008-11-05T16:33:36Z

by Allan Norman Reflections on the symbolism of the poppy The Poppy - A Symbol of Our Times The Guardian - 10th November 2007. A soldier patrolling poppy fields in Afghanistan. A headline - "Pay Them Not To Grow Poppies". We will remember the Read More......(read more)

More than a talking dog

2008-11-05T14:35:21Z

by Simon Heng What can you do when a sales assistant resolutely continues to address your PA and ignores your attempts at communication. Read More......(read more)

What would Marx say?

2008-11-05T14:26:39Z

by Steve Rogowski The government's Every Child Matters agenda has now been undermined by its support for a failed trickle-down free market Read More......(read more)

Charity is more than cash

2008-11-05T14:19:47Z

by Laura Marks We can't use lack of money in these straitened times as an excuse for not giving to charity. Let's roll up our sleeves and volunteer. Read More......(read more)

James Bond, Masculinity And Social Work Practice: Some uncalled for connections

2008-11-03T16:35:02Z

by Peter Beresford Why would a slightly seedy looking man, with thinning hair, who photographs like a less fit version of black belt former President Putin, be commanding newspaper front pages and full page advertisements? Of course, it must be a new Read More......(read more)

Phil Hope MP - Biography

2008-10-29T15:38:40Z

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Schooled in happiness

2008-10-29T12:03:28Z

by Nigel Leaney With more cases of depression rising among young people, some schools are challenging negativity and promoting well-being Read More......(read more)

Family group conferences: Lost in the short cuts

2008-10-29T11:55:50Z

by Cathy Ashley Family group conferences have the potential to keep children out of care. If only access to them were straightforward. Read More......(read more)

Respecting the child's wishes

2008-10-23T17:03:15Z

by Allan Norman So, you are satisfied that the child is likely to suffer significant harm, and that a care order is apropriate. Inconveniently, the child's clear preference is to stay with her mother. Hardly a unique situation. What do you do? This Read More......(read more)

Films about disability: the keys to understanding

2008-10-22T11:39:18Z

By Simon Heng Many big screen potrayals of disability have upbeat endings but one Italian film allows viewers to make up their own minds Depictions of disability in the media are so rare that when disabled people are shown in films or on television, you Read More......(read more)

Personalisation: a wolf in sheep's clothes?

2008-10-22T11:26:24Z

by John Davies There is a danger that the real good personalisation could do will be undermined by councils and government using it to cut costs As a fire storm engulfs the world's financial markets, we should reconsider some of the ideas on how the Read More......(read more)

Seize the day for adults

2008-10-22T11:08:51Z

By Gary Fitzgerald Campaigners have an unmissable opportunity to achieve a major step forward in the legal backing for adult protection It is two and a half years since Liam Byrne accepted the principle of putting adult protection onto a legislative footing Read More......(read more)