The Social Work Blog - Other blogs - Social Work Blog

New social care online training

Don't ever say we at Community Care are not at the cutting edge of the technological revolution. Please, don't ever say that. And as proof of our position at the forefront of the digital revolution we present to you a season of online social care...

Published 29 Oct 2009 3:32 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: social care, training

How to avoid bad reactions to being a social worker

The other day I met a social worker. I know, big news for a social work journalist, eh?! But, given that we meet outside work, the surprising thing was she admitted to me that she was a social worker in the first place. I have seen people get verbally...

Published 27 Oct 2009 5:03 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: bullying, social work, social workers

National Care Leavers' Week 2009: 25th - 30th October

This week is National Care Leavers' Week . Organisations such as the Care Leavers' Association , Voice and the National Care Advisory Service are hoping to raise awareness of the issues (still) facing young people as they leave care - like finding...

Published 27 Oct 2009 4:00 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: care leavers, children in care, young people

Roger Singleton on Radio 4: ISA vetting, commercial gain, and piano teachers

by Adam McCulloch Roger Singleton (head of the Independent Safeguarding Authority and ex-Barnardo's chief) was on Radio 4 Today programme this morning (27 October) talking about who needs to apply to be on the ISA register. It was interesting to hear...

Published 27 Oct 2009 2:26 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Adam McCulloch, child protection, children and young people, Independent safeguarding authority, ISA, licence, radio 4, regulation, Roger Singleton, safeguarding, vetting

Baby P lodger wins appeal

Jason Owen, the lodger at Peter Connelly's home who was jailed following the child's death, has won his appeal against his indeterminate sentence, according to the BBC . More on this story to come on the Community Care website. Read More...

Published 27 Oct 2009 1:01 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, child protection, crime, Criminal justice

Morale in adult social work is 'high', DH claims

by Daniel Lombard Adult social work teams across England are enjoying high levels of morale, a top civil servant has claimed. Glen Mason, director of social care performance and leadership at the Department of Health, told Community Care that despite...

Published 26 Oct 2009 6:05 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: morale, social work, Social Work Taskforce, social workers, vacancies

Film Review: Hell's Pavement

Yesterday I went to a screening of Hell's Pavement , Andy Kemp's impressive directorial debut about foster care. Authentic, provocative and based entirely on true events this docu-drama style film stays with you, as uncomfortably as it is intended...

Published 26 Oct 2009 1:33 PM by The Social Work Blog

Social Work, Camera, Action! Bromley-Derry wants social work on TV

Be brave, be open and be on TV. That was the message from Kim Bromley-Derry this week when he said, with a lively grin, that social workers need a Police, Camera, Action style show all of their own. But the ADCS president was making a serious point. He...

Published 24 Oct 2009 3:21 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: social workers, workforce

Is Ed Balls a bully?

Barry Sheerman, chair of the children, schools and families committee, said so after Balls appointed Maggie Atkinson as children's commissioner despite opposition from MPs. That was on Monday. Read More...

Published 23 Oct 2009 5:40 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: BASW, children and young people, children's services, ed balls, hilton dawson, national children and adult services conference, Ruth Smith

Cornwall chief exec comments on Ofsted outcome

Cornwall Council's chief executive Kevin Lavery has done a video interview with the BBC (towards the bottom of the article), responding to the damning report issued by Ofsted today about the council's children's services department. Is Lavery's...

Published 23 Oct 2009 1:48 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: child protection, children and young people, workforce

Balls asks BASW to send over information on ICS

An aid to children's secretary Ed Balls has already been in contact with BASW chief executive Hilton Dawson following their heated exchange this morning. Read More...

Published 23 Oct 2009 1:05 PM by The Social Work Blog

Ed Balls: social workers are "barking up the wrong tree"

Children's secretary Ed Balls has accused social workers of of "barking up the wrong tree" when they blame excessive bureaucracy for keeping them away from the front line. At the National Children and Adult Services Conference just now Balls...

Published 23 Oct 2009 11:35 AM by The Social Work Blog

Managers are cause of "vindictive" social workers

Kim Bromley-Derry believes the fault lies with managers when it comes to disruntled social workers. In a recent article in the Telegraph flagged up by Community Care blogger Simeon Brody , the chair of the Association of Directors of Children's Services...

Published 23 Oct 2009 10:21 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: social work, social workers, workforce

Disabled people to keep disability living allowance

Disabled people will be allowed to keep their disability living allowance but pensioner's attendance allowance may still be replaced under plans announced by secretary of state for health, Andy Burnham. Speaking to the national children and adult...

Published 22 Oct 2009 5:44 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ageing, disability

Loose Woman supports social care

Lynda Bellingham , Oxo mum, Strictly Come Dancing star and one ITV's Loose Women, is standing up for social care. The actress grabbed the microphone back at the end of the National Children and Adult Service Conference session on the dementia strategy...

Published 22 Oct 2009 3:45 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ageing, Alzheimer's, Bronagh Miskelly, dementia, Lynda Bellingham, social care

Phil Hope's NCASC marathon

Care service minister Phil Hope certainly put in the miles for this year's National Children and Adult Services Conference in Harrogate. On Wednesday he had planned to speak at a number of events. He managed to give an interview to Community Care...

Published 22 Oct 2009 1:36 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Bronagh Miskelly, NCASC, Phil Hope, Politics, social care, Westminster

To ring-fence or not to ring-fence

Ring-fencing remains the difficult question for social care. At the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Harrogate the thorny issue of the £150m funding for the dementia strategy - what some people describe as the "missing £150m"...

Published 22 Oct 2009 1:34 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Andrew Landsley, Bronagh Miskelly, Conservatives, funding, Labour, NCASC, Phil Hope, public health

Government to appoint national clinical dementia lead

Care minister Phil Hope has announced that the government will be appointing a national clinical lead for dementia. Speaking at an event discussing the implementation of the government's dementia strategy as part of the NCAS conference in Harrogate...

Published 22 Oct 2009 11:45 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ageing, dementia, health, older people, social work

Why are so few BME social workers promoted to management?

by Daniel Lombard The under-representation of people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds in senior social care management positions came under the spotlight at the National Children's and Adult Services conference today. "The lack of diversity...

Published 21 Oct 2009 7:23 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ethnic minorities

Attendance allowance debate rumbles on

by Bronagh Miskelly The DH wanted to create a debate around its Green Paper on the future of adult social care and debate it has created - just not the one it was hoping for. At the National Children and Adult the Services Conference in Harrogate, the...

Published 21 Oct 2009 5:47 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ageing, home care, Politics

Act over adult abuse

A rise in domestic violence has been symptomatic of past recessions. One explanation of the 60% rise in safeguarding referrals received by adult directors since the downturn began last autumn is that the abuse of vulnerable adults follows a similar pattern...

Published 21 Oct 2009 1:54 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: adult protection, Department of Health, Liam Byrne, Mithran Samuel, No Secrets

A role without real clout

The failure of the children's, schools and families committee to endorse the appointment of Maggie Atkinson as England's new children's commissioner reflects wider unease over the role. Read More...

Published 21 Oct 2009 1:51 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Children Act 2004, children and young people, Maggie Atkinson, Ruth Smith

£1.5m cut in services for adults with learning disabilities

The BBC is reporting cuts in day care services for adults with learning disabilities are to be given further consideration by Dumfries and Galloway Council . It will be interesting to see how many more stories like this will follow in light of the recession...

Published 21 Oct 2009 11:28 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: adult protection, disability, Learning Disabilities, social work, social workers, workforce

'Pensioners in care homes can't survive on £21 a week' says charity

National care charity Counsel and Care have responded to the government's refusal to raise the Personal Expenses Allowance to £40, as recommended by the Department of Work and Pensions Select Committee. Read More...

Published 20 Oct 2009 12:20 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ageing, Care Homes, human rights, older people

No progress on No Secrets

Looks like the Department of Health still doesn't know when it will publish its response to the consultation on reviewing No Secrets , the guidance on protecting vulnerable adults, despite the consultation process finishing on 31 January . Read More...

Published 20 Oct 2009 9:24 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: adult protection, ivan lewis, Liam Byrne, Mithran Samuel, No Secrets

BASW appoints first PR officer since launching in 1970

by Daniel Lombard The first ever public relations officer at the British Association of Social Workers has pledged to help practitioners "speak up about the reality" of frontline practice. Sam Crisp, who joins the association from an education...

Published 19 Oct 2009 6:17 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ed balls, National college of social work, national voice, social work

Care Council for Wales revamps website

The Care Council for Wales has completely revamped its website and packed it full of information for social care professionals, students and service users. It's certainly useful, providing (bilingual) guidance on work practices, qualifications, training...

Published 19 Oct 2009 4:08 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Service users, social work, social workers, training, workforce

Radio 5 explores personalisation/safeguarding tension

By Mithran Samuel Didn't hear it myself but looks like Radio 5 examined the tensions between safeguarding vulnerable adults and the roll-out of personal budgets/direct payments in the Donal MacIntyre programme yesterday. . Read More...

Published 19 Oct 2009 8:55 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: personalisation, Radio 5, safeguarding

How much do you know about social work professional boundaries?

Would your employer take action if you or a colleague borrowed money from a service user? What if you took up lap dancing in your spare time? Read More...

Published 16 Oct 2009 6:06 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: boundaries, conduct, gscc, social work

'Foster Care the movie' - special showings

Hell's Pavement , starring Pauline McLynn , otherwise known as Father Ted's Mrs Doyle, is a feature film that tracks the life of a young girl in foster careplayed by Keeki Bennett (above). The makers of the film have arranged a series of special...

Published 16 Oct 2009 6:02 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: children and young people, children in care, television programme

Your weekly assortment of children's services news

This is a new daily round-up of interesting items we've spotted on issues around children's social care. Read More...

Published 16 Oct 2009 2:14 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: children and young people, children's champion, ennals, health visitors, Shoesmith, youth binge drinking

Memorable experience for journalist turned social work conference speaker

by Daniel Lombard At Community Care it's important for us to get out and meet people in the sector to inform our work as journalists, and conferences are a great way to do this. This week I've attended two in just over 24 hours - the first in...

Published 16 Oct 2009 1:38 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: daniel lombard, gscc, Media, social work, stand up now for social work, The Sun

Head of Cornwall children's services resigns

Dean Ashton, Cornwall's corporate director for children, schools and families, has resigned in anticipation of a damning report from Ofsted due to come out next week. According to the council's website and a local Cornwall paper , Ashton left...

Published 16 Oct 2009 12:03 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: child protection, children and young people, Politics

Professional boundaries: lap dancing and money

Would your employer take action if it found out you were working as a lap dancer in your spare time? What if you invited a service user to pray with you? Or used hypnosis with them? Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University have been exploring the...

Published 15 Oct 2009 5:54 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: boundaries, General Social Care Council, gscc, lap dancing, religion, Service users, services users, social work, social workers, training, workforce

Did Dear Deidre tame the social work dragon?

by Daniel Lombard The most hotly-debated event in this year's social work calendar finally arrived yesterday with the General Social Care Council's annual conference. Having backed her employers' witch-hunt against social workers in the wake...

Published 15 Oct 2009 1:44 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, daniel lombard, deidre sanders, Media, social work, stand up now for social work, The Sun

Personalisation and efficiency: a marriage made in heaven?

By Mithran Samuel Interesting interview in The Herald with head of Scotland's care regulator, the Care Commission, Jacquie Roberts , in which she emphasises how how much adult care services will have to change to deal with the demographic changes...

Published 13 Oct 2009 8:17 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ageing, Care Commission, funding, older people, personalisation, Scotland

Tycoon's generosity fails to answer the long-term issues of elderly care

Adman Trevor Beattie's decision to fund the care of nine elderly women for a year rather than have them moved to separate homes is a wonderfully magnanimous gesture. It's the sort of tale that gets everybody worked up. Read More...

Published 12 Oct 2009 11:50 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ageing, Care Homes, older people

Why Deidre was wrong to crow about The Sun's toxic campaign

by Daniel Lombard If social work and tabloid newspapers have always been uneasy bedfellows, the row over Deidre Sanders' continued involvement in efforts to improve the profession has reinforced the feeling that it was never going to be a match made...

Published 9 Oct 2009 2:37 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, Baby Peter, daniel lombard, deidre sanders, stand up now for social work, The Sun

Sir Roger Singleton on safeguarding children

Amid the shock and outrage surrounding the recent sexual abuse case in Plymouth - where nursery worker Vanessa George was found to have abused children in her care - it's inevitable that questions will be asked about how we safeguard children from...

Published 8 Oct 2009 3:13 PM by The Social Work Blog

Sharon Shoesmith appeal: was due process followed?

The emails that have emerged during the judicial review of Sharon Shoesmith's dismissal from Haringey Council are fascinating. They provide a tantalising glimpse of the support Shoesmith received from those in power. Whatever you think about whether...

Published 8 Oct 2009 3:12 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, Baby Peter, Shoesmith

October 2009 - The Social Work Blog

Syndication

Recent Posts

Tags

Archives