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A solution to the Southampton pay cut dispute?

Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The last three months of walk-outs by bin men, social workers and social care staff over pay cuts of up to 5% have yet to result in a deal which will keep both staff and council...

Published 6 Oct 2011 11:43 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: pay, Politics, social workers

Shropshire social workers to vote on strike action over pay cuts

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Social workers and social care workers at Shropshire council will begin to receive ballot papers from tomorrow on whether to call a strike over plans to cut pay by up to 5.4%. If the strike action...

Published 24 Aug 2011 12:24 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: pay, Politics, social workers, strikes, unions

Only one in six Shropshire council staff sign pay cut deal

Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Only 1,000 of 6,500 workers at Shropshire council have signed up to a new pay deal which cuts pay by up to 5.4%, the Shropshire Star reports. Unfortunately a breakdown of how many...

Published 23 Aug 2011 3:40 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: pay, Politics, social workers, strikes

Youth workers in Cameron's 'ends' go on strike

Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 What a difference a week makes. Only last week David Cameron chose a youth centre in his leafy constituency of Banbury to set out his stance on looters a rioters and England's...

Published 23 Aug 2011 2:31 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Politics, young people

'Social workers are not judgemental enough'

There is a rather interesting piece by Jonathan Parker, director of the Centre of Social Work & Social Policy at Bournemouth University, over at Huffington Post this morning. In it he says: "Social work has constructed an edifice of anti-oppressive...

Published 16 Aug 2011 11:14 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Politics, social work, young people

More strikes to hit pay cut council

Southampton council will bit hit by a second wave of strikes from social workers, angry at pay cuts of around 5%, tomorrow as talks remain deadlocked. Unions and the council have not made any progress since social workers staged a one day walk out last...

Published 9 Aug 2011 11:34 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: funding, pay, Politics, social work, social workers

Lib Dem MPs queue up to praise the Big Society

Lib Dem MPs queued up to praise David Cameron's Big Society agenda (above) at the party's annual conference in Liverpool today. Children's minister Sarah Teather said the qualities of "localism, pluralism and diversity are what the Liberal...

Published 21 Sep 2010 3:26 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Politics, voluntary sector

Labour minister and former social worker loses seat

Disabled people's minister Jonathan Shaw has lost his Parliamentary seat in Chatham and Aylesford in the 2010 general election. The former social worker was beaten by Conservative candidate Tracey Crouch , who is a daughter of a social worker and...

Published 7 May 2010 12:11 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Politics, social workers

Has social work lost its political edge?

Has social work lost its political edge? Participants in a roles and tasks project in Northern Ireland think so. A report published by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council found that social work is less political and needs to reaffirm its role as...

Published 11 Mar 2010 11:46 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: northern ireland, Politics, social work, workforce

"Independence" and "expertise" key for government advisors

by Bronagh Miskelly The essential attributes for those advising the government on bodies such as the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs are expertise and independence of any political party. Such bodies are only useful if they review the science...

Published 2 Nov 2009 5:07 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Addiction, alcohol, drugs, Politics

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

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

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

Unison icy towards Osborne's public sector pay freeze

Unison made its feelings about George Osborne's proposal to freeze public sector pay in 2011 very clear today... by planting an ice sculpture of a hospital porter pushing an NHS wheelchair outside the Tory party conference in Manchester. Read More...

Published 7 Oct 2009 6:29 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Conservatives, George Osborne, local authorities, pay, Politics, tories, tory party conference, Unison, workforce

The disadvantaged seem set to suffer in this orgy of cuts.

WIth the focus of the two main political parties being to force (sorry support) people off incapacity benefits and into work one can't help but think whether the people and the hardships many are likely to experience in this new orgy have been forgotten...

Published 5 Oct 2009 2:59 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: funding, Politics

Benefits for asylum seekers cut to £5 a day

By Ruth Smith Today, if you're a destitute asylum seeker in the UK and ask the government for help, you will receive just £35.13 a week, down from £42.16. Read More...

Published 5 Oct 2009 12:50 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: asylum, Benefits, Politics, Ruth Smith

Was The Sun really backing Labour?

by Adam McCulloch I don't think anyone could argue that The Sun has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Labour Party over the past few years, in fact since the turn of the century. So its pompous announcement last night that it was backing the Conservatives...

Published 30 Sep 2009 10:53 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Adam McCulloch, Labour, Media, newspapers, Politics, The Sun

Nick Clegg's social care hints in the era of 'savage' cuts

by Adam McCulloch If we can assume that the three main parties are looking closely at each other's ideas of where cuts might fall, or efficiencies made, it's worth taking note of a couple of Liberal leader Nick Clegg's quotes from the weekend...

Published 21 Sep 2009 4:40 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Adam McCulloch, Politics, private providers, social care

Time to stop knocking on the door... and start banging

By Emma Maier Ed Balls has been quoted several times in the media recently saying that the social work profession doesn't bang on his door like other professions. But I was in a room of social workers yesterday, and the consensus was that they are...

Published 12 Jun 2009 2:17 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Media, Politics, social workers, workforce

Means test MPs for expense claims!

by Adam McCulloch Just occurred to me that the more well-off MPs, usually Conservative, who have been claiming expenses for moat repairs, swimming pool maintenance etc, don't really require the same allowance as others. So, as policymakers regard...

Published 13 May 2009 6:21 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Adam McCulloch, eligibility, expenses, house of commons, means test, Media, mp, parliament, Politics, Random, workforce

A tale of two whistleblowers

By Keith Sellick The Home Office civil servant Christopher Galley will not be prosecuted for leaking immigration information to Damian Green MP, the Crown Prosecution Service said yesterday. The Director of Public Prosecutions also ruled that the information...

Published 17 Apr 2009 11:04 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Christopher Galley, keith sellick, Margaret Heywood, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Politics, Whistleblowing

MPs' travel expenses leave bad taste in mouth

by Andrew Mickel As Heather Brooke of Freedom of Information blog Your Right To Know has pointed out , with a busy news agenda going on it is a good day to sneak out the long-overdue MPs' expenses report. Read More...

Published 31 Mar 2009 3:10 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: expenses, MPs, Phil Hope, Politics, social care, Tim Loughton

Time for government to learn lessons on data protection

By Bronagh Miskelly Even the most pig-headed amongst us eventually learn from our mistakes. We learn that ploughing on with a set of actions that repeatedly end in problems is a bad idea. Not so in Whitehall - or so it would seem from the latest ContactPoint...

Published 25 Mar 2009 10:57 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: child protection, children and young people, children in care, ContactPoint, data protection, health, Politics, safeguarding

Laming report: From inquisition to happy every after?

by Bronagh Miskelly Disappointment for some, a realistic appraisal for others - Lord Laming's report , The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report will have had a mixed reaction. Read More...

Published 12 Mar 2009 4:47 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Bronagh Miskelly, Laming inquiry, Politics, safeguarding, serious case review, social work, social workers, training, workforce

Children's services no subject for political point scoring

By Emma Maier I suppose it was only a matter of time before the horror of the Baby P case subsided sufficiently for politicians to want to use children's services as a political football. Today it happened. This week's culprit? Ed Balls . Read...

Published 3 Feb 2009 4:15 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, child protection, children's services, ed balls, Emma Maier, politicians, Politics

The return of Britain's class structure

By Keith Sellick One thing that recessions can be assured of doing - especially when they are as serious as the current one - is to reveal the huge inequalities of wealth and power in society, in effect they reveal the class structure of society. Over...

Published 22 Jan 2009 1:52 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: class, keith sellick, Marx, Politics, Runnymeade Trust, The white working class; Britain's forgotten race victims?, white working class, workforce

US social workers respond to Barack Obama victory

by Simeon Brody Here is a round-up of some US social workers' reaction to Obama's victory. It may be that lots ot bloggers are still taking it all in or are struggling to find the right words. Read More...

Published 5 Nov 2008 3:52 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Barack Obama, community organising, Politics, simeon brody, social worker

The road trip to hell

By Derren Hayes There's been a plethora of 'on the road in the US of A' programmes hitting our screens recently obviously timed to coincide with next week's presidential elections. Read More...

Published 29 Oct 2008 4:43 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: homelessness, housing, Politics, tv, US, usa

Tackling poverty on Blog Action Day

by Simeon Brody Today is Blog Action Day , a day when thousands of bloggers across the world will unite to discuss a single issue - poverty. The aim is to "raise awareness, initiate action and shake the web." Read More...

Published 15 Oct 2008 11:44 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: blog action day, climate change, Politics, poverty, simeon brody

Conservative conference: policy on ageing reveals no substance beneath the style

by Sally Gillen As makeovers go, superficially the Tories haven't done a bad job. To quote Richard Reeves, director of think tank Demos, during a fringe session yesterday, they have successfully "detoxified the Conservative brand". But as...

Published 30 Sep 2008 11:48 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Alzheimer's disease, Conservative Party, dememtia, older people, Politics, Sally Gillen

Conservative conference: it's all in the catering

by Sally Gillen Somebody once told me you can gauge the fortunes of a political party by what's on offer at its conference. He wasn't talking about the agenda. No, apparently, the real test is how much free food you can lay your hands on and how...

Published 29 Sep 2008 12:16 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Conservative Party, Politics, Sally Gillen

Credit crunch and social care

By Keith Sellick While the sight of panicking city traders and so-called "masters of the universe" gives me some enjoyment, I know that the tottering world finance system will hit us all - 90% of us will be taxed to bail out the profits of the...

Published 26 Sep 2008 3:06 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: credit crunch, keith sellick, Politics, poverty, social care

The future for the left, working time directive and taxing the rich

by Simeon Brody The Labour party conference seems a good time to get all political. So here goes. First up, there's an interesting piece in Liberal Conspiracy about a possible way forward for Labour and the left. Read More...

Published 23 Sep 2008 6:01 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: labour party, Politics, simeon brody, tax, working time directive

Tales from the Labour fringe: Ivan Lewis, text messages and social care

by Maria Ahmed Ivan Lewis, the care services minister, entered last night's Labour conference fringe meeting on adult social care funding looking somewhat greyer than I remembered. "It's been an interesting summer," he said, allowing...

Published 22 Sep 2008 12:57 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: ivan lewis, labour conference, maria ahmed, Politics, social care

Safeguard children from flip-flopping politicians

by Bronagh Miskelly Young people in the UK have, admittedly unknowingly, been subject to a tidal wave of children's policy over their lifetimes. The funding and initiatives intended to help them grow up are barely established before they are reversed...

Published 18 Sep 2008 1:01 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Action for Children, Bronagh Miskelly, charities, charity, child protection, children, children and young people, children in care, legislation, NCH, policy, Politics

Behold the conquering social reformer

By Bronagh Miskelly David Cameron has plans to change your jobs and your lives. In the publicity for a new biography of Conservative party leader we learn that he plans to be "as radical a social reformer as Mrs Thatcher was an economic reformer"...

Published 18 Aug 2008 6:14 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Bronagh Miskelly, Conservative Pary, David Cameron, Politics, social reform, social workers

Gordon, please don't sack Ivan Lewis!

by Mithran Samuel The papers today are awash with stories that care services minister Ivan Lewis could be sacked in the forthcoming reshuffle. Read More...

Published 18 Aug 2008 9:52 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: adult social care, dementia, ivan lewis, Mithran Samuel, New Labour, Politics, the daily mail, the daily telegraph, The Independent on Sunday, The Sun, Treasury, Valuing People

A novel approach to homes for the elderly

By Bronagh Miskelly Anyone immersing themselves in the debate on the future of adult services, leading hopefully to a green paper next year, will be taken with the story of a 93-year-old first-time novelist who has taken residential care into her own...

Published 11 Aug 2008 5:48 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: adult care, ageing, Bronasgh Miskelly, Care Homes, elderly care, funding, green paper, home care, housing, older people, Politics, residential care

Crime is down, brilliant news. Well done, everybody

by Adam McCulloch The reduction in crime in the UK is fantastic news and reflects well on the government, police, social workers, probation officers and, yes, car manufacturers (the days of the 'pooled' Ford Fiesta are well and truly in the past...

Published 18 Jul 2008 1:10 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Adam McCulloch, crime, crime figures, Criminal justice, Cycling, ford fiesta, government, Media, Politics, violence

On the march with London local government strikers

by Keith Hassell I was not at work yesterday. Instead I got together with thousands of others who were not at work either. But whereas I was on a day off from my desk at Community Care they were on strike. Read More...

Published 17 Jul 2008 1:13 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Keith Hassell, local authorities, local government, pay, pay dispute, Politics, strikes, Unison, workforce

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