Just started a new job (social work) in a multi-disciplinary intermediate care team.  Social workers are in the minority and quite a few have left to go back to social services.  I have searched the office for policy and procedures, operational guidelines, health and safety but there is nothing at all in hard copies.  I have been told it is not needed as it can all be accessed on the intranet.  I like to be able to place my hands on things such as 'our care, our health our say.  National service frameworks etc.  As my colleagues are health based they say, well we don't have the room and we don't have the health documentation either.  We are a satellite team and I am beginning to question the wisdom.  I have had to sort out my own ID, trying to sort out computer access etc.  nobody seems bothered and as a new employee I am finding it somewhat frustrating.  Also being new I don't want to rock the boat, but it does not feel right. 

 hi, this sounds just like my placement.  i found it very difficult at first and after much moaning to my practice teacher about it she gave me the confidence to challenge the system one thing at a time.  one of the things i found awful like you was the placing of the policies on the intranet which meant in my placement that service users could not access said policies. i was also the only social work person there and it took constant effort to make sure my point was heard. 

i dont really have any strong suggestions but do you feel you could bring up your concerns in supervision? its best not to do nothing as i beleive you will ever get fed up and disillusioned or will end up being sucked in and soon not notice the things that dont feel right.  good luck.

I mentioned it to my manager who is in another social services satellite team, she said if I could source the documents and set it up then it would be ok, but on returning to the office the temp team manager who is from health said "we do not have the room on shelves for that and we do not have health documents either, we too work from National Service Frameworks, they can all be accessed on the intranet," and so I met a brick wall again.  At the moment I am on a temporary contract, but have applied for permanent post.  I have sent off for free stuff from the DOH website and will keep them in my drawer.  It certainly makes you feel disabled in carrying out your job and is one of the difficulties in a multi-disciplinary team which is health dominated as they don't seem to see the social work point of view.  I would like to know how this all stands legally as I was under the impression that the operational procedures should be easily accessible. Any advice from somebody who knows would be most welcome, or even to point me in the right direction to push my point forward.