Community Care LIVE a great success

Thousand of social care professionals attended Community
Care LIVE last month. The annual two-day event brings to
together a host of speakers and practitioners to share expertise
and discuss and debate key areas in social care.

The event heard new social workers calling for more support when
they are working at the front line. A lack of information about
resources combined with little support led some delegates to say
they felt they were “dumped” at the front line.

Karina Hewitson, who obtained a social work  job with London
Borough of Barking and Dagenham three months ago, said that she was
learning all the time but that it is “impossible and
it’s overwhelming. It’s too much to do by yourself if
you aren’t being helped.”

Also information about the raft of government initiatives, such
as Sure Start and Connexions, was not being passed on to new
recruits said former social worker Tuzel Torgout. She also said
that social work training needed to teach organisational skills
because of the complexity of issues staff have to deal with on a
day-to-day basis.

At another session, employers were urged to be more open with
staff. Ann Meyers, deputy director of the Public Concern at Work,
said that social care organisations should create a culture that
encourages staff to speak out honestly. She added that employees
should feel comfortable about coming forward and not remain
anonymous.

Other topics discussed at the Business Design Centre in
Islington, north London, were greater regulation of private
fostering, why foster carers are leaving, doctors’ poor treatment
of people with learning difficulties, mental health and human
rights laws, improving the health of older people and the need for
more parental leave.

The two-day event was held on 21-22 May was sponsored by Saccs
and Capita Social Care resourcing and the badge sponsor was Task
Team.