Welfare Reform on the Web (March 2002): Social Care - UK

1998 HUMAN RIGHTS ACT: SOCIAL WORK'S NEW BENCHMARK

J. Williams

British Journal of Social Work, vol. 31, 2001, p. 831-844

The 1998 Human Rights Act makes the European Convention on Human Rights directly enforceable by the UK's courts and tribunals. Article discusses the impact of the core right to a private and family life enshrined in Article 8 of the Convention on social work practice, with illustrative examples from the UK and abroad.

CARE MANAGEMENT IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE TEAMS: THE BASINGSTOKE "LINKS SCHEME"

C. Lindsay

Managing Community Care, vol. 9, Dec. 2001, p. 18-25

Article traces the development of efforts to develop co-working between social care and primary health care teams in Hampshire, and reports on the benefits which have been observed in evaluations.

DRAFT CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SOCIAL CARE WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS OF SOCIAL CARE WORKERS

General Social Care Council et al

Spring 2002

Contains six statements that social care workers must follow to the best of their ability. It includes pledges to "safeguard and promote the interests of service users and carers and to strive to maintain their trust and confidence. Workers should also "justify public trust and confidence in social care services". They should "respect the independence of service users" and "balance the rights of service users and carers with the interests of society".
Also details the responsibilities of employers in regulating social care staff. They must use rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, including making police checks, give staff clear information about their roles, regularly supervise and effectively manage them, provide training and development opportunities, protect them for violence and abuse, and encourage whistleblowers.

GENEROUS SPENDING INCREASE MASKS SHIFT TO MORE RING-FENCED MONEY

J. Pearce

Community Care, Dec. 13^th 2001 - Jan. 9^th 2002, p. 18-19

Central government funding for social services will increase significantly overall in 2002/03. However 17% of the total social services provision consists of ring-fenced grants, which limits local discretion.

SOCIAL WORKERS SET CODES OF CONDUCT

A. Frean

Times, Jan. 9^th 2002, p. 6

The new General Social Care Council is to create a register of social workers and care professionals in England and to promulgate codes of conduct. Social workers who fail to meet the professional standards laid down in the codes may be struck off the register.

(See also Independent, Jan. 9^th 2002, p. 3)

TIME TO DISAGGREGATE SOCIAL SERVICES?

Anon.

Registered Homes and Services, vol. 6, 2001, p. 113-114

Discusses the possibility of generic social services departments being split. Specialist child welfare and protection departments might remain under local authority control, while adult services might be integrated with healthcare.

WHY I BELIEVE IN A GROWING INDEPENDENT SECTOR FOR SOCIAL CARE

C. Patel

Registered Homes and Services, vol. 6, 2001, p. 118-119

Summaries the case for the private sector to be seen as a vital and increasing provider of health and social care services. Argues that the private sector has demonstrated that it can develop better services, provide greater choice, attract more investment and respond more quickly than the public sector.