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

THE CARE HOMES LEGAL HANDBOOK

J Cooper

London: Jessica Kingsley, 2002

A handbook containing guidance and practical instructions for understanding the procedures and regulations involved in applying the Care Standards Act 2000.

CARE STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION: WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE INDEPENDENT CARE SECTOR?

S O'Kell

Housing, Care and Support, vol. 5, May 2002, p. 21-24

Staff recruitment and retention are a major challenge to independent care home providers and are vital to good service delivery. The main issues in care staff employment are pay and conditions of service and job satisfaction. Motivation for care workers to stay in the job depends on:

• good physical working environment;
• an emphasis on the delivery of high quality care;
• staffing levels;
• access to appropriate staff training;
• fair management.

CRACKING THE CODE

P Neate

Community Care, June 6th-12th 2002 p. 22-24

Article describes the processes through which the General Social Care Council involved service users in the consultation exercise regarding its code of conduct for social care professionals.

DEGREE'S EMPHASES ON PRACTICE EXPECTED TO WIN YOUNGER RECRUITS

S. Gillen

Community Care, June 13th-19th 2002, p. 18-19

Discusses the new three-year degree in social work that will replace the existing Diploma. The degree will emphasise practice learning and training in partnership working. Basic literacy and numeracy skills will be required in course applicants, but this is not expected to constitute a serious barrier. Universities delivering the degree will be accredited by the General Social Care Council.

FUTURE IMPERFECT: KING'S FUND INQUIRY REPORT ON RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF STAFF

Housing, Care and Support, vol. 5, May 2002, p. 18-20

Presents a summary of the main findings of the report. The inquiry report said that Britain's care and support workers exist on low pay, with poor training, inadequate support from their managers and too little time to care. Care and support for older and vulnerable people could collapse unless government allocates £700m extra to social services annually.

A GUIDE TO RECEIVING DIRECT PAYMENTS

Scottish Executive, Home Department

Edinburgh: [2002]

Guide covers how to apply for direct payments, how to employ personal carers and how to contract with agencies and self-employed people for care.

INDEPENDENCE AND PREVENTION SET TO BE AT HEART OF ELIGIBILITY GUIDANCE

L Revans

Community Care, May 23rd-29th 2002, p. 18-19

Discusses the likely content and emphasis of forthcoming guidance for local authorities on access to care services. The emphasis is likely to be on rationing services, maintaining independence and prevention.

NCSC ISSUES STAFFING GUIDELINES

Anon

Caring Times, June 2002, p. I

Guidance from the National Care Standards Commission indicates that homes should maintain existing staffing levels for 12 months. During this period the NCSC will assess the needs of residents and may place additional staffing requirements on individual providers.

NEXT STEPS FOR THE COMPACT

N Hill

Voluntary Sector, June 2002, p. 20-21

Local Compacts with voluntary organisations should be implemented in every English and Welsh local authority by 2004. Article discusses challenges involved in ensuring that local community groups and black and minority ethnic groups are fully involved in the development of local compacts.

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE MANAGERIALISM OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT BY HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PROFESSIONALS

M Chevannes

Health and Social Care in the Community, vol. 10, 2002, p. 168-178

This article looks at how managerialism has changed the assessment of health and social care needs, the justifications for the assessments, and the experience of those who require publicly funded services.

SOCIAL HOUSING, SOCIAL CARE AND ELECTRONIC SERVICE DELIVERY

N Pleace and D Quilgars

York: York Publishing Services. 2002

The supposed advantages of electronic service delivery (ESD), particularly reduced costs and improved access, depend on considerable expansions of self-service contact. If traditional and "assisted" routes of contact persist as major channels communication or continue to be used in preference to self-service ESD, the projected savings and efficiency gains cannot be made. It is important that the imperative to reduce costs does not drive through the implementation of ESD to the point where there is a requirement that all service users have to employ it. This would risk the further marginalisation of some people who are often already socially, politically and economically excluded.

TEN COUNCILS SCORE ZERO FOR ABILITY TO PROVIDE CARE

L Duckworth

Independent, May 30th 2002, p. 12

Reports publication of the first league tables for local authority social services departments. The ten worst social services departments in England have been given a zero rating. Private consultants will be sent into four of these and the remaining six will face intervention if their performances do not improve in six months. The three star councils will be rewarded with less Whitehall interference and more freedom in how they spend grant money.

(See also Times, May 30th 2002, p. 10; Daily Telegraph, May 30th 2002, p. 10; Guardian, May 30th 2002, p. 13; Community Care, May 30th-June 5th 2002, p. 18-21)