Welfare Reform on the Web (July 2005): Social Care - UK

Advocacy in practice: the troubled position of advocates in adult services

L. Forbar and D. Atkinson

British Journal of Social Work, vol. 35, 2005, p.321 - 335

Amongst practitioners, including social workers, there is a need for greater awareness of the aims of advocacy, the difference between professional and independent advocacy services and the uncomfortable and often isolated role of advocates as outsider challengers of established systems. Highlighting tensions, and drawing from a review of advocacy services in Nottinghamshire, this critical review of the theory and practice of advocacy looks at

• definitions of advocacy and how it differs from social work
• whether it is always effective and enabling,
• advocates' and partners' (service users) experiences
• silent voices of negative experience.

Can the directors deliver?

J. Dixon and others

Community Care, June 2nd-8th 2005, p.24-25

Leading professionals from the social care sector discuss the role of the director of adult services as defined in the recent Green Paper.

A care workers’ revolution?

J. Dixon and others

Community Care, May 26th-June 1st 2005, p.36-38

Leading professionals from the social care sector look at the adult services green paper's proposals for the workforce. New job roles, such as care navigators and care brokers, are examined along with more traditional concerns about recruitment, retention and training.

Choice would be a fine thing

J. Dixon and others

Community Care, May 19th-25th 2005, p.44-45

The article presents the hopes and aspirations of leading professionals across the social care sector for the adult social care green paper.

A familiar theme for some

J. Dixon and others

Community Care, June 23rd-29th 2005, p.34-36

Quality strategic commissioning will be crucial if users are to be able to purchase the services they need as envisaged by the adult services green paper.

Indicators flash

J. Dixon and others

Community Care, June 16th-22nd 2005, p.34-36

Leading professionals from the social care sector consider the adult services green paper's proposals for service regulation and performance management. They welcome proposals that outcomes, not inputs, will be measured and that service users will play a greater role in inspection.

Open all hours

L. MacDonald

Community Care, May 26th-June 1st 2005, p.40-41

There is wide variation in how local authorities in Scotland provide emergency out-of-hours social care services. Little is done to publicise them and there is little evidence that providers consult users or obtain feedback. Article calls for a national review of the quality of the service.

Staying ahead of the game

N. Valios

Community Care, May 19th-25th 2005, p.38-39

Following the Gershon review, government is looking for large annual efficiency savings from local authorities. Article discusses the impact on social services departments, focusing on the potential for regional procurement to save money. This is unlikely to work for domiciliary care, where the market is dominated by small businesses.

What we need

A. Edwards Community Care, June 23rd-29th 2005, p.38-39

A survey of service users' views on the recent adult social care green paper showed that:

• They did not want distracting structural change in service organisation
• The wanted availability of direct payments to be increased
• They thought that services should focus on improving the self-image of users
• They wanted to be fully involved and integrated in their communities.

Will prevention be a cure-all?

J. Dixon and others

Community Care, June 9th-15th 2005, p.32-33

Leading professionals from the social care sector look at the adult services green paper's proposals for a new focus on prevention. They explore what this involves in terms of changes in working practices and local authorities' relationship with the voluntary and community sector.