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

The adoption reunion handbook

L. Trinder, J. Feast and D. Howe

Chichester: John Wiley, 2004

This 'how to' guide is aimed at those searching for information on their birth relatives, although it will also be of use to birth parents, adoptive parents, adoption charities, social workers, psychologists and counsellors. The book combines practical step-by-step guidance and advice on:

• how to begin
• what to expect emotionally
• the legal framework
• finding names and addresses
• how to set up a reunion
• making the reunion work long term
• rejection and reunion breakdown

Annual report and accounts 2004-05 – Commission for Social Care Inspection

London: TSO, 2005 (house of Commons papers, session 2005/06; HC105)

Over the next three years, the Commission plans to change significantly the way social care services are regulated and inspected. The changes will mean clearer inspection reports for the public and a more streamlined regulation and inspection process. It is also placing greater emphasis on listening to the views of those who use care services, and involving them in its work.

Individual needs are at the heart of Byrne’s vision of adult social services

S. Brody

Community Care, July14th-20th, 2005, p.14-15

Report of an interview with Care Services Minister Liam Byrne about the follow-up to the green paper on adult care, his plans for the social care workforce and harnessing new technology for the expansion of telecare.

It's not rocket science

N. Tarry

Community Care, Aug.4th-10th 2005, p.32-33

Article discusses the impact of the public service modernisation agenda on social care, including the new localism, greater user choice and increased voluntary sector involvement. It welcomes recent initiatives to extend user choice, such as individual budgets and the extension of the direct payments scheme.

Making social care better for people: CSCI’s corporate plan 2005-08

Commission for Social Care Inspection

London: 2005

Sets out the Commission's corporate priorities, which include:

• Putting people first, giving more weight to the views of social care users
• Driving service improvement, by modernising the regulation of social care services
• Being an expert voice in social care
• Promoting better outcomes for people through inspections, reviews and performance assessment
• Building capacity through staff and systems development
• Becoming demonstrably more effective and efficient

A practical guide to ethnic monitoring in the NHS and social care

Health and Social Care Information Centre, NHS Employers and Department of Health 2005

The guide highlights the importance of using consistent and standard means of collecting ethnic group and related data from patients, service users and staff, and the key principle of self-classification. It incorporates 17 good practice examples from various NHS bodies and councils. The guide sets out the business case for ethnic monitoring and demonstrates the contribution such monitoring will make to delivering a personalised and culturally appropriate service to users. Current and future staff will also benefit from ethnic monitoring as it helps NHS trusts and councils to monitor fairness in recruitment and selection procedures.

Will reforms suit users?

B. Hudson

Community Care, July 28th-Aug.3rd 2005, p.30-31

Article compares and contrasts the UK government's plans for reform of adult and children's social services. In both services, the reforms will take about ten years to implement, and will trigger a move to an outcomes-based approach. Both sets of proposals uncritically endorse user choice as a self evident good. Implementation of the children's services reforms has been planned and timetabled in detail, but the proposals for adult care are much less well articulated.