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Worries for Registration Requirements

May 17, 2013 Articles / Recruitment Companies
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Agency and Locum staff have never had exactly the same entitlements as full-time staff employed by the company they work for. Unfortunately it has come to light that many agency Social Workers feel that they are not getting vital and necessary training to remain registered within their profession.

The Health Care Professions Council became responsible for the registration of Social Workers in August 2012, and although the move was praised for making Continuing Professional Development a lot more flexible to meet needs, Agency staff feel they are still losing out. Many feel the risk may be to their jobs.

Out of 460 agency Social Workers interviewed by a leading recruitment company, a third of those feel that they are not receiving enough support from their employers, stating that “current training does not equip them to meet the HCPC requirements for Continuing Professional Development.”

There are many reasons for this: often Councils are reluctant to invest in temporary or locum staff, as they are seemingly less permanent than their directly- hired staff. This can also leave many agency staff ineligible for in-house training days, thus losing out on Continuing Professional Development In fact, due to the stress of not meeting their own, individual CPD needs, many locums have reported that they pay for their own training.

Overseas Child Abductions- On the Increase

May 14, 2013 Articles
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The Office of the Head of International Family Justice for England and Wales were fairly unknown to many people in the past. They had a total of 2 cases within the first few years of their existence, however they have grown in public knowledge considerably since 2009. There are many reasons for this.

Socially, more people are becoming involved in relationships with partners overseas. Thanks to globalisation there has been a boom in international relationships. As a relatively new journey, many people faced with job pressures and adapting to new cultures and societies are struggling to maintain a partnership. Faced with returning to their home countries, or relocating, there are often children from the relationship which need to be given a secure and stable environment within which to grow up. How to split this time fairly between both parties can be a headache.

There are also more instances of parents abducting a child and running away with them to a foreign country. The reasons for this are often completely dependent on the individual, for example one mother took her children to France to stop them from being taken into care. They were found on a water-logged campsite in the South of France and were returned home as they were not being schooled and were living in bad conditions.

In just two years, the office has seen an increase in cases from 92 in 2010 to 253 in 2011. They currently deal with a number of disputes, but the most popular are cross-border legal problems and custody rows. Differing legal systems in different countries mean there are many problems that arise that need expert negotiations and experience.

Most recently they have set up a help-desk specifically for judges and lawyers who need advice and support through difficult cases. Often there are delayed cases due to problems between two countries legal systems. Many countries have offices like the one in UK that are able to deal with negotiations effectively however there are instances where this is not the case and further measures have to be taken.

It is clear to see that this Office has become an important part of a changing world and our international relations.

 

Attacked Social Worker Receives Compensation

May 13, 2013 Articles
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In August 2008 a Social Worker started being attacked by a vulnerable young person in a residential childrens’ home. After reporting back to her council, no action was taken until after the violence had ceased and this week, she received a ‘substantial amount’ in compensation for her injuries, which have left her unable to continue in this line of work.

The young man involved was being looked after in a childrens’ home in West Bromich. He was described as vulnerable, with a history of violent and sexually inappropriate behaviour which was known to those who placed him. His Social Worker was employed by Sandwell Council, although during proceedings she was represented by Unison.

The first incident involved her being struck with a chair by the young man, an event which she reported to Sandwell Council. No action was taken. Over the next 5 months, the Social Worker was attacked a further four times and subsequently injured to the point of being unable to continue her work.

She stated that she thought Sandwell may have acted on her reports, an argument which Unison and the courts agreed with at this time. Unfortunately the young man was moved to a secure unit in April 2009, which was three months after his last attack on the Social Worker.

 

Mary Joynson and Barnardos

May 13, 2013 Articles
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On the 13th April this year, Mary Joynson died at the age of 88. Born in Nottingham in 1924, her early life was as inspirational as the work she completed as the Director of the charity Barnardos.

At 2 years old, Mary’s father sadly passed away, and she contracted Polio. This left her with movement limitations, but it didn’t stop her determination. She went on to study at the London School of Economics where she received a certificate in Social Sciences. From there, Mary spent four years as a Welfare Officer for Norfolk Education Department. She became a Senior Childcare Officer in 1948 and in 1962 she further her training, gaining certificates in mental health.

When she started working from Barnardos, it was entry level. Working her way up to Director of Barnardos, she revolutionised the charity from 1972 until 1984. Becoming Director to begin with was a difficult challenge for her. Barnardos was founded on Protestant beliefs, with an evangelical ethos that meant it was almost impossible for those who didn’t follow the Christian faith to work there, let alone receive a promotion. Mary challenged these, and many other ideas with a headstrong approach that has made Barnardos one of the top Charities in the UK today.

Those who worked with Mary always spoke highly of her, and with a due amount of respect. She has been described as decisive and determined, with an intimidating attitude that she needed to make progress. However, Mary is also remembered for her wit and humour, empathy and kindness to those around her. She received an OBE in 1980 and will be sadly missed

 

Social Work Summer School Piloted

May 12, 2013 Articles
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The Frontline Programme is mostly known for Fast-Tracking graduates into Children’s Social Work. However, a new scheme which they are looking for bids on at the moment is both controversial and innovative.

Graduates in England deemed as having ‘high potential’ will be narrowed down to 200 participants for a new work-based programme of education and development designed as an intensive summer school. The graduates will be split into two groups, 100 in each in a programme loosely based on the Teach First Scheme.

After the summer school the graduates will be placed with a front-line Local Authority team to complete 12 months of on-the-job training; a mixture of practical experience and academic study. Successful completion will lead to certification to practice as a Social Worker.

Hoping to bring more workers into the field, and quickly, they are looking for bids on a contract to not only help develop the curriculum, but to run the courses themselves. Once this has been established, they can secure approval from the Healthcare Professions Council, and the programme can officially start.

 

New Adoption Duty for Local Authorities

May 12, 2013 Articles
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The Government has introduced a new set of Adoption Reforms which include stricter duties for Local Authorities throughout the whole process. This has arrived to a few criticisms, but with some promise of better things to come.

As per Government plans, all prospective adoptive parents will be given an Adoption ‘Passport’, which will provide detailed information regarding all of the support services a family can expect from their Local Authority. This could be anything from advice, paid adoption leave assistance, school placing priority, counseling and priority access to social housing when necessary.

In addition to this, Local Authorities have been given a ‘Duty to Inform’ policy to follow to ensure they communicate to every person considering adoption the support available to them and to assist them from the beginning of the process, through to the end to help their journey run as smoothly as possible. Knowing this support is available may well encourage those who are often put off from adoption as an option after encountering the many hurdles and problems that they would be expected to face alone, up until now.

However, these changes have brought their own criticisms from those working in the field. The most substantial being that Local Authorities should not just be required to point prospective parents in the direction of support services, but indeed provide them on-site. The notion of a ‘Passport’ also suggests that the journey to adoption will be easy and smooth and it is important not to trick people into this route without communicating that the process of adoption still has it’s problems.

The Government still has more to come for the Adoption reform and over the next couple of months it will be interesting to see the outcome of the initial projects.

 

Carers Should Undergo Mental Health Checks

May 12, 2013 Articles
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The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has released a report stating the need for concise mental health care and assessments for carers across the UK. They have suggested several different systems to implement, using GP surgeries at the centre of their ambitions.

It is estimated that 1 in 20 patients registered with a General Practitioner provides care, mostly unpaid, to a relative, adult or child. This care could be personal, for medical or mental health reasons. This equates to around 7 million people across the UK, with 40% of these at risk of depression or stress-based illnesses because of this challenging role.

To look after and care for a relative is not always a simple process. Your relationship with the person you care for might have changed. Previously they may have been independent and you may have been called upon when they became ill or disabled through illness or accident. Or you may have cared for them all of their lives. Eventually, the many different stresses of this position can leave you feeling vulnerable, lonely and exhausted. It is often reported that the role of carer is one that an individual takes internally; they are responsible for the daily lives and survival of the person they care for, therefore neglecting their own health and well-being in order to continue their duties.

Many carers have admitted to feelings of isolation, pressure, fear and anxiety. These are all natural responses to the responsibility placed upon them, but where can they receive the help and support they need. Carer’s UK, a charity for those who care for someone in the UK, say that GP’s play ‘an important role’. GP’s should be able to identify warning signs in their patients and be able to refer them for priority services, so they can continue to work as a carer.

The RCGP suggests that routine screening should be carried out in the form of a simple, non-intrusive questionnaire. This can be used to ascertain a carer’s mood and mental well-being and to raise the alarm if there are signs of depression, stress or other illnesses. They also call for routine appointments and vaccinations to be allocated solely for carers, to fit in with their schedule. Being able to attend important appointments for their own well-being at their convenience may encourage more carers to seek assistance with their own medical problems.

The RCGP also want a ‘carer’s champion’ to be appointed at GP surgeries across the country, responsible for providing support and advice, and also for a carer’s register to be kept and maintained at the surgeries. Alongside this, yearly audits will help to keep track of progress and highlight further problems to tackle.

 

Queen’s Speech Care Problems

May 12, 2013 Articles
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The Queen’s Speech this year focused somewhat on the new Care and Support Bill. This will modernise Adult Care Laws, giving new rights to support for carers and will also place a cap on self-funded care costs. In short, it’s the biggest reform to the system for around 65 years.

The Government has provided a large amount of funding for the new bill; £1bn per year to pay for the self-funded costs caps, plus an amount per year for the extension of means-tested support. They have also pledged £175 million to support carers.

Unfortunately, the new Care and Support Bill seems to offer little hope to those already involved in the system. Since 2011, 20% of funding has been removed from the Adult social care budget, leaving many to believe the new reforms are going to be financially impossible to carry out.

Labour expressed that ‘the bill won’t go anywhere near far enough in tackling the current care crisis’. With so many cuts across the board in the field of Social Care, it will be difficult to maintain the current levels of support and care provided to those who really need it. Labour’s ambition is create a ‘Single Care Service’, which they believe is more viable than current plans. This would be delivered by integrating support teams and combining budgets in order to have a singular service package.

 

 

Lowering the Age of Consent

May 12, 2013 Articles / Serious Case Review
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This week the media went into uproar over an article in Spiked Magazine, when an interview with a successful EU Human Right’s Lawyer was published with some controversial ideas.

Barrister Barbara Hewson, the aforementioned EU Human Rights Lawyer, expressed that ‘Operation Yewtree is engaged in the persecution of old men.’ She went on to say that ‘Anything short of flogging and rape in padded rooms… is not really a serious assault.’ Explaining that the UK should be considering ‘as a priority’ lowering the age of consent to 13 years old caused a lot of debate across the country.

Operation Yewtree began last October after it came to light that Jimmy Savile, a once beloved television presenter and personality of the 1980′s, had been sexually abusing adults and children throughout his career. Following this, the police launched three investigations to cover allegations against him, others and separate incidents. It is no surprise that the media has covered the stories extensively.

Breaking news for each of the men that have been taken in for questioning has shocked the nation. Comedians, performers and actors that they once watched with respect and awe on television are now being accused of sordid crimes against the very children they encouraged to watch the programmes. Role models have been destroyed and trust in celebrities from these eras has been diminished.

Those in agreement with Barrister Hewson have called the investigations little more than a ‘witch-hunt’. In their defense, this is not the first time the media has been berated for carrying out a ‘witch-hunt’, however one important point remains. A witch-hunt suggests that the people who are being slated in the public eye are not guilty of their crimes, that they are being targeted due to irrelevant factors such as age or association. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The only people who have been arrested and investigated have been found to be guilty, and of a serious crime; sexual assault and abuse.

Barrister Hewson’s comments may make many recoil in horror. In fact, forums have been over-run with people claiming she is a ‘Paedophile apologist’. Many have tried to establish what she has experienced personally that may make her think this way, or even suggesting that if she can prove there is a difference between what she sees as a serious crime and what the courts currently think is cause for prosecution, that she can make more money from clients.

Differing opinions are unfortunately, always going to cause tension and problems, and with such a sensitive subject matter it is hard to blame anyone for their reactions. But the biggest problem must be her calls to continue to make sexual abuse of children and minors a taboo subject. The media may go after those accused until the public loses respect for them, and people like Barrister Hewson may always try to change the view of what a serious sexual assault really is, but these cases seemed to be making way for more open discussions

By being able to discuss sexual abuse, Paedophilia and it’s prevalence we could open doors to conversations that can bring about more understanding to the public. People who are being sexually abused may feel more comfortable about coming forward to report the crimes, and know what support they can receive. Barrister Hewson is entitled to her opinion, but her suggestions seem to merit these issues being solved behind closed doors again, and as we have been learning since October, this can only lead to further problems.

 

Culture of Bad Practice at Haringey?

April 28, 2013 Articles
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Haringey Social Services are unfortunately mostly remembered for the Media Frenzy that was the Baby P Case a few years ago. The criticisms placed on the services at that time have taken a long time to recover from and shake off, but recently the Child services department have received further, serious complaints.

The parents in question are Senior Child Protection Professionals, who were investigated by Haringey Children’s Services for false allegations. These surrounded the abuse of their young daughter, including claims they slapped and verbally abused her over a number of years. The investigation started after an anonymous, ‘malicious’ tip-off to the authorities in 2011.

The parents were awarded damages last month by the court, however they continued to complain about the distress they had been caused unnecessarily by Children’s Services and throughout their work environment.

Libby Blake is currently the Director of Children’s Services at Haringey Council, however she commenced this role a while after the case was dropped against the parents. Regardless, she issued a letter of sincere apology on March 21st of this year, explaining that the councils launch of a ‘Full, Section 47 child protection investigation was unlawful and flawed.’ She also outlined the measures she has taken to tighten procedures and decision making within the department. This has been met with some contempt from the parents, who appear to feel the gravity of the situation and the effect it has had on them has not been adequately compensated. Unfortunately it is hard to see what else can be done, as it seems Blake has done all within her power to both apologise and correct a situation that she was never involved in.

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