Social work news

Winning Britain's Got Talent has given me a platform -- and it's great to see other care users having a say about their livesThis is what used to happen to people like me who use care and support services important folk made big decisions behind closed doors Then if we were lucky they would invite us to consult to see if their plans were any good They'd send out a long complicated report and give...

Researchers are testing motion-sensitive technology to see if it could detect and prevent falls -- and reduce hospital admissions Former hod carrier George Foster describes himself as technophobic But when he was given the chance to have Xbox technology driven by artificial intelligence installed in the sitting room of his Salford home to monitor his every movement he saw the chance to ensure his continued independence The -year-old -- who is prone to what he...

Delayed discharges are increasing in mental health but this scandal will not be addressed by the forthcoming green paperAnyone who has spent time on an acute mental health ward will know what challenging places they can be for both patients and staff Vulnerable people with serious mental health problems too often receive poor care in an environment that is unsafe and far from therapeutic You would not want to your loved one to be somewhere...

More than of people say they would not like to begin a career in social care survey findsMinisters have been warned of a dangerous shortfall of care workers as a new survey reveals barely one in five people would consider a career in the sector Almost seven in people think a care career is undervalued by society -- and more than two in think care work is not valued by the government the survey suggests...

Jeremy Hunt says long-awaited policy document on care and support for older people will not be published until the autumnWhen Jeremy Hunt finally admitted to MPs on Monday evening that the green paper on older people's social care would not now appear before their summer recess as he had promised reaction in the care sector was more weary resignation than righteous anger Disappointment comes with the territory these days The news capped a particularly miserable...

Charity alliance warns back pay bill for sleep-in shifts poses 'biggest threat to social care any of us has seen'Charities facing what they say will be ruinous bills for back pay for care workers' sleep-in shifts are calling on the new chair of the Charity Commission to intervene in their dispute with ministers The SolveSleepInsAlliance which claims to represent charities and other providers of half of all care services for people with learning disabilities has...

The Association of Directors of Adult Services says lack of investment could leave older and disabled people strugglingSocial care bosses have written to the prime minister urging her to invest at least bn to stave off a growing crisis in services for elderly and disabled people and relieve pressure on the NHS A letter to Theresa May from the president of the Association of Directors of Adult Services Adass Glen Garrod says action to address...

The health service can't plan its next decade with confidence until the entire care system has a comprehensive dealFour themes dominated this year's gathering of the health service clan at the NHS Confederation's annual conference in Manchester priorities for the new money avoiding another winter crisis re-energising the redesign of clinical services and finding keeping and training the staff to do it all The health and social care secretary Jeremy Hunt indicated the shape of...

Campaign calls on MPs to recognise the challenges faced by people with a learning disability The government is not listening to adults with learning disabilities So we are marching on Downing Street to make sure our voice is heard -- Becky and HenryJust because someone has a learning disability doesn't mean they don't have a right to be listened to Communication may be challenging for them but that doesn't mean they don't have an opinion...

Report by IPPR and peers says reform would cut 'catastrophic care costs' of over a yearOlder people should receive free help with basic chores such as washing dressing and eating in an overhaul that would see social care matching access to the NHS ministers are to be urged Personal social care should be free at the point of need just like medical help on the NHS according to a report by Lord Darzi the ex-Labour...