A new book examined the ways in which social policy, welfare services, and social work practitioners might compound or alleviate vulnerability among adults.
Source: Bridget Penhale and Jonathan Parker, Working with Vulnerable Adults, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Dec
A new book examined the theory and practice of 'co-production' – a model of social care in which users of a service played an active and participatory role in the service provided to them, adopting a working partnership.
Source: Susan Hunter and Pete Ritchie (eds.), Co-Production and Personalisation in Social Care: Changing relationships in the provision of social care, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Nov
A report examined the market for 'independent' sector providers of mental health and other specialist care services. The share of capacity provided by the sector had grown in all major areas over the 10 years of the Labour government. In the case of mental health hospitals, it had risen from 14 per cent in 1997 to 22 per cent in 2007. For care homes for learning disabilities and mental health, it had risen from 71 per cent in 1997 to 84 per cent in 2007; and for children's homes it had risen from 35 per cent in 1995 to 63 per cent in 2006.
Source: Mental Health and Specialist Care Services 2007, Laing & Buisson (020 7833 9123)
Links: L&B press release
Date: 2007-Nov
A literature review examined interventions that were available for adults 'at risk' of abuse and harm. It looked at those relating to different types of harm against adults (physical; psychological; financial; sexual; discriminatory; and neglect). It highlighted interventions used at three different stages in relation to abuse (prevention; responding to allegations; and remedying harm). There were a number of common themes across the interventions which suggested transferability between types of abuse and stage of intervention.
Source: Halina Kalaga and Paul Kingston with Bridget Penhale and JoyAnn Andrews, A Review of Literature on Effective Interventions that Prevent and Respond to Harm Against Adults, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Nov
A report examined literature and practice around service-user involvement in social work and social care, and the extent to which service-user involvement had brought improvements. Differing priorities and unequal power relationships between service users and professionals were a key barrier.
Source: Developing Social Care: Service users driving culture change, Knowledge Review 17, Social Care Institute for Excellence (020 7089 6840)
Date: 2007-Nov
A briefing paper said that there was considerable variability in the provision of care services to people living in rural areas: but, overall, they were less likely to receive services comparable with their urban counterparts. Rural services cost more to deliver than those in urban areas, and a higher burden in the time and cost of access fell upon rural service users. The needs of some rural dwellers, especially those from minority ethnic groups, were often neglected. Efforts to ensure equity, in terms of the standards and levels of service provision, had had mixed success.
Source: Richard Pugh, Thomas Scharf, Charlotte Williams and Diane Roberts, Obstacles to Using and Providing Rural Social Care, Research Briefing 22, Social Care Institute for Excellence (020 7089 6840)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2007-Oct
Directors of adult social services put forward a 7-point plan for strengthening the law to help protect adults from abuse. They warned that moves, which they supported, towards giving individuals greater freedom to spend their own care budgets needed to be matched by far greater legal protections for them against the possibilities of abuse.
Source: Press release 14 September 2007, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (020 8741 8147)
Links: ADASS press release | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Sep
A survey found significant disparities between local councils in the proportions of eligible people receiving direct payments, as well as in hourly payment rates, which might affect how individuals attained a fair stake in the market for social care.
Source: Vanessa Davey et al., Direct Payments: A national survey of direct payments policy and practice, Personal Social Services Research Unit/London School of Economics (020 7955 6238)
Links: Report | LSE press release | Scope press release | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Aug
An article drew on the first-known review of user-controlled research to explore the potential contribution of service-user knowledge and research to the development of evidence-based policy and practice in health and social care.
Source: Peter Beresford, 'The role of service user research in generating knowledge-based health and social care: from conflict to contribution', Evidence & Policy, Volume 3 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Aug
Researchers sought to identify the factors that helped or hindered progress in making shifts in health and social care closer to the patient's home, and the lessons for the National Health Service from the experience of the field test sites.
Source: Chris Ham, Helen Parker, Debbie Singh and Elizabeth Wade, Getting the Basics Right: Final report on the 'Care Closer to Home: Making the Shift' programme, NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (02476 475813)
Links: Report | Case studies
Date: 2007-Aug
A new book examined the challenges involved in enabling people who were 'experts by experience' to participate in developing health and social care services and in social work education.
Source: Mo McPhail, Service User and Carer Involvement : Beyond good intentions, Dunedin Academic Press (0131 473 2397)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Jul
A report examined what was known about participation in social services by users and carers, and how evaluations were being conducted. It suggested ways in which individuals, groups, and organizations could develop measures to evaluate the effectiveness of participation.
Source: Mark Doel et al., Developing Measures for Effective Service User and Carer Participation, Social Care Institute for Excellence (020 7089 6840)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report summarized the early findings of an evaluation of individual budgets pilots. Positive views had emerged about the potential for individual budgets to improve the long-term quality of life by offering more choice and control, rather than just focusing on routine personal care. (Individual budgets are designed to bring a wider range of funding streams under a simple, user-controlled budget to buy social care services.)
Source: Ann Netten et al., Individual Budgets Evaluation: A Summary of Early Findings, Social Policy Research Unit/University of York (01904 433608)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report assessed progress in the government's modernization programme for adult social services. It drew on twelve research studies commissioned by the Department of Health between 2003 and 2007.
Source: Modernising Adult Social Care: What?s Working, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jun
The government published (following consultation) a new national framework for National Health Service continuing healthcare, designed to make funding decisions on who was eligible for continuing care fairer, faster, and easier to understand. It would create consistent access to fully-funded care, with clear national policies for deciding eligibility. It also abolished different nursing bands for free nursing care. It would be put into action by the NHS and local authorities from October 2007, and was expected to cost up to £220 million in the first year of operation.
Source: The National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Framework | Summary | DH press release | Consultation responses | Age Concern press release | Help the Aged press release | LGA press release | BBC report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2007-Jun
The government published best practice guidance to health and social care organizations designed to promote a common approach to independence, choice, and risk as the basis for working practice - and to help people to achieve their potential without compromising their safety.
Source: Independence, Choice and Risk: A guide to best practice in supported decision making, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Guidance | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jun
The sex equality watchdog said that poor pay and staff turnover were undermining the female-dominated caring professions. Work traditionally done by women was undervalued because of stereotypical views of women in caring roles - they were perceived as 'naturally' good at the job, with insufficient investment in or recognition of their skills.
Source: Damian Grimshaw and Jill Rubery, Undervaluing Women's Work, Working Paper 53, Equal Opportunities Commission (0161 833 9244)
Links: Working Paper | Summary | EOC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-May
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill was given a third reading. The Bill was designed to tighten partnership arrangements between local councils and other public bodies, and deliver closer integration of health and social care. It placed duties on councils and named partners to co-operate in drawing up and having regard to local area agreement targets. Partners included primary care trusts, youth offending teams, police authorities, and local probation boards.
Source: Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 22 May 2007, columns 1135-1250, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2007-May
An article reported on the process of establishing the first joint health and social care evidence-based practice guideline (in dementia care). It addressed the methodological and procedural challenges of reviewing, meta-analyzing, and synthesizing knowledge for health and social care. It suggested that the process might be a model for future development of practice guidelines.
Source: Nick Gould and Tim Kendall, 'Developing the NICE/SCIE guidelines for dementia care: the challenges of enhancing the evidence base for social and health care', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 37 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-May
A report said that National Health Service patients and users of social care services were often left struggling to find information about services that could support them. It urged the establishment of a single contact point in each local area, with trained staff to help people navigate the 'information jungle'.
Source: Danielle Swain et al., Accessing Information about Health and Social Care Services, Picker Institute Europe (01865 208100)
Links: Report | Picker Institute press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Apr
An Act was made in Scotland to prevent unsuitable people working with children and vulnerable adults. A single executive agency would be formed to support the new vetting and barring scheme.
Source: Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Act
Date: 2007-Apr
A report highlighted the diverse range of social enterprises operating in emerging health markets, and their fresh approaches to service delivery. It said that the social enterprise model could empower health workers and patients to tackle deep-rooted issues faced by parts of the health sector, such as bureaucracy, low staff morale, and low patient satisfaction.
Source: Matthew Walsham, Christian Dingwall and Ian Hempseed, Healthy Business: A guide to social enterprise in health and social care, Social Enterprise Coalition (020 7968 4921) and Hempsons
Links: Report | SEC press release
Date: 2007-Mar
An article used data collected as part of an evaluation of intermediate care to examine 'joined-up government'. Joined-up government went beyond partnership-type concepts, and in practice involved the creation of what might be termed integrated service networks.
Source: Jeanette Moore, Robert West, Justin Keen, Mary Godfrey and Jean Townsend, 'Networks and governance: the case of intermediate care', Health and Social Care in the Community, Volume 15 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Mar
A literature review examined the evidence concerning the different partnership arrangements between the health and social care sectors since 1997. There was little evidence to suggest that partnership working had delivered service or health improvements.
Source: Bernard Dowling and Tim Doran, Reviewing Evidence of the Effectiveness of Different Partnership Arrangements, National Primary Care Research and Development Centre (0161 275 0611)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Mar
Researchers examined the potential contribution that 'third sector' organizations could make to the delivery of health and social care. The potential and scale of ambition among existing third sector providers was significant: half of them felt that there were services that they would be better able to deliver than existing providers.
Source: IFF Research Ltd, Third Sector Market Mapping, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report | NHS press release | IMHAP press release
Date: 2007-Feb
A report examined the research evidence on definitions of risk, and on risk-related practice, within the field of adult social care.
Source: Wendy Mitchell and Caroline Glendinning, A Review of the Research Evidence Surrounding Risk Perceptions, Risk Management Strategies and Their Consequences in Adult Social Care for Different Groups of Service Users, Social Policy Research Unit/University of York (01904 433608)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jan
A literature review evaluated existing research into the processes through which a wide variety of different groups with multiple or complex needs engaged, or did not engage, with services to resolve their problems.
Source: Ann Rosengard, Isla Laing, Julie Ridley and Susan Hunter, A Literature Review on Multiple and Complex Needs, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Date: 2007-Jan
A new book examined the nature of management in the social services sector, and the prevailing issues in both the United Kingdom and United States of America. Key topics included: implementation of change in the childcare sector; diversity; performance measurement; the impact of electronic technologies and telecommunications; risk and safety in the workplace; ethics in making personnel decisions; managing finances; and planning and maintaining key relationships.
Source: Jane Aldgate et al. (eds.), Enhancing Social Work Management: Theory and best practice from the UK and USA, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Jan
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to tighten partnership arrangements between local councils and other public bodies, and deliver closer integration of health and social care. It placed duties on councils and named partners to co-operate in drawing up and having regard to local area agreement targets. Partners included primary care trusts, youth offending teams, police authorities, and local probation boards.
Source: Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 22 January 2007, columns 1144-1253, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | LGIU press release | Community Care report | FT report
Date: 2007-Jan