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Safely into dock?
- Author:
- RHEAD Adrian
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 13.3.97, 1997, pp.26-27.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
People with learning difficulties are particularly vulnerable in the criminal justice system. Explains how social workers can support them.
Homes not hospitals: the role of the social worker and legal literacy
- Author:
- BASW England
- Publisher:
- BASW England
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 10
- Place of publication:
- Birmingham
This document is for social workers in a range of settings and roles who are supporting people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people (who may also have mental health problems), their families and carers. Social workers have a key role in upholding and safeguarding human rights to challenge situations with poor quality care, prevent abuse and ensure that the appropriate action is taken. It is essential that social workers are equipped with the right skills and knowledge underpinned by the profession’s values and ethics, to ensure they offer the best response that supports and safeguards the rights of individuals they are working with. This document sets out what we mean by legal literacy and highlights the learning from the Named social worker pilots which were initiated through the Government’s response to the public consultation No Voice Unheard, No Right Ignored. The role description, skills, knowledge and values have been reviewed and are presented here for social workers and organisations to use in a range of roles and settings to strengthen practice. The document sets out the key legislation and guidance that is relevant to social workers involved with people with a learning disability and autistic people; this statement sits alongside tools and resources to support effective, rights based social work practice giving social workers confidence and knowledge to support legal rights; it provides links to further resources, information and advice. (Edited publisher abstract)
Knowledge of advocacy options within services for people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- MARTINS Claudia Da Silva, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 24(3), May 2011, pp.274-279.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service was introduced by the Mental Capacity Act (2005). It provides advocacy services to people aged 16 or over who are assessed as lacking capacity to make a decision and have nobody to represent them. Professionals working in health and social care systems with people with learning disabilities need to have a good understanding and awareness of the IMCA service. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent to which care managers in learning disability services understand the role of the IMCA service, and the difference between the newly created statutory IMCA and existing general advocacy (GA) services. The study participants were 22 social workers and community nurses from 3 community teams within learning disabilities services. The participants completed a questionnaire based on 9 scenarios where they were asked to identify the appropriate professional to contact and to explain what their role would be. The participants’ understanding of these issues was generally poor. There was a substantially less than 50% correct response rate for identification of scenarios that called for an IMCA referral, and the ability to discriminate between the roles of GA and IMCA was limited. Only around half of the participants correctly identified that the function of advocacy is to represent the client’s views, and a significant minority incorrectly attributed decision-making functions to the IMCA.
Social work with people with learning difficulties
- Author:
- WILLIAMS Paul
- Publisher:
- Learning Matters
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 174p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Exeter
- Edition:
- 2nd ed.
Written specifically to support students on the social work degree, this book aims to provide a positive picture of people with learning difficulties, describe the roles a social worker might play in relation to people with learning difficulties, and describe developments resulting from the 2001 Government White Paper Valuing People on services for people with learning difficulties. The author presents work with people with learning difficulties as potentially long-term, provides information and materials for reflection relating to the National Occupational Standards for Social Work, emphasises the importance of values and respect for people with learning difficulties and promoting equality and partnership in relationships between social workers and people with learning difficulties, and presents current policy as the result of knowledge, skills and understanding developed through research, philosophy and practice. The book covers what is meant in practice by the term people with learning difficulties, a historical account of the development of values, the role of the social worker with people with learning difficulties, considerations that are useful for assessing needs and circumstances at different life stages of a person with learning difficulties, issues concerning assessment, service planning and service evaluation, the nature and management of risk involving people with learning difficulties, protection and advocacy, and empowerment of people with learning difficulties including enabling them to participate in and contribute to relationships and community life. Learning activities, research summaries and case studies are included.
More than one wavelength: identifying, understanding and resolving conflicts of interest between people with intellectual disabilities and their family carers
- Authors:
- WILLIAMS V., ROBINSON C.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 14(1), 2001, pp.30-46.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article describes conflicts of interest in families which include someone with intellectual disabilities. Data were taken from a study concerned with the 1995 Carers Act. The research examined the experiences and views of 51 families who had some kind of assessment by a social services department. Cases were analysed where it was found that carers, the people for whom they cared and the assessors did not agree about such conflicts. Argues that assessors sometimes stereotyped families and spoke of conflicts of interest when the situation was more complex. In particular, the real conflict was often between the whole family and an inadequate service system that did not offer enough support or choices to the individual. Conflicts were related to three major motives driving carers: the need for a break from caring; the need to speak for their disabled relative; and their concern for standards of behaviour. The present authors report on how these situations were handled by assessors and conclude with some recommendations for good carer assessments which will help to resolve conflicts of interest. Concludes that a greater degree of informed choice for individuals with intellectual disabilities will in itself resolve many potential conflicts of interest. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paper accepted September 2000
"All the social workers could offer was a drink and a drip of sympathy"
- Author:
- ASPIS Simone
- Journal article citation:
- Professional Social Work, August 1995, p.7.
- Publisher:
- British Association of Social Workers
A service user with learning difficulties describes how she found a lack of support from social workers when challenging policies at a charity group home.
Innovating adult social work practice - learning from the Named Social Worker for adults with learning disabilities pilots
- Authors:
- JAMES Elaine, MORGAN Hannah, MITCHELL Rob
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work Education (The International Journal), 38(4), 2019, pp.503-515.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
In 2016, following the publication of the vision for adult social work in England, the Chief Social Worker for Adults at the Department of Health in England announced the intention to pilot a new social work role—that being a Named Social Worker supporting people with learning disabilities. Phase 1 of the pilot has tested a reframing of the social work role as a relational practitioner with an expertise in human rights, freed from transacting the management of care. Phase 2 is now underway testing key knowledge and skills requirements for post-qualifying practice in the field of social work supporting adults with learning disabilities. Heuristic approaches are capturing outcomes from generative learning processes throughout the pilot. The insight emerging from this national pilot is that at its heart, named social work is about qualifying and on-going post-qualifying social work education which promotes and maintains practitioner reflexivity and connection to their social work values. This study suggests that self-advocates may be a critical influencing factor, positively affecting the sources of resistance through making explicit the connection between social work values and lived experience of practice from the people social workers are there to serve. (Edited publisher abstract)
'Mum's the word!': maternal accounts of dealings with the professional world
- Authors:
- TODD Stuart, JONES Stephanie
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 16(3), September 2003, pp.229-244.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper describes a study of one aspect of the lives of mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. It focuses on their perspectives of their dealings with the professional and service worlds. Much attention has been given in recent years to developing and co-ordinating a multiprofessional and multiagency network of support around families. Although such aims can be seen as beneficial for families, there is also good reason to expect these to present problematic experiences for family carers. Data are presented and analysed in this paper on mothers' perceptions of their dealings with professionals. The sample consisted of 30 mothers of young people with intellectual disabilities. The data were obtained by qualitative interviews. Overall, the study confirmed that mothers' dealings with professionals were highly problematic for them. They felt that such encounters could be based upon conflict and that their worth and character as mothers were being continually scrutinized. However, the data show that mothers were willing to challenge professional perspectives of their children and their needs. They embraced advocacy for their sons and daughters as part-and-parcel of being a mother. However, in doing so, they were much more hesitant and reluctant to raise any needs and aspirations for their own lives. They fear that in giving these voice, they could be seen and typified as selfish mothers. That is, their struggles to be taken as advocates for their sons and daughters would be undermined. The implications of these findings for research and service development are discussed.