adult social care

Care management and social work: a case study of the role of social work in hospital discharge to residential or nursing home care

The role of social work with vulnerable adults has changed markedly in many countries, including England and Wales following the 1990 NHS and Community Care Act. The basis for this paper is a small qualitative study of the social work role in helping people entering residential or nursing care in the independent sector following an emergency hospital admission in England (Phillips and Waterson 1997). This double transition is an under-researched area (Bywaters 1993; Downs and Crossan 1999).

Care Opinion

An independent site where anyone can share their stories of adult social care or the NHS. The site covers adult social services (as well as NHS services) in England, giving service users, their families and carers the opportunity to publish their personal experiences, good or bad, of the care system.

Modelling social care complexity: the potential of System Dynamics

Review that introduces one approach to modelling and simulation, System Dynamics, which can bring potential benefits and insights. Examples of its use in the health sector are cited, and its possible relevance to social care discussed.

The review introduces some generic building blocks for representing populations, services, human resources, and finance, and outlines a possible methodology, group model building, as an approach that uses simulation to enhance thinking and learning.

Carers and personalisation: what roles do carers play in personalised adult social care?

The Social Policy Research Unit examined how current English adult social care practice balances the interests of service users and family carers, in assessment, planning, on-going management and reviews of personal budgets, particularly when budget-holders have cognitive or communication impairments.

The study examined senior local authority perspectives, everyday practice by frontline staff and experiences of service users and carers.

A problem shared: making best use of resources in adult social care

Report designed to support sector-led improvement. It aims to:

  • review the evidence about how budget reductions have been achieved so far, and draw out lessons that can be learned
  • pull together messages from research and guidance produced since 2009
  • reinforce the importance of benchmarking, sharing good practice and developing a stronger, more accessible evidence base
  • suggest some next steps, including further tools and guidance that could help the sector manage future budget pressures.

Social work practices: social work practice pioneers (mid-point report)

Report that sets out a summary of progress at the mid-point in the implementation of seven Social Work Practice (SWP) pilots with adults. The programme was sponsored by the Department of Health (DH), managed through the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), and has been actively supported through a Project Support Group by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the College of Social Work, the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), Skills for Care and the Local Government Association (LGA).

The business case for social work with adults: a discussion paper

The care and support White Paper, Caring for our future, says: "Social workers have a crucial role to play in the reformed care and support system". The College of Social Work agrees, but believes that in a climate of austerity social work must be able to show not just that it makes a unique contribution to the lives of service users but that it makes financial sense too.

This discussion paper indicates where social workers fit into modern models of care and sketches the outlines of an argument that the cost-benefit analysis comes out in their favour.