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Good practice in social care for refugees and asylum seekers (At a glance 26)

This report looks at good practice in social care for refugees and asylum seekers. It is primarily aimed at service commissioners and providers working in local authorities in children’s and adults’ services. It will also be of interest to asylum seeker and refugee organisations and voluntary organisations. These pointers for good practice have been developed from a review of the literature and a survey which included the views of refugees and asylum seekers, social care providers and refugee and community organisations.

Drugs research: an overview of evidence and questions for policy

In 2001, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation embarked upon a unique and challenging programme of research that explored the problem of illicit drugs in the UK. The research addressed many questions that were often too sensitive for the government to tackle. In many cases, these studies represented the first research on these issues and the policy implications have been far-reaching. This report outlines the results of the largest independent programme of drugs research of its kind within the UK.

Changing lives, changing practice: occupational therapy in social work, enabling independent living in Scotland

This report aims to explore the contribution that occupational therapy makes to social work services and the profession’s potential contribution to the government’s vision for Scotland. It identifies best practice and opportunities to improve the provision and quality of occupational therapy within social work services.

Caring together: the carers strategy for Scotland 2010-2015

The Scottish Government and COSLA are determined to ensure that carers are supported to manage their caring responsibilities with confidence and in good health, and to have a life of their own outside of caring. This is a strategy developed by the Health Boards, national carer organisations and carers, which will build on the support already in place and take forward the recommendations of the landmark report, Care 21: the future of unpaid care in Scotland.

Using news feeds to keep up to date

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) lets you see at a glance what’s new on your favourite websites. The websites feed information out to you and you choose whether to read or not. This saves time.

You can use RSS to keep track of whole websites, parts of websites, blogs or podcasts.

When you see a feed that looks interesting you subscribe to it by clicking on the icon (subscribe simply means add to my list - it doesn’t mean you have to pay).

First you need a feed reader. There are many to choose from and most are free, but there are three methods to chose from.

Untold damage: children's accounts of living with harmful parental drinking

Report that highlights the findings of a collaborative research study undertaken by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) and the NSPCC's ChildLine in Scotland service to explore children and young people's experiences of harmful parental drinking and the concerns they express about the impact this is having on their lives.

American National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics

This resource details the code of ethics used by the United States National Association of Social Workers. Professional ethics are at the core of social work.

The profession has an obligation to articulate its basic values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. The NASW Code of Ethics sets forth these values, principles, and standards to guide social workers' conduct. The Code is relevant to all social workers and social work students, regardless of their professional functions, the settings in which they work, or the populations they serve.

North Ayrshire Child Protection Committee Communication Strategy

This Communication Strategy sets out the key strategic objectives of the North Ayrshire Child Protection Committee and how they can be implemented. This will ensure effective communication in all aspects of the work and interests of the Child Protection Committee. It is envisaged that this communication Strategy will operate for 3 –5 years, subject to ongoing review.

The Adolescent Brain: A Work in Progress

This paper summarises scientific research about brain development in adolescence and in particular, emphasises the changes to the prefrontal cortex of the frontal lobes which appear to be especially critical for mature decision making and impulse control. Sections within the paper address changes in the brain during adolescence at the cellular level; describes adolescent brain development from the perspective of new techniques now available for studying living brains; and, in the final section, summarises knowledge about how these brain changes may affect thinking and behaviour.