Will safeguarding be all that's
left for social workers in adult
services?
Jill Manthorpe with Michelle Cornes
Economic and Social Research
Council’s Multiple Exclusion
Homelessness Research Programme
Adult social work –
the end of the line?
Or old wine – new bottles?
• Scenario 1: children/adult separation
remains but more interagency + NHS work
• Scenario 2: export from LA to 3rd + private
sectors
• Scenario 3: no real change
• Scenario 4: joins chimney sweeps, gas
lighters, coal miners, bus conductors, knife
sharpeners…
The inverse user law
• Over half of newly qualified social workers
work in children’s services
• Around one in seven with older people
• Around one in ten working in services for
people with mental health problems (WallisJones & Lyons, 2002).
• Most graduates start in child protection
Fine words butter no parsnips?
‘We therefore emphasise
the role that skilled social
work will continue to play
in assessing the needs of
people with complex
problems and in
developing constructive
relationships with people
who need long-term
support’.
(Secretary of State for
Health, 2005, 10)
The (old) Vision
‘Social workers
spending less time on
assessment and more
on support, brokerage
and advocacy.’
(HM Government,
2007, 3)
The (new) Vision
Reinforced social
workers’ continued role in
assessing and planning
care but sees the
potential for new roles in
advocacy, brokerage and
more therapeutic work.
(Department of Health,
Association of Directors of
Adult Social Services
(ADASS), British Association
of Social Workers (BASW), &
Social Care Association (SCA)
2010)
Will the Law Commission
rescue social work?
Assessment as appropriate
- people not SW title
•
A specialist assessment - such as for people with severe and enduring
mental health problems, people with borderline mental capacity or those
with dual diagnoses. (5.86)
• Recommendation 14: The code of practice should
provide guidance on when it would be appropriate
for a local authority to authorise other individuals or
bodies to carry out an assessment, or aspects of an
assessment, and what degree of oversight should be
provided by the local authority.
• Recommendation 15: The statute should include a
clear statement to the effect that a local authority
can carry out a community care assessment at the
same time as any other assessment is carried out.
• No greater role in safeguarding
Turning to employers – what they
want social workers to do?
‘Feedback from employers, practitioners, practice
assessors, and from independent research strongly
suggests that there are certain areas of knowledge and
skills which are not being covered to the right depth in
social work initial training. These include: assessment
frameworks; risk analysis; communication skills;
managing conflict and hostility; working with other
professionals. An understanding of the research,
legislation and policy basis for practice is also
essential…’ (Social Work Task Force, 2009a, para 1.19)
Time for some focus
What will adult social workers do?
1) Rationing
• Moderate: Bradford, Calderdale,
Doncaster, N Lincs, NE Lincs, N Yorks,
York
• Substantial: Barnsley, Hull, Rotherham,
Sheffield, Leeds (both Kirkless &
Birmingham legal challenge about move to
Critical)
• Upper Substantial: East Riding
Not the P word
‘Social workers may well
find themselves at the
forefront of implementing
a policy with potential for
considerable
improvements in people’s
lives in a context that
undermines its capacity
for success’. (Netten et
al)
But rationing is not just denial…
integration
• Hudson (2010) sees
adult social care as
the ‘handmaiden’ of
the NHS with a
consequent loss of
distinct perspective.
• But huge
opportunities eg with
Multiply Excluded
Homeless and in
Safeguarding
2) Managing complexity
• Bob’s story
• New roles in housing
& homelessness;
mental health &
substance misuse
• Crises and
complications
Managing conflict
• Who else will perform
safeguarding?
• Who is legally
literate?
• Who is up for case
management?
And finally…
• Ensuring the College
is adult oriented
• Maintaining the point
to registration (HPC)
• Expecting to manage
• Alert to new arenas
eg human trafficking
• Addressing ‘care
poverty’
In other words - watchful waiting