Category Archives: Social care

Shake-up in how 5,500 vulnerable people in Norfolk get homecare on cards

September 15, 2014   Carers, Featured Article, Norfolk, Older care, Social care

Sue Whitaker, chairman of Norfolk County Council’s adult social care committee. Picture: Matthew Usher.

Dan Grimmer dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk
Monday, September 15, 2014
4:19 PM

The way up to 5,500 people in Norfolk get homecare could be set for a major shake-up, with council leaders warning the service needs “fundamental revision” as the county’s increasing population piles on further pressure

Proposed changes in how Norfolk County Council provides care to keep vulnerable people in their homes could see the contractors they commission paid according to results.

Read More

‘Cuts forcing English councils to limit social care’

September 14, 2014   Carers, Featured Article, Older care, Social care, ukcuts

95-year-old Cyril Gillam no longer gets home help visits

14 September 2014 Last updated at 03:44

Almost 90% of councils in England no longer offer social care to people whose needs are ranked low to moderate, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) has said.

The group is warning cuts are making the care system “unsustainable”.

The government says councils have been given an extra £1.1bn to help protect social care this year.

But charities say hundreds of thousands of people are struggling without help.

When someone applies for social care, their needs are determined as either critical, substantial, moderate or low.

In recent years the number of councils able to help those at the lower end of the scale has gone down as they struggle to balance their budgets.

Read More

Social media should be an essential part of new social workers’ toolkits

September 6, 2014   Carers, Depression, disability, internet, Social care

Digital media enables professionals to communicate more effectively with service users and each other

Claudia Megele, senior lecturer, Middlesex University, and head of practice learning, Enfield council

Guardian Professional,

As social media becomes more ingrained in society, so its adoption and acceptance in social work and social care will become more normalised. Photograph: Jens Kalaene/dpa/Corbis

From production and management of services to workforce development and community engagement strategy, local authorities and councillors are exploring the potential of digital media for co-production and enhancement of services. The fast pace of technology means greater and more powerful means of collaboration and transformation of services and the workforce.

Read More