Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:18 pm Post subject: Why do we want social workers?
The role of social workers is likely to change, as many disabled and older people are now receiving cash via individual budgets or direct payments to pay for their support needs, instead of having services provided by Social Services.
In future social workers may become Support Brokers to help people spend the cash by choosing the services that best meet their assessed needs. For example, a Support Broker could give information about the range and type of services that are available for people to purchase.
Do you think this is what social workers should do?
We are conducting research into peoples views about the future role of social workers. All responses will be treated as confidential.
Professor David Leece, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr. Janet Leece, Honorary Research Fellow, Staffordshire University
Greetings, Janet, and welcome to our Forum. With regards to Social Workers, I really am no fan of these people and much prefer to keep my own affairs to myself.
If you have been reading our other posts on this Forum, you will know that I was diagnosed ealier this year with Breast cancer and Pulmonary Embolism.
I vowed to the hospital doctor who informed me that I would fight this by every possible means that I could.
My last X-Ray scan came back as being "clear", and it seems that the medication I am on is controlling things nicely.
I would not want interference from any Social Worker or "Support Broker" telling me how I should spend my money.
This is, once again, unwarranted interference from our "Nanny State" type of government.
They do not seem to credit us with any degree of common sense, instead use the new mantra of "Common Purpose" to treat us as though we are, because of being "of a certain age" as idiots, and quite unable to know what is best for us.
Just as a matter of interest, are you one of the Researchers mentioned above, and if so, are you just using our Forum as a means of reaching as many older people as you can instead of the high cost of sending out surveys? _________________ http://sewardchronicles.ning.com/
For the record, I have not filled in this questionaire, for the reasons that I gave to my local council recently when a survey they conducted asked similar probing questions.
It's a bloody cheek to ask older people their sexuality let alone religion, and I informed my local council in person that I was not very pleased by this.
Janet, if you are involved with this project then I wish that you could sort out these intrusive and over-personal questions. You might even get some truthful answers then.
Sandy, thankyou very much for your response and the important points that you have made. With respect to the questions that local authorities ask, we have no realtionship to local authorities or Department of Health and the questionnarie that you refer to is not ours.
We are conducting research on the future of social work, as academic researchers. Regarding the cost of questionnaires you are of course quite right it is cheaper to use the web. I am afraid that our research is not funded, so yes using forums is helpful.
However, that is not the main reason for doing this. By using forums we gain access to people such as yourself who have relevant things to say and we reach a much wider audience than otherwise. Your points and opinions are much appreciated.
Thank you so much for your most courteous reply Janet.
As I have already stated I am no fan of Social Services and Social Workers, however, I respect you're honesty and openness and if I or any of my Members can be of further help to you, please ask. Meantime, please enjoy our Forum, and you are most welcome to contribute and to remain a Member if you so wish. _________________ http://sewardchronicles.ning.com/
I'm with you on this one Sandie, I think God only put social workers on earth to take the heat off double glazing salesmen and traffic wardens ! I mean, it's not healthy directing all your hate and venom towards only one or two groups of individuals is it ?
On amore serious note, the elderly in particular are the generation brought up to respect the use of money, they lived their lives before the advent of the credit/debit card and are probably more adept at the use of cash than most of the people actually living day to day today. let folk make their own minds up about how to use their cash, if they want help or advice, they can ask for it, they don't need anyone knocking on their doors telling them what to do !
Anyway, rant over, the nanny state seems determined to get us all one way or another and this is just one more step towards achieving that goal !
Welcome to our forum Janet
Social Workers! Do they do anything other than hand out leaflets?
Not in my experience. _________________ The purpose of life is a life of purpose
What about the protection of vulnerable people do you think there is a role for social workers here?
Or what about social workers returning to a more traditional way of working, forming longer term relationships with people rather than assessing and gatekeeping social services funding?
I do think they get bad press at times, and yes if they could return to the old way of getting to know people more that would be good, but I don;t think that will happen too much paper to push around now isn't there? and look at baby P how many visits did he have? _________________
What about the protection of vulnerable people do you think there is a role for social workers here?
It depends on what is meant by the word "vulnerable" Janet. Perhaps the Social Services may regard somebody elderly who say for example has suffered a stroke or had a nasty fall as being so.
An example here about what I mean about being regarded as vulnerable as opposed to actually being vulnerable.
I have an older friend who is seventy this year. Last year she fell over whilst carrying a small portable television down a flight of stairs and broke her ankle badly. She spent weeks in hospital as the ankle refused to mend properly for ages. She is also diabetic.
Eventually she was allowed home, but the hospital wasn't happy with her care provision as she lives alone. So they contacted Social Services, and for weeks afterwards they literally pestered her. Finally, my friend told them to leave her alone as she could manage well enough by herself.
Because a Social Worker insisted that she got help to clean her home up, my friend was literally "hounded" by these agency cleaners who then went on not only to steal some of her possessions, but had the cheek to bill her for their time.
In the end she paid a visit to the CAB who called the agency and stopped both the unwanted visits and the unwanted bills! _________________ http://sewardchronicles.ning.com/
A social service that listens, then acts, is the way to go. They seem to overlook the fact they are there to serve, not to dictate, not to lay down the law about how people should spend their money, run their lives etc. The problem i've seen time and time again with todays social workers is that they are taught to be social workers and then the emphasis is on peoples "so called" human rights!
You can learn to drive from a book or a computer course, but you still need to get behind the wheel of a real car, drive on real roads and encounter real situations, to become a skilled and proficient driver !
A few years in the University of Life wouldn't go amiss with the majority of these social workers, they don't have a God given mandate to run the world and bully the old , infirm and vulnerable people into behaving how the social worker of the day sees fit !
If only they'd listen and learn, then act accordingley, it's a principle that is proven to have worked in all walks of life and work well too !
Many thanks to everybody who participated in this discussion, and contributed to our knowledge. You have given us much to think about. We are in the process of writing the paper based on this research and hope to have a draft copy available in the next two to three weeks.
If you would like a copy of the draft paper then just send us your e-mail address to DLeece@aol.com, comments on this paper will be welcome. Again many thanks for your help. We are most grateful.
Dr Janet Leece and Professor David Leece
I e.mailed Janet and she has promised me a copy of their Research Paper in a couple of weeks time.
I am looking forward to actually reading this, as I am sure it will prove to make very interesting reading.
Thank you, Janet. Just one thing, once your paper has been placed in the "Public Domain" so to speak, what happens to it then? Will it get forwarded to a Think Tank for further discussion, and perhaps even reach those people who really make the decisions? _________________ http://sewardchronicles.ning.com/
Janet has kindly forwarded to me the Draft Copy of her report and has asked me for feedback.
I have not yet had the chance to read it, but will do so over the next few days.
I have been requested not to divulge any details or to make anything public yet simply because it is a Draft Copy, and probably has yet to be finalised. _________________ http://sewardchronicles.ning.com/
I look forward to hearing your views on it when you get a chance to review it Sandie. It would be nice to get the gist of it without you giving too much away that is .
Well, as promised I have read the Draft Report and please just let me answer this point that you make, Janet.
Quote:
"On this basis the respondents can be described as: 41 disabled people; 18 carers and 7 older people. Within these groups there were people providing care for older people, as well as young adults; individuals with mental health needs, a deaf person, people with physical disabilities, and one person who described themselves as having a duel sensory impairment. It was not possible to determine whether respondents belonged to black or minority ethnic communities."
I can say here Janet that as far as I know I am English, and I do not think we have any Members from any Ethnic Backgrounds on here.
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