Working Within Social Services

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

The current process is guided by legislation and policies. There are several key pieces of legislation that show a development with interagency working across the UK and specifically within Wales.

The policies that are for the UK in general are;

The Health and Social Care Act 2001 (Home Office 2001), this created new powers to establish care trusts by building on existing health and local authority powers to forge partnerships and provide integrated care.

The National Service Framework for Older People (DOH 2001) set out standards for care of older people across health and social services. It aimed to remove age discrimination, provide person center care, promoting independence and fitting services around people needs. Means for achieving these aims included the single assessment process and integration in commissioning arrangement and service provision.

DH (2001) Valuing people a new strategy for learning disability for the 21st century. London:DH. Partnership working through local partnership boards and inter-professional/inter agency co-operation are seen as central to achieving the four key principles of rights, independence, choice and inclusion for people with learning disabilities.

Community Care (Delayed Discharge Etc) Act, 2003 Legislation. Introduced a new dynamic in interagency and inter professional relationships. It made social services authorities liable to reimburse the NHS for delays where patients in hospital are medically fit but unable to be discharged due solely to social service inability to provide assessment and community care services within a required timescale.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury (200) Every Child Matters London:HMSO. In response to the Victoria Climbi inquiry, it proposed: improved interagency information sharing and co-operation; work in multi-disciplinary teams; a ‘lead’ professional role; creation of local safeguarding boas; in the long term integration of key services for children and young people in children’s trusts under a director of children’s services.

Children Act 2004. Allowed the creation of database to support professionals in sharing information.

The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act (DOH 2004) places a duty on SS to inform carers of their right to an assessment. Enabled SS to ask other public bodies including the health organizations to provide service to careers.

Mental Capacity Act 2005. Social work/care professionals acting on behalf of someone who lacks capacity, must act in a person’s best interest.

Working together to safeguard children, 2006. Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2006: Other Report. Addressed To practitioners find managers, it set out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, stressing shared responsibility and the need to understand the roles of others. It described the role of local safeguarding children's boards (LSCBs), training for inter-agency work and the detailed processes for managing individual cases. These elements are 'statutory" guidance, which requires compliance.

Independence, Well Being and Choice; Our Vision for the Future of Social Care for Adults (DOH 2005)

Our Health. Our Care. Our Say (DOH 2006)

Building Bridges (DOH 1995)

Single Assessment Process Implementation Guidance (DOH 2004

The policies that are specifically within Wales are;

Welsh Assembly Government (2003) The Review of Health and Social Care in Wales, Cardiff, WAG

Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (2004) The Report of the Wanless Committee, Cardiff, WAG

Welsh Assembly Government (2004) Making the Connections: Delivering Better Services for Wales: The Welsh Assembly Government Vision for Public Services, Cardiff, WAG

Welsh Assembly Government (2004) A Framework of NHS Policies to Inform the Production of Local Action Plans in Wales, Cardiff, WAG

Welsh Assembly Government (2005) Children and Young People: Rights to Action – Stronger Partnerships for Better Outcomes, Cardiff, WAG

Welsh Assembly Government (2006) Fulfilled Lives, Supportive Communities: Improving Social Services in Wales from 2008-2018, Cardiff, WAG

Welsh Assembly Government (2011) Sustainable Social Services for Wales – A Framework for Action, Cardiff, WAG

Working in partnership with other professionals it’s important to follow key principles. These are;

Alongside thee key principles there are several ethical issues that relate to working with other professions in partnership.

During my placement I have been able to see the importance of working with other professionals to deliver effective services for the clients.

Audry leathard interprof 2003

Structural issues- health and SS, service gaps, service fragmented

Procedural issues, hinder joint planning in budgeting and planning cycle

Financial issues, different mechanisms, flows financial budgets, admin and communication costs.

Professional issues, competitive ideologies and values, professional self-interest,

Different languages in different professional

Inequalities in status and pay

Conflicting organisation and Prof Boundaries

Different leadership styles

Working in health and social care: an introduction for allied health. 2005

Present health and social service are all complex structures with equally complex functioning. By virtue of their size they can also be very bureaucratic form both on historical and philosophical view they both conform to well established hierarchical structural but this can seem compounded in the health sector due to perceptions of dominance by the medical profession an perhaps the media headlines about the top heavy management seemingly employed in health. Although a hierarchy also exists in SS the culture of first sight can appear to be flatter and more humanistic due to its social constraints, compartmentalised remit of local government and inflexible management styles can be preclusive for workers in this sector.

The health and social care divide: the experiences of older people. Jon Glasby, 2004

Inter-professional working is defined as how two or more propel from different professions communicate and co-operate to achieve a common goal.

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Mental Health Act, 2007: Legislation

Amended the 1983 Act. including broadening The group of professional practitioners who undertake approved social v/orl<er (ASW) functions, to be known as Approved Mental Health Professionals. Concurrently, the code of practice of the 1983 Act v/as updated, stressing interprofessional collaboration in assessment and after care planning and involvement of patients and carers.

Building brighter futures: next steps for the children's workforce, 2008: Other Report

Set out the f omponents of integrated working as they are emerging through Children's Trusts. It considered the contribution of the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge and ihe pros and cons of professional identities and boundaries. It looked forward to achieving a broad vision of integraled working that has support across the whole children's workforce.