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Workshop: Social Worker Workforce : Working in Partnership

Workshop Facilitator: Lyn Romeo

Time: 11.25am-12:25pm

Theaim of this workshop is to explore the emerging best practice models of social work and the contribution social workers can make to supporting achievement of better outcomes for people across the health and social care system.

The objectives are to:

  • To discuss the role and contribution of named social workers in supporting people with learning disabilities, their family /significant others in having good lives
  • Consider how these developing models can engaging and involve people and their families and carers in developing practice
  • Consider how the health and social care arrangements can better embed social work practice approaches and to education and training programmes for social workers can support this.

Background

The social worker role and contribution in working with people with learning disabilities and their families has not been clearly defined within the context of integrated learning disability services and in particular, where the responsibility for supporting people has been led by health professionals. The assessment and care management approach has also diluted the discrete role and advocacy support that social workers, through strengths based relational work which privileges human rights, social justice and citizenship outcomes, can achieve in exploring possibilities for care and support.

The named social worker pilots in 6 local authority areas are implementing a more robust social model led by social workers working with health and social care systems to challenge medical model approaches and to promote care and support arrangements that support people in community settings and reduce the use of institutional placements.

Workshop Summary

  1. Welcome and introductions
  1. Presentationto give the background and context for this work
  1. Group discussion:(related to objectives)
  1. Are the emerging models of named social worker arrangements better placed to improve the experience and outcomes of people with learning disabilities whose behaviour is described as challenging
  1. Ideas about how to ensure future expert/family carer/stakeholder input to inform this piece of work as it develops………

There was a wide ranging and positive discussion about social work roles in a variety of contexts and situations. The group were supportive ofstronger and clearer social work roles and agreed to feed into the current consultation as well as the action points below.

Actions Agreed

  • Through co-production with people and families there will be the commissioning of a social work capability framework for people with learning disabilities. Lyn Romeo will lead, to be completed by March 2019.
  • Department of Health to promote research on Social Work interventions involving the social work workforce and families.

Further information/guidance/ background reading

Named Social Worker pilots Phase 1 findings:Innovation Unit/SCIE

Challenging Behaviour – National Strategy Group November 2017

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Taking these issues forward…

Action / Who? / When? / Other
Commissioning of social work capability Framework for people with learning disabilities / Lead:
Lyn Romeo / March 2019
Promotion of Research on Social Work interventions involving the social work workforce and families / Lead:
Department of Health / March 2018

Challenging Behaviour – National Strategy Group November 2017