Lockdowns may have ended but out duty of care as social workers goes on - and that includes encouraging colleagues and those we serve to make sure they remain fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and a potentially resurgent flu virus.
Meet Carmen Colomina, social worker and Practice Development Manager at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). In this guest blog, Carmen reflects upon the pandemic's effect on her life and work, the wider profession's adaptability, including the technological adjustments many of us have had to make to keep delivering for those who need our help.
Throughout this coronavirus pandemic, we have been reminded again of the devastating impact societal inequalities have had on the health and wellbeing of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse (BAME) citizens. The recent Public Health England report highlighted the need for us to finally act and consider the unacceptable impact such inequalities have always had on our communities...
This year marked 50 years since the creation of local authority social services, a milestone we had hoped to celebrate with all social workers and those in training on World Social Work Day. We have written to the profession in these uncertain times to reaffirm our continuing support, guidance and – we hope – inspiration, during this pandemic and way beyond.
Jo Barnicoat works for a small charity, Oxfordshire Family Support Network (OXFSN), supporting families with learning disabilities. Like everyone else, she and her colleagues have had to develop a totally new way of working. However, this enforced change has actually enabled professionals and families to communicate much more efficiently and speedily.
Most people in treatment for drug and alcohol use are being helped in community settings, staying at home and working with their treatment providers, who are supporting their ongoing care through the coronavirus pandemic. Karen Biggs is the Chief Executive of Phoenix Futures, a specialist substance misuse treatment charity.
Whilst the advice for most of the treatment sector has been to find ways to support people without face to face contact, in residential care homes this has been more difficult to achieve. Karen explains how her organisation has continued to help people despite the challenges of lockdown.
Worshiping in a time of pandemic poses unique challenges, but our faith communities are finding ways to adapt and maintain connections. Likewise, our social workers of faith are taking the time to reflect on how their practice can dovetail with community traditions to maintain love, friendship and fellowship with those they serve and hold dear.
Social distancing during the current pandemic is pushing social work practice online, but is it possible to maintain relational approaches through smartphones, tablets and laptops? Tanya Moore, Principal Social Worker at Hertfordshire Adult Care Services, believes 'hi tech' shouldn’t mean 'low connection' and asks us to consider how we can maintain sensitive and purposeful relationships in these unusual times.
New coronavirus guidance aimed at all social care practitioners and managers responsible for providing services to adults in the community has recently been published by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. It draws upon approaches to challenges informed by the …
Behind every statistic there is a person. Vanessa Hodge, Principal Social Worker for Adults at Somerset County Council, reflects on social work's role during the coronavirus pandemic as it continues to affect all our lives, not least those working in or being supported by community adult social care services.