Trending Articles

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‘Hundreds of social workers left in limbo’: BASW and unions urge action on fitness to practise delays

Community Care

Hundreds of social workers in England are being “left in limbo”, often unable to work, because of long and increasing delays in fitness to practise (FTP) cases. That was the warning from the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), Social Workers Union (SWU) and UNISON in a joint statement yesterday setting out their “significant concerns” about Social Work England’s operation of the FTP system.

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What Makes a Person Suicidal?

Nnatasha Tracy

I've thought about what makes a person suicidal many times. Mostly, that's because I've been both actively and passively suicidal for prolonged periods of my life. It's hell, and I hate it. There are both general and specific things that make a person suicidal. Knowledge of these factors, along with ways to protect from suicidality, can help.

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Free Loaves on Fridays: 100 care experienced children and adults tell their story

Community Care

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Free Loaves on Fridays , a new anthology containing letters, stories and poems by 100 care experienced children and adults, was launched last week. The book, edited by Rebekah Pierre, professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), features contributions from people aged 13 to 68, from renowned poet and author Lemn Sissay to first-time writers. “The book hold

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The 14 best books to read as a social worker

Save the Social Worker

Take a look at your shelf now. Chances are, if you have a book on social work from university, you might have shelved it, never to read it again. Or you might wonder how to get rid of it by giving it as a Christmas present. Or it might be a paperweight for your growing pile of unsettled paperwork. And here I am telling you to read more social work books?

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5 Must Haves for Case Management

Thousands of nonprofits rely on case management software to help collect data, manage programs, coordinate with agencies, and provide life-changing health and human services. Adopting a cloud-based case management platform is essential for nonprofits and government agencies to operate more efficiently and make better use of their funding and budget.

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DV – When the Teen Fights Back

Gary Direnfeld

Trigger warning. This post discusses violence against women. ——- I asked directly if there had ever been hitting between his parents. He spoke of how his dad was violent with his mother. When I asked if it ever stopped, he said it did, at least for a while. I asked how. He described a violent and chaotic scene. Dad was on a tirade, mother screaming.

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Mental Illness: What’s Data Science Got To Do With It?

MQ Mental Health

On Thursday 25 April 2024, the DATAMIND and MQ Data Science Meeting took place in Swansea. The DATAMIND Hub maximises data's value by safely and securely uniting data from many sources, including health records, schools and administrative data, charity data, research trials, genomics, longitudinal studies and cohort data. DATAMIND ensures data can be found through the UK Health Data Research Innovation Gateway, meaning researchers can use the data to help address complicated questions about ment

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DHSC to publish every council’s waiting times for adult social care assessments and services

Community Care

The government plans to publish data on every council’s waiting times for adult social care assessments and services, it has revealed. The DHSC announced the plans in guidance on councils’ use of its ring-fenced market sustainability and improvement fund (MSIF) , a grant designed to drive improved performance in adult social care, including by cutting waiting times.

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IFSW Stands in Support of Pro-Peace Students in Universities Across the USA

International Federation of Social Workers

The Education Commission of the International Federation of Social Workers, expresses its steadfast support for the social work students and staff who have courageously participated in the pro-peace encampments at […]

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Alcohol Consumption. It adds up.

Gary Direnfeld

On a daily or weekly basis how many alcoholic beverages do you consume? He answered that he was a social drinker. So I asked how many times a week do you socialize and when you do, how many beverages do you have? He said he gets together with friends maybe four or five times a week. Mostly in the garage. Mostly with neighbors. He said he might have four or five beers.

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Tributes to Lea Milligan, MQ’s CEO

MQ Mental Health

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of MQ’s CEO Lea Milligan who passed away following a sudden illness on Monday the 15th of April. Lea dedicated his life to helping other people. He turned down a place at Oxford University, deciding instead to launch his career in the charity sector. He started by delivering cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and alternative education programmes in prisons before becoming COO of City Gateway who provide support to at-risk children and women in

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Get Connected: Using Social Media for Social Work Success

Speaker: Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW.

You may have the clinical skills to manage a private practice, but your success could actually hinge on marketing skills. For a thriving practice, you need to differentiate yourself from others and present yourself in a way that attracts referrals. These days, much of that happens online, including on social media. In this webinar, Gary Direnfeld will discuss how social media marketing can help you build your private practice and grow your client base.

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Free Mental Health Webinars, May 2024

Social Work.Career

This post is part of the monthly series, Free Webinars for Social Workers and Mental Health Professionals, featuring almost 50 free webcasts that we could find for you this month in the field of social work and mental health. To make it easier for you to find a webinar that is of interest to you, […] The post Free Mental Health Webinars, May 2024 appeared first on SocialWork.Career.

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Making a reality of asset-based practice in social care

Community Care

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. By Robin Miller and Sarah McLaughlin, IMPACT There are many potential benefits of asset-based approaches, in which professionals start with what matters to the person and their family, take time to build a trusting relationship and complement informal and community resources.

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UK government dementia adviser resigns over prosecutions of carers

The Guardian

Johnny Timpson says he wants to ‘take a stand’ after revelations thousands of unpaid carers are being forced to pay huge fines One of Rishi Sunak’s dementia advisers has resigned over the government’s approach towards unpaid carers, describing the prosecutions of vulnerable people as “beyond the pale”. Johnny Timpson, who advised No 10 on its dementia strategy, said he wanted to “take a stand” after the Guardian revealed that tens of thousands of unpaid carers were being fined huge sums and in s

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When One Parent Puts Down the Other

Gary Direnfeld

I feel for the child who’s told bad things about a parent either for revenge or just to “win” more time with their child. That poor child will grow up knowing they are half of each parent. If one half is deemed bad, then what does that child do with that part of themselves representing that parent? In such a situation, I can only hope the parent who is badmouthed, doesn’t do the same thinking it evens the score.

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Supporting Quality of Life Among Adults With Autism

Relias

Working with adults with autism offers both rewards and challenges. Empowering adults with autism to have a high quality of life involves supporting them in doing activities of their choice, spending time with people of their choice, and doing work that they enjoy. No matter the level of supports they require, everyone deserves to be able to pursue the goals that bring them joy.

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The Evolution of Library Social Work

Social Work Blog

Libraries are gateways to accessing care, strengthening communities, and meeting people where they are Heather Rose Artushin, LISW-CP By Heather Rose Artushin, LISW-CP Now more than ever, libraries are much more than book depositories. They are living, breathing community centers, filled with people who have psychosocial needs – people who could benefit from the support of a social worker.

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Reform Mental Health Act and implement LPS: new ADASS president’s message to next government

Community Care

The next government should take forward reform of the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) and implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) in its first 100 days in office, the incoming Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) president has said. However, Melanie Williams said she was not expecting either major party to implement the cap on care costs and associated reforms to the adult social care charging system should they win the next election.

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Guest Post: Postpartum Bipolar Disorder and Using a Vegan Ketogenic Diet for Bipolar Disorder by Dyane Harwood

Bipolar Bandit

I was diagnosed with postpartum bipolar I disorder in 2007 after my second daughter was born. I had treatment-resistant bipolar depression, and I tried over 20 meds to no avail. After my father died, I asked for ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) which saved my life. (I wouldn’t hesitate to get ECT again if I needed it.) Fast forward to 2013. I was stable but I was still depressed.

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How Stress Can Affect Mental Health

MQ Mental Health

This Stress Awareness month, we’re considering how stress affects people differently and what to look for if you’re stressed. Although stress is not a mental illness , it can be the cause of, and the symptom of one. Some people are more responsive to stressful situations and it’s important to note that different people find different cues more stressful than others.

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Sunak under pressure to grant amnesty to unpaid carers fined for rule breaches

The Guardian

Concern grows over legality of approach as figures show more than 150,000 carers facing huge penalties A hero – then sacked: the carer’s allowance whistleblower More than 150,000 unpaid carers are facing huge fines for minor rule breaches, figures show, as MPs, charities and campaigners demand an immediate amnesty. Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, joined calls to write off the vast debts incurred by tens of thousands of people who care for sick, disabled and elderly relatives after experts raised c

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What Does KVC Stand For?

KVC

Have you ever wondered what the “KVC” in KVC Health Systems stands for? You’re not alone; it’s one of the most frequently asked questions we get. Answering this question gives us a chance to tell you about our history and our future… both where we’ve been and where we’re going. Do you believe every child deserves to be safe and connected to a strong family?

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How to Advocate for Yourself in a Doctor’s Appointment

Nnatasha Tracy

It can be difficult to know how to advocate for yourself in a doctor's appointment. I've been faced with this for years, and I still sometimes find it difficult. However, forming a patient-doctor alliance where you work together is part of a comprehensive wellness plan. In order to participate in this, you must be able to advocate for your own needs and wants.

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Mental Health Is A Marathon: Why Exercise Helps Mental Well-being

MQ Mental Health

This weekend is the London Marathon and we at MQ are getting very excited for a number of reasons. Not only are there a number of runners raising money for vital mental health research (Which you can too in the future ) but also we’re excited because running is an excellent way to relieve stress and anxiety. Medical research has shown that running and other forms of exercise can have numerous benefits for mental health, reducing anxiety, depression and sensitivity to stress.

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Of course a society that demonises poverty will try to prosecute vulnerable, unpaid carers | Zoe Williams

The Guardian

The scandal, revealed by the Guardian, didn’t occur in a vacuum. The right’s casting of the poor as parasitic benefits cheats underpins it all The unpaid carer’s allowance in this country is £81.90 a week. It’s hard to see what serious thought went into arriving at that figure – any calculation of how much it costs to live on, for instance, or how much an unpaid carer is saving the government.

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72 Mental Health Quotes (#15)

Bipolar Bandit

For More Quotes: 50 Mental Health Quotes that Inspire (#1) 65 Mental Health Quotes that Inspire (#2) 35 Mental Health Quotes that Inspire (#3) 45 Mental Health Quotes that Inspire (#4) 25 Mental Health Quotes that Inspire (#5) 30 Mental Health Quotes that Inspire (#6) 30 Mental Health Quotes that Inspire Part 7 30 Mental Health Quotes that Inspire Part 8 Mental Health Quotes Part #9 60 Mental Health Quotes that Inspire, Encourage, or Educate #10 75 Mental Health Quotes #11 55 Mental Health Quote

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DfE to collect data on children’s social worker salaries

Community Care

The government will collect data on social workers’ salaries in its annual census of the local authority children’s services workforce in England. Councils will be required to submit figures on each permanently employed practitioner’s base annual salary in next year’s census, for the 12 months ending 30 September 2025, according to guidance published this week by the Department for Education.

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What Is and Is Not a Psychological Treatment?

Society of Clinical Psychology

The Society of Clinical Psychology maintains a list of empirically supported treatments (ESTs), using a set of requirements colloquially referred to as the “Tolin criteria” (Tolin et al., 2015). Under this practice, independent researchers may submit systematic reviews of treatments for consideration as an EST. As submissions have been coming in, a question was raised about whether all of these treatments should be considered psychological and therefore eligible for inclusion.

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Depression Decoded: Unveiling Symptoms And Effective Solutions

Blurt It Out

In a world where mental health struggles often remain invisible, depression stands as a silent yet pervasive force affecting millions. Understanding its symptoms is the first step toward reclaiming control over our well-being. Depression, often misconceived as mere sadness, encompasses a complex array of physical and mental manifestations. Physical Symptoms Of Depression Aches & Pains: Depression casts a shadow over the body, manifesting as unexplained aches and pains.

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‘Humiliated’: carer made to pay back £3.8k after mistake declaring income

The Guardian

Davina Ware applied for benefits to help look after husband Mike, 72, who has lived with Parkinson’s for 20 years The pain cuts through Davina Ware’s voice as she describes her experience of carer’s allowance, the meagre weekly benefit given to those heralded by the government as Britain’s “unsung heroes”. She feels “humiliated,” “devastated,” and “treated like a conniving thief” by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) since she received its demand, three months before her retirement, to r

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Responding to Nature’s Call for Change: A statement on the role of social work in the context of catastrophic weather traumatising communities around the world

International Federation of Social Workers

Over the last days we have witnessed devastating floods in many countries around the world.

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Government readvertises chief social worker post at higher salary

Community Care

The government has readvertised the chief social worker for adults position at a higher salary , six months after it started recruiting for a successor to Lyn Romeo. The Department for Health and Social Care initially went out to recruit for the role in October 2023, offering external candidates £100,000 for taking up the position, with civil servants being appointed in line with internal pay rules.

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20+ Uplifting Depression Quotes For Hard Days

Blurt It Out

In the rollercoaster of life, we all encounter days when the weight of the world feels a little too heavy to bear. These are the days when the storm clouds of depression loom large, casting shadows over even the brightest moments. But just as every storm eventually passes, so too do these dark days. To help navigate through the toughest of times, here are 50+ depression quotes for hard days to remind you that you’re not alone, and brighter days lie ahead.

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Work and pensions committee chair tells ministers to fix carer’s allowance issues

The Guardian

Stephen Timms says DWP letting unpaid carers incur ‘enormous accidental overpayments’ Ministers have been told to “immediately” fix the issues causing tens of thousands of unpaid carers to incur “enormous accidental overpayments” amid growing anger over the carer’s allowance scandal. Stephen Timms, the chair of an influential parliamentary committee, said he was “very troubled” that scores of carers were being forced into financial distress as a result of the government’s mistakes.

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Book Review: Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System

The New Social Worker

Read The New Social Worker’s book review of Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System: The Case for Abolition by Alan Dettlaff. Reviewed by Stephen Cummings.

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Axing leadership training scheme risks undermining support for social workers, warn PSWs

Community Care

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. The government’s axing of a social work leadership training scheme risks undermining support for practitioners as well as the retention of managers, principal social workers have warned. The chairs of the Principal Children and Families Social Worker (PCFSW) Network said the loss of the Pathways programme – used by all but 10 local authorities – had left a gap in managemen