Community Care
APRIL 17, 2024
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Incoming Association of Directors of Children’s Services president Andy Smith is passionate about social work’s potential to improve children’s lives. While such a belief is commonplace among senior managers in local authority children’s services, for Smith, it is personal.
Gary Direnfeld
APRIL 15, 2024
There’s a concept known as over-accommodating. That is when the parent seeks to be supportive of a child expressing some sort of difficulty and does so in a way that is disproportionate to the need or in a way that lessens or dials back their expectation. As such, the parent is seeking to be helpful, not at all realizing that their response to the child’s issue is actually enabling it.
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My Brains Not Broken
APRIL 17, 2024
Do you ever feel like your day just isn’t going well? I know we all have good days and bad ones, but I’m talking about something different. It’s those days when everything feels a little off, or when every decision you make seems to be the wrong one. These situations are tricky because things could certainly be worse (as we remind ourselves), but that also doesn’t solve the confusing problem at hand.
The Guardian
APRIL 17, 2024
Officials at Department for Work and Pensions accused of ‘threatening and cruel’ tactics over repayment orders Woman with dementia, 92, told to repay £7,000 in disability allowance Government officials have been accused of using “threatening and cruel” tactics towards unpaid carers by saying they could face even greater financial penalties if they appeal against “vindictive” benefit fines.
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Community Care
APRIL 17, 2024
The Department for Education has axed a social work leadership training programme in what has been described as a “kick in the teeth” for the profession. The DfE will not renew funding for the Pathways programme when its initial two-year period comes to an end in July, revealed Frontline yesterday. The charity, which delivers the training to practice supervisors, middle managers, heads of service and assistant director in council children’s services, said the “unexpected&
Gary Direnfeld
APRIL 15, 2024
I know, the world feels precarious to many these days. That precariousness is heightened by those who would seek to deny science, instead relying on leaders who spew their own brand of information. They appeal to those financially disenfranchised, those whose anger is ready to be fueled. It works. Sadly. There is no arguing with many of these folks.
Social Work Update brings together the best content for social work professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
MQ Mental Health
APRIL 15, 2024
April is Stress Awareness Month so to be aware of stress, honour it and deal with it appropriately, it’s important to be clear in the distinction that stress is not a mental health condition although it can be the cause of and the symptom of one. We perhaps in society mistake “stress” as a mental illness partly as a hangover from the time when doctors might sign people off from work with “stress” instead of “undiagnosed or untreated mental health condition”.
Community Care
APRIL 15, 2024
By Kirsty Hammonds, Coram In my role as child placement consultant in Coram’s activity days team, I come across many siblings who will not be able to live together permanently. This may be due to older siblings already having been adopted or even being deemed too old to be adopted and therefore remaining in long-term foster care. Also, some children are part of very large siblings groups, where it is just not possible for them to all to stay living together.
The Guardian
APRIL 16, 2024
£25bn of public money would have been saved between 2019 and 2023 if north had same care entry rates as south, report says One in every 52 children in Blackpool are in care compared with one in 140 across England, leading to calls for more to be done to urgently tackle the widening north-south divide , brought on by “decades of underinvestment”. Nine in every thousand children are in care in the north, compared with six in the rest of England, according to a report by Health Equity North.
The New Social Worker
APRIL 15, 2024
Self-care needs to be readily accessible and make sense. One of our most accessible forms of self-care is, literally, in-plain-sight, next-to-our-skin, on-the-tip-of-our-tongue, in-front-of-our nose, and “hear”-for-us.
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.
MQ Mental Health
APRIL 15, 2024
Whether it’s painting, drawing, sculpting, cooking, knitting, sewing, writing, singing, playing music, dancing, the arts play a big role in our overall mental and physical health as well as our communities. Creativity can be seen by some, perhaps in past decades, as frivolous. But there’s evidence to show that creativity helps our mental health and our stress management.
Community Care
APRIL 15, 2024
By Leeanne Olivant, NOPT In the dynamic landscape of social work, practice educators (PEs) stand as vital pillars. The role’s critical importance in nurturing the next generation of social workers and retaining experienced practitioners was highlighted in a Social Work England-commissioned review, which reported last month. The National Organisation for Practice Teaching (NOPT), which represents PEs across the country, warmly welcomes the report as a long-overdue acknowledgement of the pivotal c
The Guardian
APRIL 13, 2024
Observer investigation finds that private companies made £105m despite not being registered with Ofsted Hundreds of extremely vulnerable school-age children in England are being sent to illegal, unregulated homes every year because of a chronic shortage of places in secure local authority units. An Observer investigation has established that councils placed 706 children, the majority of them under the age of 16, in their care in homes that were not registered with Ofsted, the children’s social c
Blurt It Out
APRIL 18, 2024
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.
Nnatasha Tracy
APRIL 18, 2024
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.
NCCPR Child Welfare Blog
APRIL 17, 2024
“We don’t have enough money to stop being racist!” Well, no, county family police agencies in Minnesota (where counties run these systems) didn’t say it in those words. But in this excellent story from Minnesota Public Radio that’s essentially the argument put forth by county family policing agencies opposing a new version of the Minnesota African American Family Preservation Act.
The Guardian
APRIL 18, 2024
A new report shows how transformational the initiative was. But Keir Starmer’s early-years plans lack the same vision Sure Start did change the lives of children, a new report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) told us last week. It not only improved educational outcomes for children, particularly kids from deprived areas, but also reduced later need for education, health and care plans for those with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), and paid for itself.
Blurt It Out
APRIL 16, 2024
Anxiety is a prevalent mental health condition characterized by feelings of worry, fear, and unease. It’s essential to recognize that anxiety is a normal human emotion and serves as a protective mechanism in threatening situations. However, when anxiety becomes excessive or disproportionate to the situation, it can significantly impact daily functioning and overall well-being.
MQ Mental Health
APRIL 18, 2024
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.
Social Work Awards
APRIL 15, 2024
The Social Worker of the Year Awards is pleased to announce The British Association of Social Workers, BASW England, will become the new headline sponsor for the next three years. BASW is the UK’s largest professional membership organisation for social work across the UK and has a long relationship with the Awards, having been the Corporate Sponsor for many years.
The Guardian
APRIL 13, 2024
Harrowing court video hearings reveal plight of those unable to find a place in secure, registered accommodation The judge sitting in the family division of the high court can barely hide his concern and frustration as he listens to a barrister acting for Kent county council update him about the plight of a vulnerable 14-year-old girl in an unregistered, illegal children’s home run by a private company.
Blurt It Out
APRIL 15, 2024
Despite knowing that rest is vital to our well-being, many of us tend to struggle when it comes to actually going ahead and taking that time off. The stress and overwhelm that can be experienced at the thought of the knock-on effects of taking time off, can be enough to stop us in our tracks. So why do we feel so guilty even when we know we must stop and take time off?
Nicole Clark Consulting
APRIL 16, 2024
Have a question you’d like to be featured? Let me know. I’ve been fortunate to work with a variety of client organizations, including philantrophy. Navigating grantee-funder relationships while staying true to your mission is complex. It’s a landscape where aspirations to create meaningful change often intersect with the practicalities of securing funding.
The International Association Of Schools Of Social
APRIL 17, 2024
A Global Celebration of Social Work and Social Development The SWSD2024 conference in Panama wrapped up on a high note on April 7th, 2024. This week-long event marked a significant step towards a more just and inclusive world. Over 1,500 social work professionals from 81 countries across five continents came together, furled by a shared vision of promoting social justice for all.
The Guardian
APRIL 16, 2024
Alison McGovern says UK would ‘grind to a halt’ without unpaid carers and confirms party will review system if it wins power UK politics – latest updates Labour will review the system of carer’s allowance if it wins the general election, the party has confirmed, after the Guardian revealed that scores of unpaid carers were being forced to pay back thousands of pounds for minor breaches of benefit rules.
Michigan Social Work
APRIL 17, 2024
The School of Social Work has again been named the nation’s top social work school in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Graduate School rankings. Since 2012, our School has had the honor to be ranked # 1 in the nation. The rankings reflect the School’s steadfast role as a national leader in developing innovative knowledge, collaborating with communities, and educating the next generation of social workers who will shape practice and policy of the future.
Relias
APRIL 17, 2024
A nursing clinical ladder program can help you retain, develop, and motivate your nursing staff. As a recognized and desirable advancement program, it can also provide a competitive advantage when recruiting new nurses for your healthcare organization. Here’s what you need to know to begin your clinical ladder initiative. What is a clinical ladder?
MQ Mental Health
APRIL 19, 2024
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
The Guardian
APRIL 17, 2024
Marcus Hanlin, who had Down’s syndrome and was on regime of pureed meals, choked after being left unsupervised, inquest told A man with Down’s syndrome, severe learning disabilities and poor eyesight, who died after swallowing conkers hidden in rice as part of a sensory activity at a nursing home, had been left unsupervised though staff knew he was fascinated by food, an inquest has heard.
Blurt It Out
APRIL 15, 2024
It’s perfectly normal to experience times when we would prefer to stay in the comfort of our own home. Perhaps poor weather has limited outdoor activity, or we just feel as though we’re peopled out and need time to recoup. But when we find ourselves struggling with a fear of stepping into the outside world, it can begin to affect our well-being and impact our daily lives.
NCCPR Child Welfare Blog
APRIL 18, 2024
The Kentucky Derby isn’t run until May 4. But when it comes to the Kentucky Irony derby, we already have a winner! WDRB-TV in Louisville has a story with this headline: “Norton Children's opens new center combatting child abuse at the Home of the Innocents.” For a split second, I thought: Wow! They’re putting in monitors to stop the child abuse at Home of the Innocents – abuse exposed in this story from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.
Living Sober
APRIL 14, 2024
Using coconut water gives this drink a delightfully tropical edge.
The Guardian
APRIL 18, 2024
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
Blurt It Out
APRIL 15, 2024
Our family is supposed to be our sanctuary, a place where we feel loved, supported, and understood. However, for many individuals, family dynamics can be far from ideal, often veering into toxicity. These toxic family environments can have profound effects on our mental health, shaping our emotional well-being and sense of self. In this article, we’ll explore the signs of a toxic family, delve into its impact on mental health, and discuss strategies for coping and healing.
NCCPR Child Welfare Blog
APRIL 15, 2024
As soon as Sen. Jon Ossoff released his report on massive failures at the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, DFCS fired back, accusing Ossoff of “political gamesmanship.” Actually, it’s worse. There is every indication that Ossoff is sincere and genuinely wants to help vulnerable children. But that will only make it harder to persuade him that, because of a critical error in his analysis, his report may trigger a response that makes everything even worse.
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