1,720,967 research outputs found
Participants or recipients - disabled people's involvement in a European programme
No full textDrawing on an evaluative study of UK participation in a European disability programme (HELlOS I), this paper explores the extent to which and the ways in which disabled people were-or were not-involved in the programme as active participants rather than passive recipients, at local, national and European levels. The findings presented here draw attention to the different perspectives of the programme's various stakeholders and are discussed in relation to two broader themes. The first of these themes is the involvement of disabled people themselves in any programme aiming to promote the full participation of disabled people in society. The second is the role and value of formalized networks as a means of promoting information exchange and learning, as a prerequisite for promoting change in individuals (that is in day-to-day practice) and change in organizations (that is service developments). These two themes are pertinent to current developments in social work, with its explicit attention to anti-discriminatory practice and its strong tradition of valuing the learning gained from experience
Visual impairment and community care: assessing needs and providing appropriate services (III). A report of a regional day conference
No full textVisual impairment; social support. Recent research in context
No full textThe vast majority of visually impaired people are not blind; they have varying degrees of low vision. Most are also older people and many have additional ‘community care’ needs. The Department of Health commissioned Robin Lovelock to review recent non-medical research relevant to the support of this large and growing group, making recommendations on future research priorities to reflect these demographic patterns. The results are published here for the first time. A Directory of the individual studies identified in 1990–91 forms an Appendix. This body of work, conducted in a variety of academic, statutory, and voluntary sector settings, is discussed both in historical and current context, with particular reference to the agenda for change set by the White Paper Caring for People. In a new Preface and Postscript, the author provides an update on significant research and development work since the original review, demonstrating the continuing applicability of his original analysis and recommendations to the full implementation of the 'community care' legislation in relation to people with a visual impairment
Communication or incommensurability? Some contested issues in social work theory and practice
No full textHabermas/Foucault for social work: practices of critical reflection
No full textSocial work has always been a contested activity and its status as an academic discipline remains uncertain. There is currently renewed interest in the theoretical and research dimensions of social work, at a time when significant changes in the broad social, political and economic context in which practice takes place require a re-evaluation of social work's role and a re-examination of its identity.This timely book brings together leading social work academics to examine the state of social work at the beginning of the 21st century. With their focus on the relationships between research, theory and practice, they reflect critically on the nature of social work as a discipline in higher education and the importance of this to the profession as a whole.The book represents an exploratory conversation among social work academics about the current state and future aspirations of the discipline and the profession. It aims to stimulate wider debate about the dominant constraints and opportunities for social work in the 21st century
Reason and commitment: is communication possible in contested areas of social work theory and practice?
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Changing patterns of mental health care. A case study in the development of local services
No full textThis book concerns the organizational and practice issues involved in implementing a policy of 'community care' for people with mental health problems. It is based on a two-year evaluative study and gives a detailed account of the process of moving an overall service away from a parent hospital and developing new forms of support in a particular local area, integrating community and residential components. The central focus is the impact of this transition on the multi-disciplinary team providing the day-to-day service and on the people using it. Portsmouth’s approach to decentralization offers a model for others concerned with developing high quality social care for people with mental health problems, including anyone currently working to implement the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. Important issues are raised around the changing nature of professional practice implicit in the move from hospital to community based support
Shared territory. Assessing the social support needs of visually impaired people
No full textVisually impaired people have historically been given a low priority by social services departments. Poor practice and weak inter-agency collaboration have characterised the registration process - the commonest route to information, assessment, and help. Assessing individual need is central to community care policy. A study based at the University of Southampton found that there is little indication that the key issues are being addressed at strategic level. However, aspects of good practice identified in some localities point to ways of improving visually impaired people's access to an appropriate assessment of their social support needs
Disability: Britain in Europe. An evaluation of UK participation in the HELIOS programme (1988–1991)
No full textThe HELIOS programme was developed to promote the integration and independent living of disabled people and was described in the House of Lords as "possibly the European Commission's first approach to social policy". The UK was one of only a few Member States to commission a systematic and independent assessment of involvement in the programme "from a national perspective" and the results of this evaluation are presented in this study. The focus is on the 15 UK-based local projects which participated in the four EC-wide networks forming a key element of the programme's first phase. The several other components of the programme and its overall co-ordination and management are also considered. This report raises issues concerning the direct involvement of disabled people in programmes seeking to advance their interests. It is relevant to other initiatives with this aim and to a variety of other EC and national programmes involving networks of local projects as a means of promoting information exchange and innovations in practice and policy
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