role of a social worker in learning disabilities

Social Workers in Disability (SWID) Special Interest Group. you will need a free MySCIE account: Preparing for adulthood: The role of social workers, Charity No. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) initiated the Named Social Worker (NSW) pilot to build an understanding of how having an NSW can contribute to individuals with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs achieving better outcomes. Critically reflect on how organisational contexts impact on their roles – for instance the differences and core similarities of being a social worker in the Private, Voluntary and Independent sector and local authority or the NHS. Enhance multi-agency working skills through critical reflection and CPD activities and the development of influencing skills. Social workers need to use their critical reflection and analysis capabilities to develop their empathy and understand more closely the implications, meaning and emotional experience of change and transition from the person’s perspective. We are an active group who welcome the participation and input of new members. Be empathetic and a non-judgmental, using appropriate skills in verbal and non-verbal communication, summarising, and reflection. The seventy-seven respondents working with adults with learning disabilities included forty-five front line social workers, nineteen senior social workers, seven first line managers, two social work assistants, two senior social services managers and a social work student (one did not state role). (SCIE and Innovation Unit 2018). People with learning disabilities have a significantly reduced ability to comprehend complex or new information, and they have difficulty learning new skills. No. Mental disabilities can be just as debilitating as physical disabilities. Role of Social Worker Social worker plays various types of roles in catering the needs of his clients. But as soon as I passed my driving test, I … Social workers should empower and support people to pursue their life choices, including everyday decisions – what to eat, wear, where to go – as well as potentially life changing judgements about accommodation, relationships, care, education, and health. After qualifying as a social worker, John worked in community learning disability teams before getting involved in a number of long-stay hospital closure programmes, working to develop individual plans for people moving into their own homes. Know about the historical, theoretical, and ethical contexts of mental capacity practice, supported decision-making, and human rights. Social workers should embrace approaches to assessment and care planning that avoid a one- way process of ‘question and answer’. Social workers should understand the importance of understanding people’s psychological realities, strengths and needs, their communication requirements to express their emotions and thoughts, and their right to equal access to psychological support and services. Effective social work starts from recognising the abilities of people with lived experience, drawing on strengths-based perspectives. These health inequalities include increased and early mortality, intentional and institutional barriers to good healthcare, medical interventions without consent, and reduced access to palliative care. 1. The integration of these approaches provide the foundation for confident, ethical professional judgements and a co-produced approach to assessment and care planning in which the person’s expertise in their own lives comes to the fore in decisions and planning. Restrictions on ordinary life choices (such as bedtimes in residential care or non-provision of chosen food) within families or formal care arrangements can be harmful and may become a safeguarding and/or care quality concern. Understand the particular kinds of discrimination and abuse that people with lived experience face and the impact of this. Overall, the work should be underpinned by a strong value-base and adherence to The Code of Ethics for Social Work. They provide social, emotional, and behavioral support and programming to ensure a child feels valued, loved, accepted, and connected within the larger school environment. Learning Disabilities . As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those in the healthcare support field, such as Disability Support Workers, earn a median annual salary of $35,780.Those employed in community settings can earn an annual mean wage of $45,310, while those working for home care companies are paid a yearly mean salary of $43,920. The Social Workers in Disability SIG consists of members from a variety of voluntary and statutory settings who work with people affected by disability from across the lifespan including families and carers. Depending on their role, social workers may need to develop these skills themselves, but should have the generic capability to understand when a different form of communication may be needed, the types of communication and language aids and approaches available, and how to work effectively with interpreters and advocates skilled in those communication forms. This guidance looks more specifically at the role of social workers, and what they need to do to help people with learning disabilities prepare for adulthood well. Occupational Therapists have a key role in helping people with learning disabilities to access occupation; adapting activity, equipment, environment or materials in the places where they live and work. Employers have a responsibility to provide adequate training and supervision and there is corresponding need for professionals to take them up and/or advocate for appropriate provision. People with learning and physical disabilities; Criminals; People with mental health conditions; Drug and alcohol addicts; Homeless people ; Sex workers; Safeguarding is a huge part of the social workers’ role, because they are working with some of the most vulnerable people in the country. (HM Government 2011) The government recognises a link between unemployment and social exclusion. The hourly rate is £28 p/h dependent upon experience so please enquire for more information. From ‘assessment’ to ‘conversation’ and reducing jargon. As care giver he counsel and support people with problems in a therapeutic way to promote change. Simplifying and clarifying language and reducing jargon was a very important theme for the Stakeholder Reference Group. Grade Grade 9 Section Adult Learning Disability Team Service Area Community Care and Adults Responsible To Team Manager Job Purpose To provide a high quality service in relation to all aspects of the assessment and care management process which meet the needs of vulnerable adults. This may extend to supporting access to housing, welfare rights, healthcare, and employment support. Each teacher holds primary responsibility for the learning of every student in the class. They may experience a change in the nature and types of services available and a change in people involved in their care requiring new relationships with care providers to be formed. Co-production is a move from ‘doing to’ and ‘doing for’ to ‘doing with in an equal and reciprocal partnership’ (TLAP, 2019). Social workers need to understand the main statutory legal frameworks including case law and precedents relevant to learning disability services and the rights of individuals and families. Support workers in learning disability. Peer learning, mentoring and informal mutual support are all important elements in developing a social work culture in a team that consistently supports young people well. People with lived experience are more at risk than the rest of the population of some forms of abuse, often because of social isolation and exclusion, the predatory and exploitative behaviours of others and the ineffectiveness of services in listening and acting early on what people say of their experiences. For instance, people with lived experience of learning disability have increased risk of co-morbidity and mortality – 13 to 20 years earlier for men and 20 to 26 years younger for women (Hatton et al, 2016). Social workers can work in both statutory and non-statutory roles. 9.4a. Social workers must develop their advocacy skills to improve people’s access to rights, entitlements and services. Social workers have a lead role in improving care and support for people with lived experience of learning disability and their families. You'll be employed in the charity sector or in specialist roles, such as providing support for drug and alcohol users, homeless … While some of these skills may be natural, many of them are honed while a social worker earns his or her bachelor’s or master’s degree. Ensure that they provide accessible formats of information and documents such as assessments and care plans. England, London, Enfield; £28 - £29 per hour + negotiable; Ackerman Pierce ; We are looking to recruit a Qualified Social Worker - Adults Learning Disabilities Team within the Social Care industry in Enfield. Find out more and what you can do to help. This capability refers to social workers seeking support to manage the emotional demands of their role, planning and identifying time and mental space for learning, reflection and career development. The need to improve access to general healthcare and universal and specialist local services. Despite the short pilot time frame, the evaluation evidence suggests that the NSW pilot had significant impact at three levels. The State of Care Management in Learning Disability and Mental Health Services 12 Years into Community Care British Journal of Social Work, Volume 35, Number 7, 1 October 2005, pp. They should be able to describe and communicate their distinctive role and enable people to navigate and access services and statutory entitlements wherever they are employed in the system. Each transition requires personalised, person-centred transition planning. There are also profound ethical issues about whether, when and how professionals should intervene in the lives of those who are viewed as unable to decide about their own care and treatment (Law Commission, 2017). The Learning Disability Nursing and Social Work course is 50% theory and 50% practice. Current key relevant laws (and their Codes of Practice) in England include: “Social workers should understand that transition affects the whole family” (Carer). Key message 1.1. Social workers should be aware of the political, policy, and practice contexts of services provision and how these affect the experience of citizens using services. This may be compounded by other forms of discrimination or abuse such as racism, homophobia or sex-based crimes. Perhaps this is because there are so many professional roles in social work. Thus, social workers’ communication skills and methods should reflect the profession’s values and ethics. You will work on building a relationship with the individual(s) whilst you support them with living their lives. BASW (the British Association of Social Workers) and SCIE (the Social Care Institute for Excellence) have launched new resources to support the capabilities of social workers in their work with autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities. The role of social workers in enabling people with disabilities to lead empowered, self-determined lives in communities is as important now as it was then. Just as importantly, practitioners can play a valuable role in supporting the parents of these children. 4766. Relationship-based practice requires skills in building, maintaining and repairing, and ending relationships. In the first year, as part of the common foundation programme, we go on 4 placements in a variety of settings. Professional, family and public judgement may mean the social status of adulthood is conferred onto them later, or they may experience being perpetually judged as ‘less than adult’. Understand, apply and promote the law, policy and local arrangements to support carers including the provision of carers assessments. This persists despite high profile examples of failures of care and abuse. Challenge colleagues where necessary and be open to having their decisions and practice challenged by people with lived experience, their carers and families, changing their decisions where appropriate. This can be integrated into a psycho-social approach that recognises common human psychological needs of people with lived experience – such as needs for healthy attachment, emotional expression, security, affirmation and positive relationships with others. People with lived experience require support to realise their choices and protect their human rights. Ensure that people with lived experience are included in all aspects of social work intervention, service planning and delivery. 1. Social workers have a duty to abide by the legislation and the power to enforce it. Job description: Service Care Solutions are looking for a Social Worker to join their Integrated Learning Disabilities team within Adults Social Services at Hackney Council. A high percentage of people with learning disabilities live in poverty. People with lived experience overall have much worse physical and mental health and poorer wellbeing than the rest of the population (Rickard and Donkin, 2018). A separate 2019 CQC Review of seclusion found 62 adults and children, some as young as 11, were being held in isolation, sometimes for years. Professionalism: People with lived experience involved in co-producing the Capabilities Statement said social workers should demonstrate their professionalism by being: The impact of austerity on public services, housing and the welfare benefits system, reducing social care support for some people with lived experience and their families. Understand and apply legal safeguarding duties under the Care Act 2014 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005. In 1989 the government set up the social exclusion unit (SEU) to improve the educational prospects for children with disabilities. Social workers are particularly concerned for those who are vulnerable or are unable to speak up for themselves. The NSW pilot aimed to evaluate how people using services and their family could be more in control of decisions about their own future and better supported to live with the dignity and independence for which we all strive by having a consistent named worker. Learning disabled individuals may also … People should not be in long stay, inadequate, at worst abusive institutions. • Social workers’ effectiveness seems to rest most on their ability to combine a number of roles, including assessment, local knowledge, and being able to provide counselling and/or ongoing support. Herod and Lymbery (2002) carried out a small-scale research project that explored the role of a social worker within the field of learning disability. 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