Social services what is it Social services in

Social services: what is it?

Social services – in the news • • • Impact of increasing elderly population Impact of medical advances Arrival of asylum seekers Enough money in the system? Should we pay for residential care? Scandals – Baby P/Laming inquiry/Victoria Climbie

Social services: who for? • • • Elderly Disabled Children at risk Mentally ill Long-term ill Anyone “vulnerable” – asylum seekers

Social services: who provides? Social care – “multi agency approach” – often more than one provider involved. These can be: Local authorities (social services providers are counties; unitaries; London boroughs) Health bodies – Primary Care Trusts The Police (children at risk/abuse issues) Education authorities Charitable groups eg NSPCC

Community Care • NHS and Community Care Act 1990: shifted responsibility from NHS to local govt. • Aim: to move away from institutional living to independent living • Care is provided for problems associated with: • Ageing • Mental illness • Learning difficulties • Physical/sensory impairments • NHS+Social services required to make Partnership Arrangements for care

Community Care: How it works • Anyone with disability or any other social care need is entitled to an assessment: • Old age/physical weakness • Physical difficulties • Sensory difficulties • Learning disabilities • Mental health problems

Community care: how? • Assessments gauge what kind of help might be needed and can be provided in accordance with “eligibility criteria. ” • Councils usually have a system that grades level of need: for example, critical, substantial, moderate or low • People most at risk given priority • Individuals are given a care plan setting out what will be provided and by who

Community care – what kind of care? • • • Domiciliary care services: such as – Meals on wheels Help with personal bathing Respite care Special equipment added to home – ramps; adapted furniture; stair rails • Services often contracted out to private sector/voluntary sector. Charges can be made; often free

Community care – other help • Support for deaf and blind • Day care services – organise activities for people • Recuperative and intermediate care services: short-term (few weeks) and intensive help to help recovery after illness; fal or other crisis. May be at a care home • Respite care for carers, who may themselves need help (such as a break or holiday) • Residential care in home – often bought in by council but how much is paid subject to means-testing

Growing pressure • We are an ageing society – people now living much longer than they were + have high expectations of what care they should get • More people over 65 than under 16 for the first time • Fastest growing sector of the population is the over-80 s • In 1900, 1% of popn. was > 65; 2000 it was 7%; by 2050, it will be 20%

Children’s Services • Protecting at risk children one of most important jobs of social services (Laming scandal) • Safeguarding children is overseen by Local Safeguarding Childrens Boards (prev. Area Child Protection Committees) • These came in under Children’s Act 2004 (post. Laming inquiry) • Act also established Children’s Services Departments for local councils – bringing education and social care for children together

Children taken into care – why? • Two main reasons: • Children who are subject to a care order made by courts under Section 31 of Chilren’s Act • Children accommodated by local authority on voluntary basis under Section 20 (Tracy Beaker!)

Care Orders • • • Only for children under 17 Applications for such orders go to Family Proceedings Court (normally Mags Court) Orders are made where: Child is at risk of significant harm and care is below reasonable parental standard

Care Orders • Social services assume parental responsibility but parents must have reasonable access • Interim care orders: where council is seeking full care order. Last maximum of eight weeks, unless court grants renewal

Supervision Orders • Where child is placed under supervision, with councils having a lesser duty to “advise, assist and befriend. ” • Families must be allowed to bring up child if possible • Can be made for abandoned/lost children

Emergency Protection Orders • Where child is deemed to face an immediate danger and harm • Made by courts • Last up to 8 days • Can be extended by court if satisfied risk still exists • Parents can challenge after 72 hours

Care Homes • Councils must provide Community Homes for children in care • Private homes must be registered by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI)

Fostering • Foster parents: no legal custody or full parental rights • Must be approved by social services • Are paid+have allowances for clothing/holidays etc

Adoption • Eligible children must be < 18 • And be a child for whom returning home is not possible • Adoption orders sever all legal ties with natural birth family • Confers parental rights and responsibilities on new adopting family • Birth parents lose legal rights/cannot take child back

Adoption ii • Adoptive parents must be > 21 • Be able to provide stable + permanent home • Need not be married; can be single; same sex couples can adopt • No upper age limit • No bar against those who are disabled adopting • Adoption must be through an approved Adoption Agency or Voluntary Adoption Society approved by Secy. Of State