CONTENTS UPDATE Older people suffering in cuts, say social workers
Service users are suff ering because of the fi nancial cuts, according to the latest survey by Age UK and The College of Social Work (TCSW). More than 90 per cent of social
workers worry that older people will fi nd life more diffi cult and seven in 10 said cuts were leaving them more isolated with a lower qualify of life. The joint survey of more than 300
social workers in adult social care revealed 94% of respondents have witnessed a squeeze on budgets for older people over the past three years. More than a quarter (26%) of
respondents said they are now exaggerating the level of service
Older people face isolation, social workers fear
users’ needs to ensure they are above their local authority’s eligibility threshold.
In its spending review last month,
the government announced that it would be investing £3.8 billion a year in a pooled health and social care budget from 2015. But TCSW
Membership deal targets students
A new group membership scheme will make it easier for universities to support their students’ learning through The College of Social Work (TCSW) by paying their fees on their behalf. The scheme, which extends to academic
staff too, will give social work students cost-eff ective access to TCSW’s professional development services. Professor Hilary
Tompsett, College board member and professor of social work at Kingston University, said: ‘Joining
the HEI membership scheme will ensure that you are providing for the professional development needs of your students and staff by giving them access to an array of services and informative resources.’ ■ More information here
Justice at centre of College ethics code
Social justice and the rights of service users are at the heart of the new Code of Ethics produced by The College of Social Work (TCSW) for its members. College chair Jo Cleary said: ‘I am
delighted to announce the publication of our Code of Ethics. It encompasses protecting the rights, interests and independence of people who use
social work services, promoting social justice, and taking a compassionate approach to social issues. ‘The code makes clear the link
between the many valuable skills that social workers use when helping the communities they serve and the value base that guides how they use them.’ ■ Read the Code of Ethics here
is concerned that the new national eligibility threshold will be set at the equivalent of ‘substantial’ under the current Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) criteria. In a policy paper published on the
eve of the announcement, TCSW said that such a threshold would mean that ‘intensive and preventive services would largely operate at several removes from one another, frustrating the role of the state in planting the seeds of modern social care. Paradoxically, the system may actually be more expensive to run, given the cost benefi ts of eff ective prevention.’ ■ Policy report and joint survey here
TCSW awards ‘kitemarks’ to fi ve courses
The fi rst fi ve social work qualifying schemes have received a quality ‘kitemark’ from TCSW under its endorsement standard for higher education institutions (HEI). Each HEI went through a
rigorous assessment process to ensure its qualifying course was up to the required standard. The HEIs are Middlesex University, University of Brighton, University of Central Lancashire, University of Lincoln, and University of Manchester. ■ Details of the endorsement scheme here
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