B1 U3 - Social Care in the Community

B1 U3 - Social Care in the Community

1. Entering the world of Social Care

   • Ann, Angus - Yetunde
     • First very shaky - Angus didn't like her, she didn't know the routine, he couldn't say her name.
     • Yetunde - took the time to do basic tasks.
     • Got Angus to play the grandfather role to Zoe
     • Call Yetunde "Betty"
     • Her approach and attitude made a difference, not just the care plan
   • Ann gets help
     • GP puts her on antidepressants
     • Attends a group - helps with specialist services for people with Parkinson's
   • Before entering the Social Care world users and carers have to undergo an assessment of needs
   • Aids and adaptations are often helpful although Ann never really comments on these

2. Who decides, who pays?

   • Fair Access to Care Services
     • If risks to safety and independence are 'critical' or substantial will help be provided. Otherwise people have to find their own sources of assistance
     • It is determined by the local council
     • There is no guarantee that people eligible one year will be the next
   • Who pays
     • There is no way to assess how much or how many people pay for their own care
     • The NHS provides some care but not all
     • For people like Angus, it costs the government around £8 million which comes from national and local taxation
     • It varies between countries in UK
     • Postcode Lottery - unfair depending on where you live?
   • Health Care - national taxation (public). Social Care falls on local authorities (government)

3. Home Care: workers and users

   • Somebody Cares
     • Brian & June - Kevin and Elvis
       • Amputee - Social Services
       • No issues and appreciates the work done for him.
     • Clarice - Liz
       • To stay out of care home - pays herself
       • Flexible if she needs more help
       • Important to have same worker
     • Aerwyn - Elvis
       • Providing company - Social services
       • Prefers non formal - no uniform
       • Regards Elvis as a friend
     • Maria - Lyn
       • To live independently with disability - SS, Independent Living fund and own money
       • Likes variety of workers provided
         • All treat her with respect

4. The caring business

   • Commissioners - The agency which contract and pay for services. ie. Cardiff Social Services
   • Providers - private ie. Somebody Cares or non-profit organisations
   • Service users - people who use the service ie. Elvis, Clarice
   • Complexities
     • Staffing - making sure everyone is covered no matter what the weather
     • Training
     • Monitoring and spot checks
   • Maintaining standards
     • 2006 Social Care Inspection
       • considerable dissatisfaction with home care on the part of the people who use it

5. Providing home care: an alternative model

   • Direct Payments - cash payments made by the local authority to an individual with certain needs so that they can pay for them.
     • Promotes independence, control
     • The term personal assistant is used because it usually involves more personal care
     • familiarity with PA, not getting a new person every time and explaining again and again
     • Empathy and understanding
     • companionship
     • Hard to keep the boundary between friendship and work
     • DP - most suitable for people with permanent disabilities, long term issues. Not babies, children or older frail people

6. Maslow's hierarchy

   • 1. Physiological
   • 2. Safety
   • 3. Social
   • 4. Self-esteem
   • 5. Self-actualisation