Elderly Empowerment in Social Work and Policies

Elderly Empowerment in Social Work and PoliciesSocial serve be nonhing if they ar non some empowering the powerless boastful quondam(a) hatful the chance to stay in their receive home, protect the vulnerable from abuse and neglect, promoting independence and self reliance, bringing hope to families where near all hope has goneIntroductionThis report entrust prize to what extent favorable policy with run across to the elderly has been successful in achieving its aim. In doing this the paper impart look at policy evolution from the late 1940s onwards. It get out evaluate policy success and will look at the role of social subject in particular. It will look at the impact of sassy Right thinking on social conk out policy, funding and practice. thither will be an trial of the effect of social policy on vulnerable and oppressed groups and of how ageism and classism may contri onlye to oppression.MethodologyThis is a documentary report use internet sources for Governm ent websites and official data which is supplemented by other literature. There will be some use of figures and a draw to flesh out indisputable(a) points. After looking at policy reading the findings will be used to assess the impact of policy and its effects on vulnerable adults.Policy DevelopmentThe inlet of the Britains post-war welf be kingdom was aimed at combating disease, poverty and ignorance. It was designed to support concourse in times of trouble and to protect those who were unable to protect themselves. From 1948 onwards, what were known as the personalized social serve, was introduced, it consisted of the wellness answers which were amenable for mankind health, and eudaimonia departments which were responsible for residential do and the occupy of the elderly and disabled. It as well as included childrens departments which were responsible for child do by.1 A jumbo proportion of the budget was allocated for residential guard.Since its inception th e way in which the welf be state has been administered has undergone two study reforms. The first of these was in the 1960s and 70s where allocation of funding to departments was transferred from central judicature to the treasury.2 In the 1960s welf are departments and childrens departments were unified into social work departments.3The second phase was in the 1980s and 90s and it led to a restructuring of the common localize sector and the way in which welfare was administered. This led toThe break up of administration into agencies, e.g. NHS Trusts and agencies responsible for Social Security.The introduction of the principles of management and the market which are found throughout the NHS and personal social functionThe requirement for public work to be run like markets, a separation of get and furnish of operates and the introduction of competition.4During the setting up of the social welfare nominate the powers that had been held by local administration were large ly usurped by central judicature which still has the final say in how they conduct their affairs. Much of the work of the Social work Departments was concerned with child services but this changed with the introduction of the NHS and Community circumspection practise of 1990 and there is a continuing bowel movement to operate services jointly. This as well as misbegott that superintend was no longer the save up of the state, rather it should be the state of the whole community. and state intervention should totally occur as a final resort (Giddens, 2001).5 The Community take Act of 1990 was a development not only of the 1948 Act but also of the 1970 Social Services Act which states thatEvery local license shall establish a social services mission, and there shall stand referred to that committee all matters relating to the discharge by the billet of- (a) their functions under the enactments specified in the first column of Schedule 1 to this Act6 under the limits of the 1990 Act everyone who wishes to plan of attack social flush must first under create an judgement of need (circular LAC (92) 12 states that any need assessment needs to take into account the capacity of the person, their current living situation, any help or support from friends and relatives and also what the person themselves may want from care. The National Services Framework for sometime(a) People which is being continually updated has to be taken into account when such an assessment has been made.7 Undergoing an assessment does not necessarily mean that a person will be poke outed services. Different local authorities receive their own sets of eligibility criteria, against which the needs of the person are assessed an assessment is also made of their tycoon to pay for care (Moore, 2002).8 The Health and Social Care Act 2001 entitled older people in residential care to free nursing care, in an attempt to integrate health and social care for older people. There has be en concern that this Act might be the beginning of the end of adult social service departments.9 unafraidman (2005) has argued that bother to care for older people may vary. The research suggested that those who were in residential care were more than likely to be at a disadvantage in accessing other forms of care whereas older people who keeped in their own homes were more likely to be able to access social care. The care needs of those older people in residential care tended to be met by care staff with the help of district nurses in order to get out some care to people in residential homes.Assessment of FindingsUnder the terms of the 1948 Act the state was the primary instrument of welfare and therefore social care. As has been documented various later policies changed the way in which social care was distributed and accessed culminating in the Community Care Act of 1990 which shifted province of care from central regimen to local authorities. It was claimed that this Act would lead to change magnitude pickaxes for service users. In contrast to this claim, some older, perhaps frail people, capture socially disenfranchised and are placed in accommodation that is not up to standard nor suited to their needs. Moore (2002) points out that some commentators have argued that a mixed economy of care and the move away from public provision to one that was based on profit makingwould actually put down the standards of care, as profit rather than public service becomes the overriding spring(this) will lead to a narrowing of choiceclients being seen as receiving charity(and) the extent and the quality of services will differ from place to place (Moore, 2002259).In 2000 the Government introduced the Care Standards Act as a response to poor standards in care homes. This has not been seen to be impelling however, as stories of the abuse of older people in care have proliferated in recent historic period(Observer, 18th February, 2001). In the last hundred ye ars peoples life expectancy in the western macrocosm has increased dramatically and there are now almost 5 million people over the age of 75 in the UK. conversely the birth rate is now at an all time low. These changes in British demographics have generated an increased demand on the health service and on caring services generally. Although galore(postnominal) older people remain in their own homes and may receive some kind of care to help them, there are presently about 200,000 people in registered residential homes in England. 35,000 of these homes are run by the local potency and 165,000 live in homes run by the independent sector. These figures do not include the 150,000 old people who are in nursing homes (Moore, 2002).10 erstwhile(a) people are a marginalised group viewed by society as no longer useful, they are, of necessity, greater consumers of health and other services (Moore, 2002)11. When they belief they can no longer cope alone, or when relatives can no longer car e for them, they go into residential or nursing homes, many of which are privately owned and run for a profit. Even when they are in council run homes older people are expected to at least make a contribution to the cost of their care. What is principally require is a change in the way older people access services. In order for older people to have their needs met in ways which contribute to their quality of life and give them some choice over what happens to them Dunning (2005) suggests a greater need for advocates. He argues that in certain areas advocates should be a requirement for older people at certain times in their lives such asretirement, which can bring about a reduction of incomeand social networksa decline in bodily and mental health, sensory impairmentand the need for health and social servicesa change in housing and living arrangementsageism. ( Dunning, 200510).12Dunnings advice is rational if people want to access adequate care particularly as under the terms of t he 1990 Act the care is no longer provided by the state alone. If a service user has been assessed as eligible for care then what is called a care package has to drawn up by the social worker. This package is organized primarily by the local authority and voluntary and charitable organizations also play a part in this. Increasingly this has meant that the autonomy of the social worker in this process is chop-chop being eroded they are not always able to do what they see fit with regard to a service users need due to the need to collaborate with other agencies.Wanless (2006) found that access to care often depends on financial concerns and keeping people in care costs a lot of money. This has to be a reflection when the number of people entering residential care is increasing rapidly and estimated to increase by 50% over the next twenty years. The diagram below shows the cost of social care for older people in 2003/4.13Social workers decisions are subject to review by the care man ager who is the person who holds the budget, this persons primary military control is to keep costs down. The social worker may do their close to obtain the best possible care for the older person they are dealing with but the final decision is often taken with regard to financial concerns. This is probably more of a problem with older people accessing care than with anyone else because they place a greater demand on the health and caring services.14When the welfare state was formed the total cost of residential care, or care that enabled a person to remain in their own home was met by the state. Those who went into private care did so as a matter of choice rather than a concern for the Governments coffers. The New Right policies of Margaret Thatchers government was to roll back the welfare state and although the present government call their policies the third way they are very close to those of the New Right. Wanless (2006)15 maintains that there has been fragmentation in the re sponsibility for social care at both local and central government levels. After the 1990 Act local authorities were no longer the carry on providers of care, rather they were care managers. As a result of this a large part of government funded residential care and 69% of domiciliary services are provided by the independent sector. Social care is managed like other businesses whereby those with the most acceptable tender will get the work. Is this an empowering experience for older people, or do they become more oppressed and discriminated against than might previously have been the case? The Government has tried to address some of these issues by its progression of participation and service user involvement. This is not always subservient as Dunning (2005) has pointed out. This is because of the power imbalance that exists between service users and professionals. Professionals may also use language that is not always accessible to service users. Arguably, in the current climate, it helps older people to have an advocate who is there to offer support and to help promote their interests.The Government pledged, in 201, that an older peoples champion would be appointed in each local authority. The champions would be there to represent older peoples interests. It was judge that as the champions should be doctors, nurses, other health professionals or social work practitioners, this might help to drive up standards of care. Quinn et al (2003) have argued that lettered what is on offer, and that if necessary there is someone who will put onward their views can be empowering for older peopleInformation, advice and advocacy are services in theirown right. They are also fundamental in alter olderpeople to receive the services they require.(Quinn et al., 2003, p. 3)16ConclusionWhile the promotion of advocacy and service user participation may make accessing care easier for older people, and could involve greater levels of empowerment overall policy development ap pears to have placed financial concerns before the needs of vulnerable people. New Right policies have, to a large extent, been continued under New Labour. just about of the developments since 1970 have hedged social work practice so that professionals are limited in the types and amount of care that they can offer service users. They have introduced market principles into a profession that was built on a concern for justice irrespective of a persons ability to pay. As a result I would say that policy does not fulfil its aims to bring hope to the hopeless and protect the vulnerable.BibliographyDunning, A. 2005 Information, Advice and Advocacy for Older People York, Joseph Rowntree pesGiddens, A. 2001 Sociology Cambridge, mandate PressMoore, S 2002 Social Welfare Alive Cheltenham, Nelson ThorneQuinn, A., Snowling, A. and Denicolo, P. (2003) Older Peoples Perspectives Devising Information, Advice and Advocacy Services. York JosephWanless 2006 Securing Good Care for Older People Tak ing a long term view London, Kings Fund Publicationshttp//www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/pss.htmUK accessed 11/6/06http//www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/uk.htm accessed 11/6/06 ibidhttp//www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/39/91/04133991.pdf accessed June 12th 2006http//www.after16.org.uk/ knaves/law5.html accessed 12/6/0611 http//www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/pss.htmUK accessed 11/6/062 http//www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/uk.htm accessed 11/6/063 http//www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/pss.htmUK accessed 11/6/064 http//www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/uk.htm accessed 11/6/06 ibid5 Giddens, A. 2001 Sociology Cambridge, Polity Press see paginates 338-406 http//www.after16.org.uk/pages/law5.html accessed 12/6/067 http//www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/39/91/04133991.pdf accessed June 12th 20068 Moore, S 2002 Social Welfare Alive Cheltenham, Nelson Thorne page 185-69 Ibid page 18510 Ibid page 32411 Ibid page 32712 Dunning, A. 2005 Informa tion, Advice and Advocacy for Older People York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation scallywag 1013 Wanless 2006 Securing Good Care for Older People Taking a long term view London, Kings Fund Publications page.2414 Moore 2002 ibid page 32615 Wanless, D 2006 ibid page 916Quinn, A., Snowling, A. and Denicolo, P. (2003) Older Peoples Perspectives Devising Information, Advice and Advocacy Services. York JosephRowntree Foundation page 3