An interesting report of a seminar, with European examples, into the extent to which and how social science research achieves impact in policy-making; there is useful guidance on research impact assessment. What comes across, though, is the limited view that government takes of research impact: the main iterest is in ‘what works?’, without thinking about conceptual research (what is it we’re doing in the first place? have we got our aims right?). I suspect that much research gets twisted to fit organisational needs, so that although you see it mentioned as a justification, does its use really reflect the complexities of the original research?

Morton, S., Nutley, S. and Jung, T. (2008)The impact of the social sciences on public policy and the impact of evidence-based policy on the social sciences. University of Edinburgh http://www.crfr.ac.uk/norface/Report%20on%20seminar%202.pdf

If you go to the relevant website, there is more information about these issues: http://www.crfr.ac.uk/norface/index.html

Pics of the St Christopher’s building works, in solidarity with colleagues who are working in difficult conditions, so that things can be better in the future. Footings (for a new part of the buidling):

A resource docunment commenting on the DH End of Life Care Strategy. End of Life Strategy 2008

Warrington Borough Council has produced a report about enhancing dignity in care in care homes, among other things by providing financial incentives in the fees paid for meeting dignity and quality of care criteria. Could this be a way forward in commissioining by PCTs for hospices? And what would be the consequences?

See the Warrington report on:

http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=8865638&aspect=full

Pics of St Christopher’s rebuilding works in solidarity with colleagues who are working in difficult conditions, so that things can be better in the future. Skips breeding (where one big one was there before, now there are more small ones)

Here is a resource doucment on what is social work and social care: What is social care and social work?

Here is a resource document about government dignity in care policy: Dignity in Care

A study published in a social work journal, Practice, this week might well not be seen by palliative healthcare professionals, and is a good example of the small practitioner-type research studies that are coming out about social work. It describes a small study of middle-aged people bereaved within the past two years in a northern Ireland health and social care trust (in NI health and social care are always provided by joint trusts). Service users were socially isolated, they were not aware of whether full bereavement assessments had been done, and sometimes they hadn’t been, and this led them to fear that their ‘poor mental health status’ was undetected. Bereavement support was offered, but often not accepted, being offered at the wrong time, offering no choice of provider and participants not recognising their needs. Most people were helped by informal social networks or, occasionally, GPs. Where used, social workers were unanimously felt to provide good bereavement help, but were not always available.

What this, along with many other studies, tells us is that having a social worker is good for your service, provided that others know about it and what social workers can offer. Also, a bereavement service needs to be offered regularly, perhaps especially in the second year of bereavement when other help has dried up or people have only just realkised their needs. Enthusiasts for bereavement risk or need assessments will gain some encouragement from this study, since it shows that leaving it to people to refer themselves is at best haphazard. However, there is not a lot of evidence that bereavement assessments enable services to be targeted, and they are often done without involving the potentially bereaved person; regularly offering a consistently available service so that people can pick it up when they realise they need it might bring better rewards than trying to focus (or does that mean ration?) services.

Agnew, A., Manktelow, R. and Donaghey, K. (2008) User perspective on palliative care services: ewxperience of middle-aged partners bereaved through cancer known to social work services in Northern Ireland. Practice 20(3): 163-80.

Pics of the rebuilding works at St Christopher’s Hospice, in solidarity with colleagues who are working in difficult conditions, so that things can be better in the future. Fish shelter: the reflecting pool containing koi carp has been partially boarded over to protect the carp from falling masonry or something.

My new book, Social Care Practice in Context arrived from the publishers, Palgrave Macmillan today. In it I argue that social care practice is an important aspect of social work; so many people see organising services as somehow less social work than doing psychological therapy or community work. But the interpesonal skills involved in social care are just as significant. Practitioners have to be receptive to and value the needs of carers and service users, to be committed their personal development, and promote continuity and connectedness with service users’ existing social networks.

Link to the publishers: Palgrave Macmillan