In the absence of much about anything on the Department of Health website (only bits of which are re-appreaing from the archive as someone vets them as suitable for the new ConDem regime – why are they doing this for basic professional and legal guidance, one asks?), I’ve been enjoying one of the documents that is still going on, the consultation about making sure health care workers cooperate with each other; this seems to be mainly about safeguarding, which since vetting and barring seems to be in question, other forms of cooperation might be too. In this document, is a paragraph on social work:

2.8 We have been made aware that in mental health and learning disability health care settings, multi-disciplinary teams may include social workers, who are employed by local authorities and seconded to NHS trusts. We believe that
social workers in these multi-disciplinary teams sometimes provide care which could fall within the above definition of ‘health care’. In such cases, it is our view that these groups of social workers who are connected to the provision of health care will be “health care workers” under these regulations (as they will provide services to a designated body for purposes connected with the provision of health care) and that designated bodies will be subject to the duties of co-operation in respect of them. However, we do not consider that social workers generally will be “health care workers”.

It goes on to ask if social workers provide health care and if so where, sort of implying ‘don’t make it difficult for us’. Well, I am second to nobody in being absolutely clear that social work is not healthcare, but I’ve never seen any sign of understanding about this from the DH before, so I suppose you could see this as progress.

BUT…

You mean they had to be ‘made aware’ up there in the Department of Health that there were some social workers employed by NHS bodies working on mental health and learning disability (and palliative care). Is there really any point in a separate duty to cooperate (since most of it’s about safeguarding anyway) that does not fit across the Board. Have they got their minds in gear about the real world up there in the DH? I’m aware, of course, that there are legal implications of how you define health care workers, and that inevitably will involve a lot of waffle, but the whole Act on which this is based is a health and social care act.

The question to ask is not among those that this consultation is asking, but whether there is any point to this jargon-filled gargleflim at all.

You can decide for yourself at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_113577.pdf