Adult Social Work Top 10

1. How is availability of funding impacting on (a) adult social workers’ practice and (b) the decisions made?
2. What impact is the Care Act having on (a) adult social work practice and (b) the outcomes for people using services and their carers, particularly their well-being and safety?
3. How is ‘wellbeing’ understood and incorporated into adult social work practice? How can we assess whether adult social workers impact on the well-being of people using services?
4. How could communication between adult social workers and people using services be improved, especially with those people who have difficulty with communication (e.g. use of new media, better communication skills, working with other professionals)?
5. Has the Mental Capacity Act 2005 been embedded into practice and what are the impacts on people using services and their carers?
6. How are eligibility criteria applied to people with different types of needs and are the thresholds appropriate? What impact does this have on the care and support offered and / or early prevention?
7. What are the most effective ways for adult social workers to work with people who self-neglect?
8. Does regular contact with an adult social worker and / or a long-term professional relationship with an adult social worker improve outcomes for people using services?
9. How well do adult social workers support person-centred decisions and ensure holistic support? How well do they take into account a person’s physical and mental health problems?
10. Does partnership working between adult social workers and other health and social care professionals result in better outcomes for people using services?

The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:

11. What are the most effective ways for adult social workers to work with people with acquired brain injury? What knowledge and skills do adult social workers need to work with this group?
12. How can adult social workers work more effectively with people using services to involve them in decisions about their own care?
13. How can adult social workers use their professional judgement to produce flexible and creative care plans that (a) meet individual’s needs, and (b) anticipate and respond to changes in people’s circumstances?
14. How can adult social workers develop whole family approaches that enable all family members to be involved in decision-making? Which models work best (e.g. family group conferencing or open dialogue models)?
15. What are the most effective ways for adult social workers to work with individuals who are transitioning between child and adult services?
16. What model of management and supervision provides the best support for adult social workers and ensures quality control of their work?
17. What are the most effective ways for adult social workers to work with people with learning disabilities and their families?
18. What are the most effective approaches to building relationships with people using services and their families? What working conditions enable adult social workers to use such approaches?
19. What difference does it make if social workers are the first point of contact, rather than receiving referrals via a triage system?
20. Would the use of therapy-based skills (e.g. counselling) benefit adult social workers’ practice?
21. How can the health and wellbeing of adult social workers best be maintained (e.g. through working conditions, support and supervision)?

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For full details of all of the questions identified by this PSP, please see the document below.