May - 2013

Why I want to be a social care manager - to celebrate life

Management trainee Natalie Crisp has her eyes opened by the challenges of residential care and of making end-of-life care decisions, all of which makes her realise why she wants to work in social care, in her latest diary entry.

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Social work is more than just child protection

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Green light for legal challenge against council cap on care packages

Judicial review to go ahead against maximum expenditure policy, which critics warn will force disabled people into residential care.

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‘Do we need care homes for older people in 2013? Regrettably, yes’

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Summer school for children’s social workers given official government backing

Education secretary Michael Gove (pictured) has confirmed that the team behind Frontline has his full support to begin recruiting graduates from September.

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Munro adviser who transformed children’s services in Hackney named chief social worker

Former assistant director Isabelle Trowler, who advised Professor Eileen Munro on the redesign of children and families social work in England, has been chosen by the Department for Education to lead reform in the profession.

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'In 2013, do we still need residential care for older people?'

In this provocative piece, columnist Alicia Wood argues that residential care denies older people the rights most of us take for granted and that it should be replaced by supported living.

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Zero-hour contracts and unpaid travel time wrong approach for reablement staff

Scie practice guide to reablement says investment in staff key to helping service users regain independence following crisis.

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Foster care in a digital world: ‘Secret mobile phones and re-child-proofing the Kindle’

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‘Listen to social workers, service users…and start Tweeting’: your to-do list for the adult chief social worker

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The lesson from the Oxford abuse case is (again) about social work relationships

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Government reveals identity of England’s first chief social worker for adults

Camden's Lyn Romeo will work closely with the chief social worker for children, whose name will be announced by the Department of Education on Friday.

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‘I’ve been my son’s key worker, advocate and manager…but now he’s 18 I sometimes feel redundant’

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Quick guide to the social work bursary reforms for 2013-14

The government is changing how the bursary for postgraduate social work students works from September. Here’s our quick guide to what’s happening.

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Oxford sex abuse case highlights social work and police failings

Oxfordshire council says a range of measures have been taken to improve its response to sexual exploitation - including a joint abuse team with police and a £1.4m investment in child protection

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Social work evidence to carry greater weight with Court of Protection

Court expected to revise guidance to make it clear it will accept mental capacity assessments from social workers, and not just from doctors, psychologists or therapists.

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Eighteen social workers struck off or suspended in England since January

The Health and Care Professions Council has held more than 120 hearings concerning social workers since it took over the register last year. Kirsty McGregor looks at the emerging trends.

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The College of Social Work condemns 'unworkable' children's bill

Government will hear the 26-week target for care cases and 'foster to adopt' provisions risk undermining professionals and failing children

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Fostering as a single man: ‘If there was prejudice it was never visible’

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‘Care Bill offers little to help social workers combat abuse of vulnerable adults’

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How payment by results can improve reablement services

Hertfordshire Council's reablement service was performing well but costing to much. A review led to changes, including payment by results, that has reduced costs and improved outcomes, says deputy director Iain MacBeath.

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Third of agency social workers worry about meeting registration requirements

Locum social workers in England have welcomed the flexibility of the new approach to continuing professional development, but many feel they are not receiving enough support.

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Lamb issues plan to integrate health and social care for all by 2018

Care services minister Norman Lamb vows to remove barriers to co-ordinated care to improve outcomes for people with long-term conditions and value for money.

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Social workers failing adults with autism due to training gap, warns charity

National Autistic Society finds just 23% of adults with autism believe social workers have a good understanding of the condition, while half of councils are not providing community care assessors with autism training.

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College to campaign to amend Care Bill to include safeguarding power of entry

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Foster children split from siblings and moved too often due to carer shortage

The Fostering Network calls the findings of its survey "very worrying" as this year's Fostering Fortnight begins

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Adult social workers face assessment and safeguarding overhaul

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If leaving home is too scary for many, what hope do our care leavers have?

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Care Bill highlights

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Government rejects power of entry for social workers in safeguarding cases

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Preventing staff burnout key to supporting adults with 'challenging behaviour'

Guidance launched for managers in helping care staff effectively support service users with behaviour that challenges, in the wake of Winterbourne View.

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‘Failing’ corporate parents must support care leavers until 25

Care leavers should be entitled to support until they are 25, while children should be able to remain in foster care until 21, says coalition of charities

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Queen's Speech announces adult social care overhaul as cuts deepen

Care and Support Bill will modernise adult care law, provide new rights to support for carers and implement cap on self-funders' care costs, but concerns persist over how effective it will be amid squeeze on council budgets.

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Social worker or benefits adviser? Examining the impact of welfare reforms

Should social workers take responsibility for helping service users negotiate the complex and ever-changing benefits system? Mathew Little reports

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Bridging the health-social care gap: life as a joint commissioner for dementia

Walsall's approach to jointly commissioning dementia care has been praised in Nice guidance. Joint commissioner Michael Hurt tells Natalie Valios about how he has used his role to reshape services.

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How social workers can make personal budgets work for people with dementia

By following good practice on assessments, support planning and reviews right, social workers can overcome the barriers to making personal budgets work for people with dementia.

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Social care cuts: the good, the bad and the worse to come

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20% wiped off adult care budgets in three years, report directors

Latest Association of Directors of Adult Social Services survey finds councils on course to have cut £2.68bn from adult care since 2011, with worse predicted in the next two years.

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Five tips to improve dementia support in care homes

Four Seasons Health Care has halved use of antipsychotic medication for adults with dementia through its specialist Pearl care programme. Head of dementia care Caroline Baker outlines the key learning points for all care homes.

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The Bridge and Broadchurch: Why do fictional villains so often have a back story of adoption?

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Social worker suspended after revealing concerns about her manager's handling of a case

Doreen Ermin breached professional boundaries by telling a service user about remarks her line manager had made about the woman's case and showing her confidential notes on a report, the regulator found.

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‘Disabled people and carers must seize control of their destinies’

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CQC to monitor big providers' finances to help avoid Southern Cross repeat

Care services minister Norman Lamb says financial oversight regime will help ensure continuity of care if large providers collapse.

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Government unveils new adoption duty for local authorities

Ministers' plans to highlight adoption support are 'a step in the right direction' but don't go far enough, according to social workers and adoption experts

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Social worker sees off UKIP to win seat vacated by Miliband

Emma Lewell-Buck becomes first female MP for South Shields seat made vacant by the resignation of David Miliband.

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Social workers urged to spot links between domestic abuse and adult safeguarding

Practice guide issued to help adult social workers identify and respond to domestic abuse issues in adult safeguarding.

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‘We must state unequivocally that residential care is a positive choice’

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England's failing care system needs urgent reform, finds inquiry

Leading charities recommend fresh approach to care reform, backed by children’s services directors

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April - 2013

Lamb moots return of CQC ratings of adult social services

Care services minister also threatens to 'name and shame' commissioners who fail to meet post-Winterbourne targets to review needs of people with learning disabilities placed in hospitals.

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Two hundred graduates to pilot controversial social work 'summer school'

Organisers of the Frontline programme, which fast tracks people into children's social work, are looking for a partner to help them further develop the curriculum ahead of its launch.

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October - 2012

Lack of HCPC registration real concern...

All Social Workers previously on the GSCC register need to transfer to the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

It was "concerned" that 68,000 social workers have still not renewed their registration, although they have another month in which to do so.

"We encourage all our registrants to renew before the deadline to prevent the lengthy re-admittance process which follows lapsing off the register," said Marc Seale, chief executive of the HCPC.

"The consequences of social workers lapsing off the register are detrimental and considerable to the registrant, employer and service user and ultimately result in a risk to public safety."

The closing date for renewals is 6pm on 30 November.

How do I register with the HCPC?
If you havent been contacted by HCPC by now then there may of been an issue transfering information to the HCPC so you should contact them URGENTLY.
Otherwise by now you should of had your unique access code to register online.
You will now be able to logon to your registration page on the HCPC and you will need to have completed your registration by 6pm on 30th November 2012.

What happens if I don’t register by the close date?

If you do not complete your registration by the 30th November 2012, you will automatically be removed from the register and will be unable to use the title of Social Worker until you have re-registered.

If your registration lapses, you will need to complete re-admission forms and provide a health declaration, a character reference and proof of identity. If you do this within a month of lapsing there will be no charge, however, if the period is longer than a month the fee will be £115.

FAQS

How much does registration cost?

Registration with the HCPC is £76 per year or £152 for 2 years. If you register for 2 years, you will be given the option to pay £38 every 6 months rather than a one off payment. Registration with the HCPC will be 2 years rather than 3 years.

I am a student, do I still need to register?

The HCPC will not register students, therefore you will not be required to register. Once you are qualified, registration with the HCPC should only take approximately 1 week to be complete.

The GSCC currently provide a minimum training requirement, will this be the same with the HCPC?

The HCPC will not state a set amount of training that needs to be undertaken, instead the relevance of the training will be considered. They will measure the outcome of the training. You will have a log on your registration page online which will need to be updated during the 2 year registration period.

Each year the HCPC will audit a percentage of the register and if requested you will need to provide:
• A list of training over the 2 year period.
• A summary of recent work completed.
• A Statement of how standards have been met and how the training has helped you to meet these standards, how you are benefitting from the training and how service users are benefitting from this.
• Evidence of the training, notes from courses, supervision and team meetings, certificates.

Complaints
If a complaint is made to the HCPC they will look at the effect on practice. The sanctions that can be imposed following investigations are:
• A caution order which can go on your record for up to 5 years.
• A condition of practice order. This means that you will be able to continue to practice but you will receive close supervision and relevant training to ensure that there is an improvement in practice.
• A suspension order. Before you will be able to re-apply to register you will have to complete relevant training and be able to show how you will change your practice in the future.
• Striking off order – full removal from the register.
A temporary suspension may also be imposed during the investigation which will mean that you will be unable to work as a Social Worker until the investigation is complete.
When investigating complaints the HCPC will look at your fitness to work and how the allegation affects your practice.



Please contact us at info@rigsocialcare.co.uk, call 0845 363 1085 or visit our website www.rigsocialcare.co.uk for any further information.

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September - 2012

OPPORTUNITY for REG'D NURSE!

Contact Emma Appleton on 0845 363 1085

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August - 2012

Transfer of GSCC Functions to the HCPC

How do I register with the HCPC?

The GSCC will cease to accept new applications to register with effect from 18th July 2012.

You can send updated details:

• By email to changeofcircumstances@gscc.org.uk

• By letter to GSCC, Myson House, Railway Terrace, Rugby, CV21 3HT

• By telephone on 0845 070 0630 or 01788 532402.

You will be able to logon to your registration page on the HCPC from 1st September 2012 and you will need to have completed your registration by 6pm on 30th November 2012.

If your GSCC registration is due to renew in July you will still need to complete the forms, however, you will not need to pay your renewal fee.

What happens if I don’t register by the close date?
If you do not complete your registration by the 30th November 2012, you will automatically be removed from the register and will be unable to use the title of Social Worker until you have re-registered.
If your registration lapses, you will need to complete re-admission forms and provide a health declaration, a character reference and proof of identity. If you do this within a month of lapsing there will be no charge, however, if the period is longer than a month the fee will be £115.


Each year the HCPC will audit a percentage of the register and if requested you will need to provide:
• A list of training over the 2 year period.





• Striking off order – full removal from the register.




Northern Manager

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Social Care ON THE MOVE?

Today the 'mobile' version of our website has gone live.

Our aim is to make our company and jobs more accessible to those on the move through smart phones, iphones, tablets and ipads.


This is very exciting and should help users when on the move. – this form of accessing the internet is spiraling at the moment so should save people alot of time and hassle.

It is easy to navigate and easy to contact us as a company and our consultants as individuals.

Please have a look through your smart phones and add to your home screen for easy access !

http://www.rigsocialcare.co.uk/

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July - 2012

RIG SOCIAL CARE WEBSITE

After many months in the making our BRAND new website http://www.rigsocialcare.co.uk/ has been launched!!
We are very proud of it!
You will find all of our current vacancies on the site along with simple and easy ways to share this information on to our new Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

To get in touch simply request a call back or quick register.
If you have the time to add a little more detail then Register an account with us you can login to your saved job searches any time and add new ones to your job pad.

Why not go and take a look?

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June - 2010

RIG Social Care: Working in the UK as a Social Worker

RIG Social Care: Working in the UK as a Social Worker

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Working in the UK as a Social Worker

RIG Social Care can provide all the assistance you need to work as a Social Worker in the UK. As specialists in social care recruitment, and with many years experience of bringing in overseas professionals, we know how to make the transition as easy as possible for you.http://www.rigsocialcare.co.uk/index.php?menuitem_id=119

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RIG Social Care are now blogging

After a great training course from WSI on how to Blog, RIG Social Care are now talking to the world of proffessional Social Workers through Blogging and look forward to sharing advice, hints and tips www.rigsocialcare.co.uk

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