Impact of Social Policy on Social Work Practice - Case Study Example

Impact of social policy on social work practice The worry of Jake's ageing parents regarding their ability to cope with their son's disability andhis uncertain future is understandable. Jake's desire of moving away from his parents home is somewhat justified. Would the tensions of his parents completely diminish His wish to lead an independent life would ever get fulfilled or not can be decided only after we observe how social policies in this context have an impact on the social care; that has been advised by Jake's GP. According to the pressroom release: "A damaging mismatch between policies on community care and housing is undermining efforts to enable people with disabilitiesto lead more independent lives.Under existing policies many disabled and vulnerable people face great difficulty in having their housing and support needs recognized." (para.1) Jake and his parents can take the help of the various support groups that have emerged recently to take care of their dilemmas and wishes. They can seek help from programmes or organisations such as Childline, Sane, Supporting people, Refugee council, The Children's society, Housemate, NCH, De Paul Trust, Crisis, Scottish Churches Housing Action etc.that are specifically dealing with problems like those of Jake's. These social work organisations do help people as much as possible but after a point, they find difficult to move further as different policies prove to be a setback to their efforts of improvement. The current white paper that propagates the idea of 'valuing people' is the first of its kind since the last 30 years. So it is quiet evident that not much has been done for the improvement of this sector in the past. According to Department of Health the programs for improving services are based on the key principals; civil rights, independence, choice and inclusion. It stated, "Valuing people takes a life-long approach beginning with an integrated approach to services for disabled children and their families and then providing new opportunities for a full and purposeful adult life." (para.3) From this it appears that all are welcome for support and assistance but if we study the white paper in detail some other facts come into light. The National Austic Society has rightly pointed after observing the definition of 'Valuing people' that "the definition goes on to say that IQ below 70 is not in itself a sufficient reason for deciding whether an individual requires support. An assessment of social functioning and communication skills should also be taken into account when determining need." (para.7) So the discussed white paper brings both; a ray of hope and a situation of dilemma to people like Jake. All this affects the social work professionals' attitudes too. The Independent Living Bill of disabled persons states that the disabled people are equal in freedom, choice, dignity and control to others and have the right to assistance and support. This automatically implies that Jake and his family can expect an independent and decent life for him. The current white paper also has set an objective to provide choices of housing to people like Jake so that they can live independently. According to Twigg, NHS and the Community Care Act 1990, "established the current arrangements for community care, introducing care management and according primary responsibility for community care-lead agency status-to social services." (1999, p.370). Sadly the housing policy is not aimed at those who need it badly. The housing policy that greatly follows the key legislation like the 1972 Housing Finance Act, 1977 Homeless Act, and 1996 Housing Act etc. is not completely a social policy. Of late it has taken a social character, which does not enable the social workers to fully utilize it for the betterment of the needy. Still the social policy is an indicator for the social workers to decide upon their plan of action. (Pahl, 1999, p.173) stated: 'social policy is now beginning to recognize the contribution which carers make to individualsThe National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 outlined system in which social services departments were responsible for providing care for disabled" So here it is evident that the social policy have some positive impact too on the social services. Therefore Jake should not loose hope. Social policy implies some kind of intervention that affects the working of the society. Certain laws are laid down, acts are passed or guidelines are set affecting the working of the system. In this case it is evident that the guidelines set by NHS in addition to the Community Care Act are a part of the social policy that will positively affect the needy people like Jake. Sefton has pointed, "Changes in public attitudes appear to be in sympathy with governments' attempts to create a more 'modern' welfare state." (2003, p.24) But we need a more effective social policy that can remove the existent dysfunctions in the health care system of the disabled. 'There is a need for more and better political economy of social policy in the development context." (Mackintosh and Tibandebage, 2004, p. 143). Had there been stronger policies; Jake and his family would have been less worried about their future. "Government has failed to make a clear statement of values that will reassure patients and health workers in different settings across diverse provider. Haphazard policy-making risks the welfare of patients and the commitment of health workers." (Horton, p.1239). There is scope for a lot more improvement because the social policy is linked with the social work since the very beginning. Therefore the people behind social policies and social work should work jointly so that the hope of well-being is promoted within the society. If the need of individuals like Jake is not met the purpose of both will be lost. Zinsstag et.al feel the need for " one health perspective to strengthen health systems." (p. 2144) One hindrance that the state funded social work organisations experience is the inadequate budget. Even when the policy makers and caregivers want to work in synchronization, the lack of budget slows down the process. The social workers are most of the time under dilemma between upholding a disabled persons' right to be supported and the lack of adequate budget that may limit his rights. In such circumstances it is the responsibility of the government or other organisations that have set the policy to enable the social worker to carry out the duty to the fullest by allocating him the resources beforehand. Parrott has rightly pointed out that: Most social workers are paid employees of the state and are expected to perform certain statutory duties on behalf of society. These duties brings them into contact with certain acts which society regards as deviant and may sometimes lead to conflicting imperatives within the worker's role. Although these duties generally have the wider support of society, problems arise as to the best way to carry them out. An example is child protection; there may be general agreement that children should be protected but there is no real consensus as to how." (1999, p.16) According to Lopez et.al "as the programmes and policies to improvebecome more widespread, so will the need for more comprehensive, credible and critical assessments to periodically monitorthe success, or otherwise, of these policies and programmes." (p.1756) One problem that Jake might face is that there has been a significant decline in the number of residential care homes that Jake plans to go to in near future. On one hand the social work profession promises to help all those in need. Whereas on the other hand the social policy, does not permit provision for each and every one. There has been a significant decline in residential care for young people lately. Parrot has mentioned that, "it has been highly controversial with enquiries and scandals highlighting the inappropriate and harmful 'care' provided in some residential establishments." (p.76) Jake, whose parents are still alive holds a gloomy chance of getting the residential care as the caregivers may argue that he will get more attention and love at home in the context of the allegations imposed upon the residential care homes. Most of the housing policies too, believe in allocating homes to only those who are homeless rather than to those who have parents to take care of. From this angle both social policy and social work might go against the wishes of Jake who wants to shift away from his parents in near future. After the demise of his parents he can claim a permanent stay in any of the residential care units justifying his stand by making use of some of the policies for e.g. The 1977 Homeless Act that advocates the permanent housing facility for the homeless individuals. His case will become stronger in view of his disability. If his parents are willing to see him settle down before they die then they should start consulting all those organisations that believe in Utting's viewpoint regarding residential care, which he mentioned in Parrot, (2002, p.76) that "decline must be halted so that the children's home sector can provide real choices for children and young people in care." There is one good news for this family. The direct payments has brought about positive changes related to this scenario so the future can be better than what it is now for Jake and his parents. Word Count: 1547 'References' Baldock, J. et.al. (1999). Social Policy. UK : Oxford. Mkandawire, T. (ED.) (2004). Social Policy in a Development Context. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Park, A. et.al. (ED.) (2003). British Social Attitudes : Continuity and change over two decades. London : SAGE Publications. Parrot, L. (1999). Social Work and Social Care. (2nd ed.) London : Routledge. The Lancet. (2005). Vol. 366. London : Elsevier. The Lancet. (2006). Vol. 366. London : Elsevier. The Lancet. (2006). Vol. 367. London: Elsevier. Department of Health. (2006). Retrieved Nov. 23, 2006 from http://www.dh.gov. uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/fs.en. Press room. (2006). Retrieved Nov. 23, 2006 from http://www.jrf.org.uk/ pressroom/releases. The National Austic Society. (2006). Retrieved Nov. 23, 2006 from http://www.nas.org.uk/nas. Read More