How I Helped a Service User to Make Informed Decisions - Essay Example

How I helped a service user to make informed decisions Insert (s) How I helped a serviceuser to make informed decisions Introduction This paper aims to demonstrate how I assisted Ben, who was a blind service user during my practice as a student on placement. The service user, Ben, of age seventeen lives with his mother. Isolated from social inclusion, he spends a lot of his time in the house with his mother. His disability frustrates him, sometimes to the point that he becomes physically aggressive towards his mother, who supports him with daily care. He was referred to me in the direct payments and personal budget team to support and set a personal budget fund to enable him pay for his day service package which is aimed at giving structure to his week. It also aims to ensure that he takes part in a variety of stimulating and engaging activities. At the time, I felt that he required one on one support for his activities. After the referral, and liaison with his mother, we scheduled an appropriate time for the visit. During the visit, he showed interest in a respite. Consequently, I advocated for him to choose a respite centre which offered support services six hours a day. I also requested him to choose a centre with a combination of activities that also allowed him to spend time with others. The paper will also discuss the anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practices aimed at blind people. Anti discriminatory and anti oppressive practices Anti-discriminatory practice grounds itself in legislation (Dwyer, 2010, p.84). This requirement dates from 1975’s sex equality act, 1976’s race relations act, and 1989’s children act. More recent legislation such as 1995’s disability discrimination act, 1998’s human rights act, and 2000’s race relations amendment act have reinforced the anti-discriminatory practice. In order to practice in a manner considered anti-oppressive, the social worker requires knowledge of legislation, comprehension of personal values, and how this impacts on practice. This complex undertaking requires avoidance of several pitfalls. These include blindness to identity aspects such as disability, concentration on one identity aspect while excluding others, excusing criminal or abusive behavior on culture or identity aspect grounds, and failing to act due to fear of being thought discriminatory. As with multiple areas that involve values, self awareness and reflective practice are central. Social workers should question, as well as examine, the nature and sources of their power and the manner it can be exercised in relations to disabled individuals, their families, and service care givers and users (Dwyer, 2010, p.34). Professional values have been institutionalized in the codes of Practice for Employers of Social workers by the national Care Council (Great Britain Dept. for Education, 2011, p.57). The guidelines set out the value requirements in detail, stating the things that social workers must do. These include protection of rights and promotion of Ben and care-giver interests, striving to establish as well as maintain him and care-giver confidence, promotion of service user independence while offering protection from possible harm or danger, and upholding public confidence and trust in social care services. The social worker must also be accountable for work quality, while taking responsibility for improvement and maintenance of their skills and knowledge. The social care employer’s responsibilities match the social care worker’s. The Care Council’s codes of practice also set out the employer’s responsibilities, as well as standards that require to be met in offering support to social care workers (Great Britain Dept. for Education, 2011, p.33). In order to serve Ben effectively, it is vital to establish a personal relationship with him via offering support. This can be done via utilization of personal budgets. Support that he could access includes personal assistants or carers to aid him on his daily activities like travelling, reading, going to pubs and restaurants, and sport. He could also use it for his activities in the service home, purchasing technology, and making alterations in his home to aid him in his daily activities as a blind person such as improvement of door frames. As part of the council, supporting blind individuals like Ben has gone through various stages of implementation via self directed support and operates differently, though with similar principals. Self directed support aids the individual to live healthily and independently, have control over own life, maintain family unit, retain maximum respect and dignity, and participate in community activities as equal citizens. Ben’s Needs, Circumstances, Risks, Preferred Options Self directed support or personalization refers to a package of services for individuals suffering from disabilities in order to enable them live as independently as they can in their original communities (Glasby & Rosemary, 2010, p.78). The support package may include giving individuals direct payments to procure their own care. Personal budgets give these individuals greater flexibility during choosing these services. Direct payments refer to cash payouts for people assessed as requiring aid from social services by local councils, and who would be willing to pay for and arrange their own independently contracted support and care services. Personal budgets refer to an allocation of funds to various users after an assessment of their needs by social services. The user can either take it as a direct payment or leave the council to handle commissioning of services, while still choosing how and by whom their needs will be met. The individual can also combine the two. Since these direct payments occur in lieu with social care services, they can only be afforded to individuals assessed as needing social care. Most people assessed as requiring services have a right to demanding direct payments (Glasby & Rosemary, 2009, p.124). If an individual consents, local councils have to make direct payments to those able to mange them. In other cases, councils possess power, rather than the duty to give direct payments. Direct payments must be availed to individuals eligible to receive them, and who require them. Care providers may get direct payments in respect to their individual needs for services, but not meant for service in respect of needs of individuals for whom they care. In Ben’s case, the mother acts as an appointed person who acts on behalf of people who lack the ability to fill the forms and manage their funds. All councils must give direct payments to specific eligible individuals who lack the ability to consent on reception of the funds (Harris & Vicky, 2009.p.13). Direct payments could be made to an appropriate and willing “suitable individual”, such as Ben’s mother, who gets and manages the funds on his behalf. The council makes a decision on the exact amount of direct payment to be made to an individual via assessing the needs of the service user (Hothersall, 2010, p.67). The payments need to be equivalent to estimates by the council of the reasonable costs of service provision. Direct payment should be enough to enable the service user lawfully secure a standard service, which the council deems reasonable, in order to fulfill the related payment’s service. No limit exists on the minimum or maximum amount of direct payments. No obligation exists to fund costs associated with the service user’s preferred service if the they exceed the estimates made by the council of the reasonable amount that would secure the service in discussion, and if the service is securable in more cost effective ways. It is however worth noting that recipients of direct payments can use their resources to procure better quality or additional services should they wish. Individual councils can determine the payment’s frequency, though they should make the recipient aware of how and when the payments will be delivered, as well as the procedures for additional payments in case of an emergency. Direct payments can be directly paid to the service user’s bank or to other accounts. The council can request the service user to contribute financially to their care package’s cost (Great Britain Treasury, 2010, p.117). Regulations make the council pay attention to the service user’s means, during the determination of the amount which can be considered reasonably predictable for the user to contribute money for their social care package. Councils may not seek contributions financially for direct payments when made in lieu of services given for free. Direct payments intend to allow Ben the flexibility to purchase contracted services that the council assesses them as needing. This could mean that he can use the direct payments to employ an assistant that he chooses or arrange for community day care. For his short term needs, direct payments can support a return to Bens independent state, for example, via using it to employ a social helper. However, he can not use the direct payments to pay for a care home’s long term care (Ugwumadu, 2011, p.204). He can use them for procuring short term stays at care homes, which do not exceed four consecutive weeks in a period spanning twelve months. The imposition of the time limit avoids inappropriate utilization of residential accommodation. Ben can, however, utilize the direct payments in care homes for care of a nonresidential nature. If he was in residential accommodations, he could use the direct payments to try living outside of a care home independently. He could also use the direct payments to purchase alternative day time activities. Theoretical understanding of working with disable like Ben Direct payments will assist Ben to avoid enforced discrimination and oppression. Discrimination can be defined as the process of unfair treatment of individuals based on stereotype and prejudice. Oppression takes into account the indirect and direct acts of discrimination, as well as structural power dimensions and the manner of their production via daily interaction. On the other hand, central to oppression is the identity concept (Health Committee, 2012, p. 42). Identity tends to be fluid, not static, such that most individuals tend to be both the oppressed and the oppressors simultaneously. Anti-oppressive practice and anti-discriminatory practice can be used interchangeably, though they possess some differences, as explained. Anti-discriminatory practice possesses a limited aim, seeking to combat and diminish unequal and unfair treatment, and remove barriers preventing individuals from getting access to services. Anti-oppressive practice goes far beyond this in its challenge against societal structure and use of power to keep some groups, including the disabled, in inferior positions. Anti-discriminatory practice bases its activity on social work’s reformist tradition, while the anti-oppressive practice grounds itself in radical tradition. The difference, however, depends more on emphasis rather than clear cut distinction (Health Committee, 2012, p.24). Personal budget and personalization have happened concurrently with a review of safeguards currently in place, by the government, to keep vulnerable individuals away from abuse (Health Committee, 2012, p.35). The term vulnerable individual is currently under review, with the present No Secrets policy acting as guidance. This has been the national policy, developed to safeguard individuals like Ben, and meant for use by all social and health care organizations. The guidance, provided under the seventh section of the 1970’s Local Authority Social Services Act, centers on arrangements by local multi-agencies. The local authorities guide implementation, though a strong emphasis exists on collaboration between these multi-agencies and local safeguarding partnerships. Presently, adult safeguarding bases itself on guidance, rather than possession of a statutory or legal framework. Conclusion In conclusion, service users such as blind persons often require the assistance of others particularly in making informed decisions in areas such as managing their funds and personal budgets. People assisting such persons can help through a number of ways such as relaying the written correspondence, explaining concepts and giving the necessary advice regarding their budgets. As a student on placement, I learnt quite a lot regarding how to work with a service user during my interactions with Ben who was blind. For example I realized that service users particularly blind people like Ben often requires a number of supports to help them make informed decisions as well as maintain their independence. Apart from the normal respite services, these individuals also require additional assistance to enable them explore and make informed choices regarding their welfare rights, housing as well as to enable them effectively manage their payments and personal budgets. Although service users often have varying needs depending on the nature of their disabilities, people working with them should always ensure that they are made to feel part of the society. Helping the service users like Ben to make informed choices is therefore significantly important since it enable them to live fulfilling and independent lives. Bibliography Dwyer, P. 2010. Understanding Social Citizenship: Bristol: Policy Press. Glasby, J. & Rosemary, L. 2009. Direct payments and personal budgets: putting personalization into practice. Bristol: Policy. Glasby, J. & Rosemary L. 2009. Social work and direct payments: Bristol: Policy Press. Great Britain Dept. for Education. 2011. Support and aspiration: a new approach to specific educational needs and disability; a consultation. London: TSO. Great Britain Parliament House of Commons Health Committee. 2012. Social Care: London: Stationery Office. Great Britain Treasury. 2010. Public Expenditure: Bristol: The Stationery Office. Harris, J. & Vicky, W. 2009. Modernizing social work: critical considerations: Bristol: Policy Press. Hothersall, S. 2010. Social policy for social work, social care and the caring professions: Farnham: Ashgate. Ugwumadu, F. A. 2011. Reconstruction of social work through personalization. Bloomington: Authorhouse. Read More