Social care online

This new Strategic Action Plan has been developed in response to what people with autism, their families and carers have said is important to them. We have also worked with a wide range of stakeholders to identify some key priority themes and actions that will make a real difference to the lives of children and adults with autism. The Plan sets out what we have done, what we were told and what we will do. It has three key priority areas:  Awareness raising, information and training;  Assessment and diagnosis; and  Meeting support needs. 

Adult learning approaches require professionals to identify their learning needs. Learning about dementia syndromes is a complex task because of the insidious onset and variable course of the disease processes, the inexorability of cognitive and functional loss, and the emotional impact of neurodegenerative disorders on those experiencing them and on their family and professional carers.

The facts about the growing number of people with dementia in the UK and the associated costs are firmly established. It is well known that dementia is a significant and growing driver of demand for health and social care. The cost of dementia in the UK in 2010 was estimated to be £20 billion and this is expected to grow to over £27 billion by 2018. It is also clear that health and social care budgets are under extreme pressure and there is an urgent need to improve the cost-effectiveness of services.

Background This study examines the effects and associated factors of respite care, which was legislated as a community service for adults with an intellectual disability (ID) in Taiwan in 1997.

Method A total of 116 family carers who live with an adult with ID and have utilised the respite care program were surveyed using standardised measures.

There is increasing research exploring depression in carers of people with dementia. This study explored the relation of entrapment, shame and guilt to depression in a group of 70 carers of those with dementia. As in other studies the experience of entrapment in the role was highly related to depression. Moreover, experiences of shame relating to self-criticism, other people's expectations and the fear of their criticism were significantly related to depression, entrapment and guilt.

Guide giving information about services for disabled people available from government departments and agencies, the NHS, local government, and voluntary organisations. Covers every need, including housing, money, opportunities for holidays and leisure, and many more. Includes phone numbers, publications and a list of organisations.

Supporting family carers is likely to remain at the forefront of community care policy in dementia care for the foreseeable future. However, despite extensive research in the area there is little evidence for the effectiveness of current interventions. Using data from an Australian study of how carers of people with dementia cope with the challenges they face, this article calls for a re-appraisal of the ways in which a successful intervention is defined and promotes an approach based on partnership in which carers themselves play a significant role in determining 'what works'.

Valuing People reminds us that 60 percent of adults with learning disabilities are still living at home being supported by relatives. The author investigates how older carers could best use the family home in planning for the future and reviews the different arrangements families can put in place to ensure a son of daughter can continue to live at home.

The guide is to help Partnership Boards write plans on ‘housing and support’. Partnership Boards have to write these plans by winter 2002/3. This guide has ideas to help them do this well. The ‘housing and support plans’ will give people with learning disabilities more choice about: where they live.who they live with.and who gives them support. Some of the different types of housing and support the guide talks about are: supported living, living in small ordinary houses, village communities,and living with family and relatives.

The report and formal minutes of the Health Committee inquiry into the issues facing the future of social care. The report also makes recommendations to Government in advance of its White Paper on social care and update on funding. It discusses how a fully integrated system could be achieved with more efficient use of resources and the improved outcomes that it could deliver.