Social care online

Family support groups (FSG) are an important source of intervention for caregivers of an older, frailer, or ill family member. Whether and how FSG works within ethnic minority groups is not well understood, however. Drawing on data from a sub-set of a larger qualitative study focused on exploring the impact of participating in a family support group, this study examined how culture influenced the FSG experience of Chinese family caregivers. In-depth, personal interviews were conducted with six Chinese family caregivers about their experiences participating in a family support group.

Draws the attention of local authorities to the draft Local Government Special Grant Reports for promoting independence. Also sets out guidance on the conditions (subject to Parliamentary approval and possible changes of a drafting nature) which will be attached to the new grants, and confirms each local authority's allocation for each of the grants for 2000/2001.

The study examined the effects of transition employment support to two cohorts of young people who were in their last year in school or college in 2005/2006 and 2006/2007. This paper reports the views of carers, teachers and support workers of the impact this additional support made to the young people. Analysis of the data reveals a difference between the views of carers and those of professionals.

The author looks at three areas of the Care and Support Bill: the rights of carers, rights to funded advocacy and eligibility. Under the Bill carers will have rights to funding for services for the first time and there will be funding for independent advocates for those who will struggle to navigate the social care system alone. However, as the author explains, eligibility criteria may mean that people with moderate needs will fall outside the system.

Objective: To identify carer and patient characteristics associated with various aspects of burden of care.

Method: The burden on 196 carers, each caring for one patient with dementia, was rated by means of the Relative Stress Scale (RSS). Patients were assessed with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD) and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI).

The increased presence and participation in Australian society of people with an intellectual disability provides challenges for the provision of primary health care. General practitioners (GPs) identify themselves as ill equipped to provide for this heterogeneous population. A major obstacle to the provision of appropriate health care is seen as inadequate communication between the GP and the person with an intellectual disability, who may or may not be accompanied by a carer or advocate.

Full involvement of individuals and their carers in both assessment and care planning has long been recognised as good practice and the importance of doing so has been highlighted in previous guidance. The Community Care Assessment Directions place existing good practice and guidance on conducting care assessments and care planning into a legal framework.

The introduction of the new social work degree, which had its first intake in September 2003, provided an important and exciting opportunity to make participation in social work education a reality by requiring that service users and carers be involved in all aspects of course design and delivery, including the selection and assessment of students. This is the annual quality- assurance report (AQAR) to be compiled by the General Social Care Council (GSCC).

An easy read guide to the mental health act, a new law which says how you can be treated if you have a mental disorder, and also says what your rights are, is presented.

Argues why the nearest relative role has important lessons for the roles of the nominated person and carer which will replace it in the next Mental Health Act.