social care

Findings from a small scale evaluation of one local voluntary sector carers' organisation in the north of England are used to discuss the commissioning of carers support services in rural areas. The issues raised match closely those identified in the new national strategy for carers both in terms of analysis of need and suggested responses. Respite in order to facilitate 'time out' and personalisation of services through a dedicated support officer emerge as the most important elements of service delivery from the carers' perspective.

This Viewpoint, written by Caroline Glendinning at the University of York and David Bell at the University of Stirling, draws on the experiences of other countries to argue that social care is a collective, welfare state responsibility rather than an individual, private responsibility.

Other key points include: 

• social care arrangements in many other countries are equal and universal: everyone is eligible regardless of wealth, and people with similar levels of disability receive care no matter where they live;

The Right Care, Right Deal coalition combines three of the UK's largest charities working with older people, their families and carers (Counsel and Care, Carers UK and Help the Aged) to urge the Government to renew its vision for the future of social care in England. (See Related Link for the consultation document: The case for change: why England needs a new care and support system, 2008). This campaign document outlines the main issues needed to be tackled in order for there to be 'a new, personalised and better funded deal for social care, fit for the 21st Century'.

This paper analyzes the impact of informal care by adult children on the use of long-term care among the elderly in Europe and the effect of the level of the parent’s disability on this relationship. We focus on two types of formal home care that are the most likely to interact with informal care: paid domestic help and nursing care.

This report presents findings from research into the experiences of using personal budgets for older people, people with mental health problems and their carers, with suggestions for good practice and future improvement.

Outreach is advocated as a way of improving the uptake of services among underserved populations and of filling the gaps between mainstream services and the populations they are intended to support. Despite the policy emphasis on providing better help for family carers, research consistently shows that many of those providing unpaid care to a family member or friend report difficulties in finding out about the assistance to which they are entitled.

While discourse about care and caring is well developed in the UK, the nature of knowledge generation about care and the research paradigms that underpin it have been subjected to limited critical reflection and analysis. An overarching synthesis of evidence – intended to promote debate and facilitate new understandings – identifies two largely separate bodies of carer-related research.

Three expert commentaries have been written about the approaches to health and social care integration in Sandwell, Hertfordshire and Barking & Dagenham which were described in the last issue of this journal. They cover organisational, user/carer and international perspectives

This study explored the needs, aspirations and expectations of older people and family carers from a range of ethnic communities in Bradford, regarding both formal paid care provision and help from family, friends and neighbours. The focus was on the accessibility, acceptability, appropriateness and responsiveness of services. The study found cross-cultural similarities as well as cultural specificities in experiences and expectations. 

Design/methodology/approach – A total of 86 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a purposeful sample of social care commissioners, family carers, representatives of voluntary organisations and carers’ workers based in four contrasting localities in England.