13: adult and social care services Flashcards
what is statutory spending?
Local authority has no option but to provide services,required by law.
What is discretionary spending?
services not required by law which much of has been cut.
What do social services include?
Child protection
Domestic and residential care for elderly and disabled
mental health care
What is child protection?
a statutory obligation to provide protection for vulnerable children.
What did the 2004 Children’s Act do?
The idea was to improve coordination between agencies and police, education and the NHS.
-Local Authority Social Services departments were recognised as Children’s Services Departments .
-responsibility of country councils, unitary authorities and london boroughs.
-Set up council-run Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards, coordinating the various agencies involved in delivering services and monitoring their effectivenss.
-introduced individual child protection plans to assess a childs degree of risk
-set up the role of Children’s Commissioner
What can social workers do to protect children?
-Care orders: if they believe the child is at serious risk of abuse or neglect they can apply to a family court for a care order. If court agrees child is taken away and local authority takes role of parent. Parents/guardians are allowed reasonable access to child unless prohibited by court..
-Interim Care Order/Emergency Protection order: In urgent cases social workers can apply these and satisfy the judge that there is reasonable cause to believe the child will suffer considerable harm in situation. These last for eight days and are renewable for further week.
-Supervision order: child remains with parents but local authority has duty to advise and assist the child. can be converted to care orders if risk remains.
What happens when a child is taken away?
-Children’s homes: run by local authority or charitis. inspected by ofsted
-Fostering- short or long term. children is cared for in family environment. foster parents paid allowenced have to be approved.
-Adoption- adoption is permanent differet to fostering. Current gov tries to speed up process.
What is the Dilnot Enquiry?
recommended there should be a cap on care home charged.
Who are care homes inspected by?
the Care Quality Commission.
