UK - The implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards has been delayed until April 2022. Minister of State Helen Whatley said: "LPS will authorise deprivation of liberty in order to provide care or treatment to an individual who lacks capacity to consent to their arrangements, in England and Wales. It will replace a system that many agree is overly bureaucratic and complicated. It is paramount that implementation of LPS is successful so that the new system provides the safeguards needed. The intention to date, subject to the Department for Health and Social Care’s work with stakeholder ..read more

The UK’s leading children’s charity, Barnardo’s, has reported a huge spike in fostering enquiries during the pandemic. There have been 2,349 referrals to their fostering service From March 1st - April 23rd 2020 compared to 1,629 for the same period in 2019. In comparison the number of enquiries from people looking to become foster parents for the charity fell from 302 to 161 - a dramatic 47% drop. The situation seems to be as a result of job losses, deepening poverty and worsening mental health all leading to family breakdown. Children are being increasingly exposed to domestic and sexual abu ..read more

ONS: Agency and bank staff show higher infection rates in care homes. Infection rates were lower in homes offering sick pay. A Vivaldi project survey[1] of 9,081 care homes in England from 26th May to 20th June has found that 56% reported at least one confirmed case of the novel Coronavirus. The survey covered nearly 293,434 residents and 441,498 staff, using weighting to take account of the care homes which did not respond to the survey. Of the homes that reported at least one case, an estimated 20% of residents and 7% of staff tested positive, as reported by the care home managers. However ..read more

UK - The UK Office for National Statistics has confirmed that deaths of social workers from Covid-19 have more than doubled during May, in comparison with the previous month. The official statistics show that 21 practitioners were registered as having died from Covid-19 related causes from the 9th March to 25th May. This compares with only 10 recorded deaths up to the 20th April. The statistic show a widening gap between social workers and the population in general. For this same period there were 50.1 deaths per 100,0000 male social workers, in contrast to 19.1 for general workers. For women ..read more

As social workers find themselves adapting to the ‘new normal’ they may come up against ethical dilemmas in their daily work. The practical challenges of working with service users and social distancing means we are taking difficult decisions every day. One major change we have seen is the expectation to use communications technology when our work has traditionally been in-person. This poses many challenges, especially for those unused to this type of technology. Our assessments of welfare within families, for example, may not be so complete over a mobile phone. In a person’s house we are muc ..read more

World - The Health Foundation has made public its concerns that the upcoming contact tracing app will benefit certain sectors of society more than others, risking a ‘digital divide’ when it comes to the app’s usage. An Ipsos MORI survey found that 43% of those in managerial, administrative or professional jobs have heard ‘a great deal or a fair amount’ about the app. Figures were lower for routine and manual workers, state pensioners and the unemployed however, with 28% stating they had never heard of it. More worryingly, only 50% of people in this group say they would be ‘likely to’ download ..read more

UK - A recent letter from the ADASS president to Helen Whately MP, the Minister of State for Care, has highlighted the ‘concern’ and ‘confusion’ resulting from the Infection Control Fund, which aims to limit the spread of Covid-19 in care homes. James Bullion, who mentions having expressed the concerns privately over recent weeks, lists several administrative burdens which are making it ‘impossible for local authorities to deliver within the required timescales’. Bullion states that the ‘biggest single issue’ for many local areas is the purchase of PPE. This, however, is not included within t ..read more

Steve Clarke examines why there are reasons to fell positive about Social Work after Covid-19. Although times are challenging right now this crisis can’t last forever. The only certainty in life is change, and it may be for the better. Although it’s too soon to talk seriously about the end of this crisis, here are four reasons why things just might improve in our profession: There’s a palpable sense of unity in the air Even though people are being kept apart, our communities have been coming together in this time of need. Coronavirus has been a perfect antidote to Brexit in our society, with h ..read more

UK - A memorial to all UK Health and Social Care staff known to have died due to COVID-19 has been set up. The page which was set up by Nursing Notes, highlights that information on the page has been verified using a number of independent sources and permissions sought from family, friends or colleagues. At the time of writing, it is thought that 177 Health & Social Care workers are thought to have died as a result of COVID-19. By clicking the heart icons on the interactive map below, you can read small biographies of each person. Sign-up for the Social Work Network newsletter here ..read more

UK - Muhammed Islam, Social Worker with Birmingham Children’s Trust in the Care Leaving Service is reported to have died due to Covid-19. This is the second reported death of a UK Social Worker. Andy Couldrick, Chief Executive of Birmingham Children’s Trust said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Muhammad after a battle with COVID-19 over the past few weeks. Muhammad was a well-respected, well-liked and highly-valued member of our care leavers’ team who supported many young people in Birmingham. "Muhammad was passionate about providing the best care for young people and he will be sor ..read more