Health and social care
Cultures of care
Biographies of carers in Britain and the two Germanies
Cultures of care uses an innovative biographical case study approach to compare caring situations and caring strategies in Britain and East and West Germany. The findings underline the significance of caring within social policy agendas and the need to change the parameters of comparative social policy.
Quality at home for older people
Involving service users in defining home care specifications
The government's NHS Plan emphasises the importance of services users' views. This report provides practical guidance on how to ensure that older people's views are heard, acted on, and monitored, in relation to service quality. It makes recommendations for ensuring that older people's views become an integral part of home care service provision.
A right result?
Advocacy, justice and empowerment
As the prospect of a legal right to advocacy inches closer, so the need to scrutinise its key values and practices becomes urgent. Although widely acclaimed as a 'good thing', there is little agreement as to how advocacy should be implemented, funded or evaluated. This book offers the first comprehensive analysis of the benefits of advocacy.
Working together or pulling apart?
The National Health Service and child protection networks
This book examines the contribution of the NHS to the multi-agency and inter-professional child protection process. It examines the roles played by health professionals within child protection and investigates the nature and operation of the central policy community and local provider networks.
Communication and health in a multi-ethnic society
This book provides a rigorous and challenging review of recent research in the realms of communication and cultural diversity. Focusing on health communication interventions concerning service users who may lack fluency in English, it shows that meeting the needs of all health service users depends on both structures and processes of communication.
Invisible families
The strengths and needs of Black families in which young people have caring responsibilities
This report investigates the circumstances, needs, views and life experiences of black young people with caring responsibilities. It highlights significant gaps in service provision, which result in young people undertaking caring responsibilities, and makes recommendations to improve services.
From community care to market care?
The development of welfare services for older people
This study focuses on the contribution that studies of the post-war 'welfare state' can make to debates about welfare. Drawing on community care debates from 1971 to 1993, it illuminates contemporary concerns about issues as rationing care, the health and social care divide, residential care and growing emphasis on provider competition.
Social work and direct payments
This book summarises and builds on current knowledge and research about direct payments in the UK and considers developments in other European countries. It identifies good practice in the area and explores the implications of direct payments, both for service users and for social work staff.
User-defined outcomes of community care for Asian disabled people
The NHS and Community Care Act (1990) specifically emphasises the health and social care needs of disabled people from minority ethnic communities, urging local authorities to be culturally sensitive to individual needs. This report examines what a culturally sensitive service looks like from the users' perspective.
Information and joining up services
The case of an information guide for parents of disabled children
This best practice guide to providing information for users of multi-agency services for disabled children is an invaluable resource for professionals, parents and carers.
Housing matters
National evidence relating to disabled children and their housing
Housing Matters presents evidence to support and inform change in policy and practice to ensure that the housing needs of disabled children and their families are better met.
Assistive technology and telecare
Forging solutions for independent living
Assistive technology and telecare are of increasing importance in government policy on healthcare provision. This report provides a comprehensive review and analysis of current policy and practice, as well as making recommendations for the future.