Since anger is not considered a pathological (DSM) condition, it should not be subjected to psychiatric interventions. Rather, the types of practical skill enhancement interventions that are common to the Social Work profession are more effective.

The four domains of emotional intelligence are: self-awareness, self-control, social awareness and relationship management. These are the topics which form the basis of the skills that are taught in anger management classes as well as coaching programs.

Programs using these Emotional Intelligence based curricula are being used in prisons, jails, schools, businesses as well as municipal governments. The latest trends are in the areas of civility training for attorneys who are mandated by state bar associations as well as “disruptive physicians” who are mandated by their hospital administrators. Finally, executive coaching/anger management programs are rapidly becoming the intervention of choice for skill enhancement in leadership.

An excellent summary of U.S. based anger management programs can be viewed in a BBC documentary entitled Losing It 2. The link to this documentary can be found at headroom . This two hour documentary was produced for the BBC by actor and comedian, Griff Rhys Jones.

About the author

George Anderson is a Harvard University trained Psychotherapist with a specialization in executive coaching/anger management. He is a graduate of Smith College School for Social Work and former Faculty of UCLA School of Social Work.

Anderson & Anderson is the largest provider of Certified Anger Management Facilitator training in the world. http://www.andersonservices.com

Tags: anger management, emotional intelligence, human relationships, mental health, motivation to change, Social Work, social work is complex and challenging

The Alzheimer’s Society states that ‘In less than two generations one in three of us will either have dementia ourselves or be related to, or caring for, a person with dementia.’ The significance of this statistic and the implications for society require a transformation of perceptions and strategies. One of the biggest challenges facing society today is the funding and care of older people, a growing number of whom will have dementia. 

“We are in the dark ages of dementia care”, “Keeping people alive rather than helping them to live”, “dementia farms” and “granny warehousing” some of the terms used in the programme to describe current provision. Shameful comments about how we treat some of the most vulnerable people in society but does it have to be like this? One of the major challenges with ¼ million people in dementia care homes is that they are mostly paid for out of public funds but run by private companies. 

Should we be shocked that anyone can buy a care home provided they have the money, do not have a criminal record and can demonstrate that they are suitable to be a “registered person” with the Care Quality Commission?  Yes the services are regulated but there are no minimum standards in terms of the specialist dementia knowledge and skills required. It would appear that homes are judged on their capacity to manage risk rather than the fundamentals of care which can leave residents spending hours just staring at the walls.

“Life could be so much better” is the conclusion from the first programme. It is not that complicated to make a difference: staff who feel valued and have additional training in understanding dementia, one to one contact and encouraging the involvement of family and friends and involving residents in the running of the home all create a more positive and rich experience. 

When my mother had dementia we were fortunate in finding an excellent home. I would have no hesitation in recommending Lakeside Nursing Home  SE19 2DR. The manager is passionate about ensuring that dignity and respect underpin the quality of care provided. The ethos of the home centres on the recognition of the individuality of the resident and the importance of actively involving friends and families.

When looking for a residential care home I always advise people to start by reading the latest report and quality ratings from the Care Quality Commission which provides a number of useful indicators. There is a big question about whether any of us would want to place a vulnerable person in a dementia home with a rating of poor or adequate and should local authorities even be suggesting this as an option?
  
The Social Care Institute for Excellence has an excellent online resource in the Dementia Gateway if you work with people with dementia in nursing, residential or domiciliary settings. There are lots of practical tips, tools and activities in the sections below that will help you with your daily work. Each section has been written by a national dementia expert so you can be sure the information and guidance is up to date and reflects what we know about best practices in dementia care. Another section lists Useful Dementia Resources where you can find out more about dementia, research studies, reports and policies, resources for people with dementia, carers and professionals

What training is provided for staff is an important question to ask when considering a dementia care home placement. Encouragingly there are a lot of training programmes available to address the skills and knowledge gaps identified by Gerry Robinson.

The Open Dementia e-Learning Programme is aimed at anyone who comes into contact with someone with dementia and provides a general introduction to the disease and the experience of living with dementia. This programme is designed to be accessible to a wide audience and to make learning as enjoyable as possible and so allows users to fully interact with the content and includes video, audio and graphics to make the content come alive. In particular the programme includes a considerable amount of new video footage shot by both the Alzheimer’s Society and SCIE where people with dementia and their carers share their views and feelings on camera.

Skills for Care have developed a Knowledge Set for Dementia Care. Knowledge sets provide key learning outcomes for specific areas of work within adult social care. They are designed to improve consistency in the underpinning knowledge learnt by the adult social care workforce in England. In addition to the knowledge set documents, staff can download a ‘progress log’. Both documents are freely downloadable at  Skills for Care. The progress log will be required for each individual worker/learner for each knowledge set. Individuals can keep copies of their progress logs showing their ‘signed off’ progress for their NVQ portfolios.

The Alzheimer’s Society provide factsheets which cover a wide range of dementia-related topics. The online sheets can be saved as a PDF or emailed to a friend.

The Open University has produced a free leaflet, Dementia Care: Sustaining The Person Within, to accompany the programmes. It lists the help and support available when making decisions affecting the care of people with dementia. Centred on the life story of one woman with dementia, the leaflet explores challenges and opportunities for good practice, from a diverse range of perspectives of people involved in dementia care. The aim of the booklet is to encourage people to ask: What is good quality dementia care? How can it be provided? What resources are needed? What organisational cultures are needed to achieve this type of care?

I have always believed that how we care for the most vulnerable members is the mark of a civilised society.  It is in all of our interests to ask questions and challenge poor and inadequate care services on both a personal and a professional level. I would like to see exemplars of best practice promoted and published by the Department of Health. This would establish a benchmark of what we should be aspiring to now and in the future. Public funding is an important consideration but is it the only critical factor in delivering quality care? Research which explores the link between costs and quality care would be a useful starting point.

What will it take to sort out our care homes? An interview with Gerry Robinson in the Daily Telegraph

Tags: alzheimer's society, BBC documentary, care quality commission, dementia care, education and training, encouraging innovation, free on line learning, Gerry Robinson, leadership, mental health, residential care, safeguarding adults, scie, skills for care, Social Work, vulnerable people

The MCA DOL safeguards apply to anyone:

- aged 18 and over who suffers from a mental disorder or disability of the mind, such as dementia or a profound learning disability
- who lacks the capacity to give informed consent to the arrangements made for their care and / or treatment and
- for whom deprivation of liberty (within the meaning of Article 5 of the ECHR) is considered after an independent assessment to be necessary in their best interests to protect them from harm.

The safeguards cover patients in hospitals, and people in care homes registered under the Care Standards Act 2000, whether placed under public or private arrangements

The aim is to implement the safeguards in April 2009. The safeguards are designed to protect the interests of an extremely vulnerable group of service users and to:
- ensure people can be given the care they need in the least restrictive regimes
- prevent arbitrary decisions that deprive vulnerable people of their liberty
- provide safeguards for vulnerable people
- provide them with rights of challenge against unlawful detention
- avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.

There are two publications, funded by the Department of Health and produced by BILD, which you can download in .pdf format: The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and You and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Guide for families and carers.

Also available from the Department of Health website are easy read publications about Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in basic and expanded versions, as well as a video version.

Tags: mental capacity act, mental health, safeguarding adults, Social Work

Hard copies of the Guide are available from amy.wilkinson@gol.gsi.gov.uk.

This publication shares emerging good practice that is achieving positive change across London. There are a collection of case studies in the following areas:

Annual Health Assessments and Health Plans
Immunisations and Vaccinations
Access to Children and Mental Health Services
Sexual Health, Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Relationship Education
Emotional Well Being
Education Support 

There are a number of key themes which emerge which include the importance of multi-agency team work, the importance of a whole systems approach, the need for training, consultancy and support, evaluating the outcomes and impacts of activities and involving and engaging with children and young people in care.

Although the focus is London the emerging practice is applicable more widely. Do you have links with a local football club? Find out how one local authority has developed an innovative programme for young people in care with the support of Tottenham Hotspur. This is a timely and relevant resource for social work and I would encourage you to share this widely with colleagues in social work, health and education who have an interest in this important area.

You may also find it useful to look at the Young London Matters website to read the presentations from the conference held on the 16th October 2009 and a range of other resources to support the health and well being of children and young people in London.

Tags: CAMHS, health and well being, looked after children, mental health, Social Work, social work guide, social work skills

 Advanced practitioners in social work are research-literate, reflective and professional leaders in their field. They are able to draw on a range of empirical, theoretical and professional sources of knowledge and take the lead on social work policy and practice innovations.

Run by Dr Martin Webber this two-day course will provide participants with hands-on experience of the making of the advanced practitioner in social work. The first day will provide an overview of the research methods that provide evidence for social work practice and will equip participants with some basic critical appraisal skills. The second day will give detailed consideration to the definition of an advanced practitioner and will include a case consultation group focusing on enhancing social work practice skills and knowledge. Participants are encouraged to bring a case example with them to discuss within this group.
 
Places are very limited and registration will close on 21st August 2009.
 
For further information on  this and all courses please see the website
http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/departments/?locator=4&context=1239
or email the administrator: imh@iop.kcl.ac.uk

Supporting and Promoting Advanced Social Work: a guide for employers and practitioners published by the Institute of Psychiatry is available to read here http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/sites/mhsw/?id=168

Tags: advanced social work practice, institute of psychiatry, mental health, post qualifyng training, research, Social Work

What makes a good psychiatrist – this challenging question is being asked by Professor Dinesh Bhugra President, Royal College of Psychiatrists who is speaking at the 2nd UK Mental Health Social Work Continuing Professional Development Conference on Friday 11 July 2008. The conference theme Mental Health Social Work: Opportunities and Challenges encompasses a wide range of topical issues.

Share your thoughts about what you believe makes a good psychiatrist and the book which has most influenced your thinking about mental health issues by completing the online survey launched by the Institute of Psychiatry Kings College. Comments from the survey will be addressed by Professor Bhugra in his presentation at the conference.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 has framed a number of new roles including the Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP), the Responsible Clinician and the Independent Mental Health Advocate. These roles could be undertaken by a broader group of professionals. What are the implications for social work practice?

The full conference programme and application form can be downloaded here. Mental Health Social Work Conference 11 July 2008 Flyer and Booking Form.pdf (73.02 kb)

Tags: institute of psychiatry, mental health, what makes a good psychiatrist

Government guidance on the new role is set out in the document “Specialist standards and requirements for post-qualifying social work education and training; social work in mental health services”.

Peter Wright and Cyndy Whiffin from the GSCC have answered a few of the more common questions raised by professionals on the new role, with reference to the guidance document.

Q:  Will candidates have to complete a PQ Specialist Social Work Award before entry to the PQ Higher Specialist Social Work Award in Mental Health incorporating the AMHP requirements?

A: No.  Candidates may enter directly if they satisfy the university entry requirements set out in paragraph 54 of “Specialist standards and requirements for post-qualifying social work education and training; social work in mental health services (revised autumn 2007)”. 

Q: Will candidates have to complete a consolidation module?

A: No.  A consolation module is part of the Specialist Level of the post-qualifying social work framework. AMHP training is at the higher specialist level. This does not include a consolidation module.

Q: Are there any special entry requirements for non-social work candidates?

A: No. Candidates must demonstrate they already have the level of professional competence, capacity and ability to undertake and complete an AMHP training programme.

Q: How will candidates meet the entry criteria without social work qualifications or training?

A: Admissions officers must ascertain whether an individual can provide convincing evidence of achievements that would indicate they were able to undertake successfully and benefit from AMHP training.  The GSCC requirements for AMHP training are agreed and endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the Health Professions Council (HPC), the College of Occupational Therapists (COT), and the British Psychological Society (BPS).  [Section 3 par 54 (i)]

Q: Will social workers have to complete the full PQ award to be approved as an AMHP?

A: No.  Candidates can be considered by local authorities for AMHP approval. However they are not eligible for the PQ Higher Specialist Social Work Award until they have completed all the required learning outcomes for this award.

Q. Can independent social workers, who do not have an employer to nominate them, access AMHP training?

A: Yes. Under the PQ framework approved universities will determine selection and entry and can recruit independent social workers who meet the other entry requirements, and who can access suitable practice opportunities to meet the assessment criteria. On completion candidates would have to align themselves with an employer who wished to put them forward for local authority AMHP approval and to act as an AMHP on their behalf.

Q: I am currently an ASW. What will be the arrangement for transition from ASW to AMHP status?

A: The GSCC’s role is to approve the basic training, so that local authorities have suitably qualified people for approval as AMHPs who also meet other criteria under the Regulations.  Approval and renewal of approval is governed by the Regulations.

Q: Are there any requirements or guidance on transition or conversion training for ASWs who are translated into AMHP approved status?

A: The GSCC’s role is strictly to approve the basic training, which will render successful completers eligible for consideration by local authorities for approval along with other criteria to be met under the Regulations. The Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) has been commissioned by DH to develop training materials.

Further information about how the AMHP will be regulated and the implications for practice from  “Specialist standards and requirements for post-qualifying social work education and training: Social work in mental health services”:  http://www.gscc.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/A3103CAA-C5D0-41B2-966C-17D24108F788/0/GSCC_MH_LR.pdf

Do you have any further questions about the transition and the implications for your practice? Let us know

Tags: mental health, practitioner, Social Work

The Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, and Making Research Count are pleased to invite you to our second annual UK mental health social work continuing professional development conference.

In a year of opportunities and challenges for mental health social work, this conference will provide practitioners and managers with an opportunity to engage with new research and theory that informs contemporary practice.

Mental Health Social Work: Opportunities and Challenges

Friday 11 July 2008
9.00am – 4.45pm
Waterloo Campus, King’s College London, SE1

Mental Health Social Work Conference Programme

Mental Health Social Work 11 Jul 2008 (Flyer and Book Form)

Tags: institute of psychiatry, king’s college london, mental health, Social Work