Reconstruction of Social Work Through Personalisation

  This book is aimed at bridging the gap in the existing literature in the field of social policy for older people; personalisation of services, family reciprocity and education regarding contemporary social care and the social care market in the UK.  While there are publications in social inclusion and personalisation, yet, they do not look at the inter-relationships between personalisation of services for older people, family reciprocity and payment to informal family caregivers. In essence, life long learning by service users and their informal carers are lacking and as a result they are not conversant with developments within the system, therefore do not know how to access services within the wider welfare systems. Publications on longevity of care giving to older people, care needs assessment and demographic change also do not focus on life long learning. Thus, this book aims to break new ground by linking these important issues.  However, it might be unusual within older people service and long-term care literature to have a focus on the learning needs of a particular population for example; those with long term health and social care problems.

  This book has revealed the views of the key stakeholders (service users, family caregivers, social workers, social work managers and councillors) about the potential of family care giving. The majority profess the need for a changed social work practice in order to offer personalisation of services to the growing older people population. In as much as transformation and personalisation are the “buzz words” in social services, yet, many older people would prefer their family members to help them with their social care needs. This view is supported by both practice experiences and empirical research carried out in Essex County Council area of the United Kingdom (Ugwumadu 2010). Thus, the aim of this book is to modernise social work practice in line with the aspirations of the baby boomers that are now entering the social care market. This would provide the opportunity for power balance from the professionals “do it all” to the family members who would carry out assessment of care needs and provide care for older relatives for payment if they wish to.

  This book has also highlighted the interrelationships between health and social care for which longevity of care is now prevalence in our society. Presently social policy for older people, in particular the NHS continuing  healthcare for older people, is undergoing a considerable paradigm shift in terms of re-thinking core services that have been taken for granted such as collective welfare systems, ability for social inclusion, informal care, education, training, empowerment, and the meaning of recovery from physical disabilities. The re-thinking is accompanied by a slower pace of changes in social care and clinical practices, albeit no less significant, and at times with projects reflecting a leap into the new world of personalisation services.  

The book can be bought from major bookstores and Amazon: (www. Amazon.com)