Introduction: Hiding in plain sight or Disappearing in the rear view mirror?: Whatever happened to the revolution in information for Health and Social Care – Learning from England and Australia

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-568
Author(s):  
Rob Wilson ◽  
Susan Baines ◽  
Ian McLoughlin
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
The State ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Rear View Mirror ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Uk

This themed section has at its heart reflections on the development of policy of, and for, information in health and social care over the last ten years in both the UK and Australia. It addresses a set of concerns often overlooked within social policy, namely the use of information and information systems as tools by organisations, policy makers and practitioners in the modernisation or transformation of public services, including in this case health and social care. Not long ago, in both countries, information was perceived as a panacea for the problems of integrating care services between health and social care organisations and these organisations and the patient, client or user of services. The authors focus upon England and Australia and contrast them briefly with other countries in Europe where the state plays a range of roles in the provision of health and social care.

On the post-Brexit prospects for social policy in the UK

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Pinker
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Intention To Leave ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Legal Challenges ◽  
Keynote Speech ◽  
Article 50 ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Eu

In this afterthought, Robert Pinker reflects on the prospects for social policy in the UK after Brexit. On 23 June 2016. the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union. The process of exiting the EU would commence right after the UK Government declared its intention to leave by triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Pinker discusses the debate in the UK regarding the kind of Brexit favoured by those who wanted to leave the EU — a ‘hard’ or a ‘soft’ one. He also considers the legal challenges to a fast-track Brexit, along with the Prime Minister's Lord Mayor's keynote speech promising to adopt a new approach to managing the forces of globalisation and the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on 23 November 2017. Finally, he looks at the funding crisis in UK health and social care services, the government's 12-point Brexit Plan, and the Supreme Court's rulings on Article 50.

scholarly journals Determinants of regulatory compliance in health and social care services: a systematic review protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Paul Dunbar ◽  
John P. Browne ◽  
Laura O'Connor
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Study Designs

Background: The delivery of high quality health and social care services is a fundamental goal for health systems worldwide. Identifying the determinants of quality is a complex task as there are a myriad of variables to choose from. Researchers in this field have assessed a range of organisational and environmental factors (for example: staff composition, facility ownership, facility size) for an association with various quality metrics. Less attention has been paid to the determinants of compliance with quality regulation. Identifying the determinants of compliance has the potential to improve regulatory processes and can inform quality improvement initiatives undertaken by service providers and policy makers. This protocol describes a systematic review which will review literature from a wide range of study designs and sources to develop an overview of the determinants of regulatory compliance in health and social care services. Methods: A wide range of study designs and grey literature will be sought for this review. Searches will be conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, SocINDEX and CINAHL databases. The studies included in the review will be subject to quality appraisal with reference to the collection of tools available from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data extraction will be informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). A narrative synthesis will be conducted on the barriers, facilitators and factors associated with compliance, with reference to the concepts mapped onto the CFIR. GRADE-CERQual will be used to grade the overall body of evidence. Conclusion: The findings of this review will be useful to regulators to inform regulatory policy and practice. Service providers and policy makers may also use the findings to inform quality improvement initiatives aimed at improving compliance and quality across a range of health and social care services.

scholarly journals Health and social care access for adults with learning disabilities across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 174-179
Author(s):  
Samantha Flynn ◽  
Chris Hatton
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to present data about access to health and social care services during the COVID-19 pandemic for adults with learning disabilities across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected directly from 621 adults with learning disabilities and through separate proxy reports by family carers and paid support staff of another 378 adults with learning disabilities. The data were collected between December 2020 and February 2021 and concerned the use of health and social care services since the start of the first COVID-19 national lockdown in March 2020. Findings Access to and use of health and social care services significantly reduced for adults with learning disabilities across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and February 2021, with many people not receiving any services at all during that period. Similar patterns were seen across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. However, data suggest some variations between countries for some services. Practical implications Future pandemic planning must ensure that access to these essential services is not completely lost for adults with learning disabilities and their family carers, as it was in some cases during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Originality/value This is the largest study about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and social care services for adults with learning disabilities in the UK. The authors primarily collected data directly from adults with learning disabilities, and worked with partner organisations of people with learning disabilities throughout the study.

scholarly journals Determinants of regulatory compliance in health and social care services: a systematic review protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Paul Dunbar ◽  
John P. Browne ◽  
Laura O'Connor
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Study Designs

Background: The delivery of high quality health and social care services is a fundamental goal for health systems worldwide. The measurement of quality in health and social care services is a complex task as there are a myriad of determinants and outcome measures to choose from. Researchers in this field have assessed a range of organisational and environmental factors (for example: staff composition, facility ownership, facility size) for an association with various measurements for quality. Compliance with regulations is one such quality measure. Compliance with regulations is variable and the determinants of this variability are under-investigated. Identifying the determinants of compliance has the potential to improve regulatory processes and can inform quality improvement initiatives undertaken by service providers and policy makers. This protocol describes a systematic review which will review literature from a wide range of study designs and sources to develop an overview of the determinants of regulatory compliance in health and social care services. Methods: A wide range of study designs and grey literature will be sought for this review. Searches will be conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, SocINDEX and CINAHL databases. The studies included in the review will be subject to quality appraisal with reference to the collection of tools available from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data extraction will be informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). A narrative synthesis will be conducted with reference to the CFIR and Normalisation Process Theory (NPT). GRADE-CERQual will be used to grade the overall body of evidence. Conclusion: The findings of this review will be useful to regulators to inform regulatory policy and practice. Service providers and policy makers may also use the findings to inform quality improvement initiatives aimed at improving compliance and quality across a range of health and social care services.

scholarly journals More than words can say: Why health and social care policy makers should reconsider their position on informal interpreters

2020 ◽  
pp. 026101832091181
Author(s):  
Sarah Pollock
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Language Brokers ◽  
Language Broker ◽  
The Uk

In the UK, individuals with limited English-language proficiency (LEP) self-report poorer health and face challenges accessing health and social care support. Health and social care policies in English speaking countries provide practitioners with guidance that ensures access to public service interpreters for individuals who require them. The guidance simultaneously discourages the use of informal language brokers, including family and friends, suggesting that they are not educated or objective enough to conduct this role, and that they present unmanageable risks. This poses a challenge, as research exploring patient and service user choices, finds that individuals consistently prefer an informal language broker. The paper explores the contradiction between a legislative shift towards empowerment and choice within social work and the policies that restrict these rights in relation to interpretation. Exploring these challenges with a focus on policy and practice, leads to the suggestion that individuals should be empowered to choose who provides their language support. In contrast, existing policies increase the power imbalance between professionals and users of services, significantly affecting the life chances of those with LEP.

Culturally sensitive approaches to health and social care

2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 773-784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruby C.M. Chau ◽  
Sam W.K. Yu
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
Services De Santé ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Chinese Older People ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Los Grupos

English With the focus on how Chinese older people in the UK use health and social care services, this article demonstrates how these services’ sensitivity is undermined by mistaken assumptions about whether ethnic-minority groups organize health and care according to their cultural principles, and the unity of these principles. French Centré sur la façon dont les Chinois âgés utilisent les services de santé et d’accompagnement social en Grande Bretagne, cet article démontre comment la perception de ces services est biaisée par des représentations erronées selon lesquelles les groupes des minorités ethniques organisent la santé et l’accompagnement social selon leurs principes culturels et en vertu de l’unité de ces principes. Spanish Este artículo se centra en cómo las personas chinas de tercera edad usan los servicios sociales y de salud en Gran Bretaña. Hay suposiciones erróneas acerca de la unidad de principios culturales, y acerca de cómo los grupos étnicos organ izan el cuidado social y el cuidado de la salud. Estas suposiciones debilitan la sensibilidad cultural hacia estos grupos.

scholarly journals Barriers and facilitators to accessing health and social care services for people living in homeless hostels: a qualitative study of the experiences of hostel staff and residents in UK hostels

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e053185
Author(s):  
Megan Armstrong ◽  
Caroline Shulman ◽  
Briony Hudson ◽  
Patrick Stone ◽  
Nigel Hewett
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Complex Needs ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Service Barriers ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Care Support

IntroductionThe number of people living in homeless hostels in the UK has steadily increased over the past decade. Despite people experiencing homelessness often having considerable health problems and a range of complex needs frequently in association with addictions, the experiences of hostel staff and residents especially in relation to accessing health and social care support have seldom been explored. The aim of this paper is to identify the barriers and facilitators to accessing health and social care services for people living in homeless hostels.DesignExploratory qualitative baseline data were collected as part of an intervention to facilitate palliative care in-reach into hostels.Setting/participantsInterviews were conducted with 33 participants; 18 homeless hostel managers/support staff and 15 people experiencing homelessness, from six homeless hostels in London and Kent.ResultsThree themes were identified (1) internal and external service barriers to health and social care access due to stigma, lack of communication and information sharing from services and assumptions around capacity and the role of the hostel, (2) the impact of lack of health and social care support on hostel staff leading to burnout, staff going beyond their job role and continuous support given to residents, (3) potential facilitators to health and social care access such in-reach and support from those who understand this population and hostel staff training.DiscussionResidents have multiple complex needs yet both hostel staff and residents face stigma and barriers accessing support from external services. Positive relationships were described between hostel residents and staff, which can be an essential step in engaging with other services. People experiencing homelessness urgently need better access to person-centred, trauma-informed support ideally via in-reach from people who understand the needs of the population.

scholarly journals How Do People Who Are Homeless Find Out about Local Health and Social Care Services: A Mixed Method Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Vanessa Heaslip ◽  
Sue Green ◽  
Bibha Simkhada ◽  
Huseyin Dogan ◽  
Stephen Richer
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
One To One ◽  
The Uk

Background: There are significant numbers of people experiencing homelessness both in the UK and internationally. People who are homeless are much more likely to die prematurely and, therefore, need strong access to ongoing health and social care support if we hope to address the health disparity they face. Objectives: The aim of the research was to explore how people who are homeless identify and locate appropriate health and social care services. Design: A mixed methods research study was applied on people who are currently homeless or had previously experienced homelessness. Settings: The research study was based in an urban area in the southwest of England. The area was chosen as it was identified to be in the top 24 local authorities for the number of homeless individuals. Participants: A hundred individuals participated in the survey, of those 32% were living on the streets whilst 68% were living in temporary accommodation such as a charity home, shelter or a hotel paid for by the local authority. In addition, 16 participated in either a focus group or one-to-one interview Methods: The quantitative component consisted of a paper-based questionnaire whilst the qualitative aspect was focus groups/one-to-one interviews. The COREQ criteria were used in the report of the qualitative aspects of the study. Results: Quantitative data identified poor health in 90% of the sample. Access to both healthcare and wider wellbeing services (housing and food) was problematic and support for this was largely through third sector charity organisations. Qualitative data identified numerous systemic, individual and cultural obstacles, leaving difficulty for people in terms of knowing who to contact and how to access services, largely relying on word of mouth of other people who are homeless. Conclusions: In order to address health inequities experienced by people who are homeless, there is a need to review how information regarding local health and wider wellbeing services is provided in local communities.

Integrated Care

2020 ◽  
pp. 166-191
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Care ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Governance Challenges ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Local Levels

Delivering high quality health and social care is considered to be one of the key governance challenges in the UK. People are living longer, and chronic diseases are more prevalent, which puts ever more pressure on health and social services to deliver. In order to better co-ordinate these services and deal with increased demand and funding pressures, authorities at both national and local levels are moving towards integrated care services. However, the integration of these services is plagued with difficulties. This chapter will explore the complexities of joining-up health and social care. It includes a case study of Continuing Healthcare (CHC), which is a package of care provided by the National Health Service (NHS) and which involves a number of providers across the health and social care sectors. While much of the chapter focuses on health and social care challenges in England, it will finish with analysis of Scotland's progress towards integrated services.

Co-production within health and social care – the implications for Wales?

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Phillips ◽  
Gareth Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The People ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Improve Health

Purpose – It is well recognised that individuals have much to contribute to the care that they receive, with attendant benefits on outcomes and reduction in cost. The recognition of individuals who access care services as interdependent citizens embedded in both formal and informal support networks is a shift that acknowledges their active role as partners in management of their own care and in service innovation and development. The purpose of this paper is therefore to explore and illustrate some of the domains of co-production. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors review the literature, both peer-reviewed and professional, in order to provide a broad and contemporary commentary on this emergent approach. This literature is critically summarised and presented along with a narrative that discusses the context in Wales, where the authors are based. The approach to this paper is to bring together existing knowledge and also propose potential avenues for further research and practise development. Findings – There is a diverse literature on this topic and the application of co-production appears potentially transformational within health and social care. Implementation of the principles of co-production has the potential to improve health and social care services in a range of settings. Real changes in outcomes and experience and reduction in societal cost can be achieved by making the people of Wales active partners in the design and delivery of their own health and social care. Originality/value – This review offers a readily accessible commentary on co-production, which may be of value to a wide range of professional groups and policy makers. This paper also reflects an original attempt to summarise knowledge and propose further areas for work. Most importantly, this paper offers a start point for co-production to become a reality for service provision with all the attendant benefits that will arise from this development.

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