Recruiting and Retaining Foster Carers: Implications of a Professional Service in Fife

1996 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Ramsay
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Recent Survey ◽  
Professional Support ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
The Impact

Since 1990, all foster carers in Fife have been paid a professional fee plus maintenance allowances, and the fostering service has been managed by two specialist teams of social workers. Using findings from a recent survey of foster carers in the region, Donald Ramsay compares the characteristics of the carers with earlier British studies, and assesses the impact on turnover and recruitment of the financial and professional support they receive.

Engagement, Innovation, and Impact in a Dietitian Contact Centre: The EatRight Ontario Experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 106-111
Author(s):  
Cameron D. Norman ◽  
Helen Haresign ◽  
Barry Forer ◽  
Christine Mehling ◽  
Judith Krajnak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Professional Support ◽  
Service Access ◽  
Nutritional Knowledge ◽  
Dietary Changes ◽  
The Public ◽  
Contact Centre ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: EatRight Ontario (ERO), a multi-modal dietitian service (phone, email, web), provided the public and health intermediaries with healthy eating advice, professional support, and health promotion tools from 2007 to 2018. An evaluation of ERO was conducted to assess the impact of the model on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour for consumers, utilization, and support levels and satisfaction provided to health intermediaries. Methods: Consumer clients were sent a survey 1–4 weeks after using the ERO service to capture self-reported dietary changes, intentions, nutritional knowledge, and satisfaction. Health intermediaries were recruited through an electronic ERO newsletter and asked about how ERO supported their practice. Results: Of the 867 consumer respondents, 92% had either made a change or indicated that information from ERO confirmed their present behaviour, and 96% indicated they would recommend the services to others. Of the 337 health intermediaries who responded 71% indicated that ERO provided services they could not deliver. Conclusions: ERO’s multi-modal dietitian contact centre provides a model for implementing successful remote service access for consumers and professionals to support healthy eating across diverse demographics and geographies, including those in geographically underserved areas.

The impact of COVID-19 quarantine measures on the mental health of families

2021 ◽  
pp. 146801732110117
Author(s):  
Fakir Al Gharaibeh ◽  
Laura Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Strong Shock ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
The Impact

Summary COVID-19 is shaping all aspects of life throughout the world. The unexpected number of people who have been infected with and died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is evidence that the pandemic has affected families and societies. The strong shock wave that has resulted in the international response has focused more on medical rather than psychosocial interventions. Little has been written or studied about the impact of COVID-19 on families. This article explores the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on the mental health of families. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with Jordanian families through snowball sampling. Findings The results show that 20 interviewees described varied and new experiences. Many of the families we interviewed displayed symptoms of mental health problems, including disrupted sleep patterns, changes in eating habits, excessive digital media use, anxiety, depression, excessive smoking, stomach aches, bedwetting among children, and persistent headaches. The study also demonstrated the psychological stress partners felt during the lockdown due to their worries about job security. They also communicated their hope that renewed family commitments might bring more stability to their relationships. During the lockdown, family members spent more time together, and it became harder to conceal any issues from each other. Applications The findings of this research demonstrate a critical need for social workers, and it is hoped that future legislation will include a role for social workers in various fields of crisis. Moreover, social workers should encourage families to ask for intervention to overcome the long-term effects that may result from COVID-19.

scholarly journals Second World War conflict archaeology in the forests of north-west Europe

Antiquity ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 88 (342) ◽  
pp. 1275-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Passmore ◽  
Stephan Harrison ◽  
David Capps Tunwell
Keyword(s):  
Second World War ◽  
Recent Survey ◽  
Support Structures ◽  
World War ◽  
Conflict Archaeology ◽  
North West ◽  
Military Support ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second World

Concrete fortifications have long served as battle-scarred memorials of the Second World War. The forests of north-west Europe, meanwhile, have concealed a preserved landscape of earthwork field fortifications, military support structures and bomb- and shell-craters that promise to enhance our understanding of the conflict landscapes of the 1944 Normandy Campaign and the subsequent battles in the Ardennes and Hürtgenwald forests. Recent survey has revealed that the archaeology surviving in wooded landscapes can significantly enhance our understanding of ground combat in areas covered by forest. In particular, this evidence sheds new light on the logistical support of field armies and the impact of Allied bombing on German installations.

The Art of Becoming Indispensable

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Academic Preparation ◽  
School Social Workers ◽  
Master Of Social Work ◽  
New School ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Work Practitioner ◽  
Social Work Programs ◽  
The Impact

Despite their academic preparation and lived experiences, new school social workers face a learning curve when moving from entry-level practice to proficiency. The Art of Being Indispensable: What School Social Workers Need to Know in Their First Three Years of Practice is the first book focusing specifically on the needs of new school social workers as they transition to this complex role. Each of the book’s 20 chapters features an academic scholar and at least one school social work practitioner; overall, there are 18 academics and 42 practitioners from 28 different states. The diversity of the authors’ experiences, representing all variations of schools and districts, ensures that the content is applicable to a variety of practice contexts. Each chapter addresses the challenges of a public health pandemic and the impact of racial injustice. There is a timeless quality to this text since every year, new school social workers are being hired, whether from master of social work and bachelor of social work programs or from the ranks of professional social workers changing fields and becoming school social workers. This indispensable guide will help new school social workers to effectively execute their roles and responsibilities.

The impact of the institutional environment and experience on social entrepreneurship: a multi-group analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezlika M. Ghazali ◽  
Dilip S. Mutum ◽  
Haleh Hakim Javadi
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study presents a framework for integrating distinct perspectives on social entrepreneurship by combining institutional theory with the social entrepreneurship intention model. The framework assesses the relationships between social support and the perceived feasibility and desirability of social entrepreneurship, the relationships between social support and the institutional environments of social workers, and the moderating role of prior experience of social work and volunteering.Design/methodology/approachThe model was tested using 266 validated responses from an online and paper-based survey distributed among social workers. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data, and multi-group analysis was conducted to examine the moderation effects.FindingsThe findings indicate that experience moderates the relationships between the regulatory and cognitive environments, cognitive environments and social support, and social support and perceived feasibility. Experience negatively moderates the relationship between the normative environment and social support.Practical implicationsActive government involvement in the form of incentives and financial support would encourage the creation of social ventures.Social implicationsEducational programmes are also necessary to help raise awareness and increase the familiarity and knowledge of potential social entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThe study analyses the effects of institutional environmental components, recognised as highly influential on the development of social entrepreneurship, as well as the impact of perceived social support on the antecedents of the perceived desirability and feasibility of social entrepreneurship. It also addresses how social work experience modifies these relationships. Contrary to previous studies, the findings suggest that increasing social work experience isolates entrepreneurs from their environment.

The Call of the Faithful: The Integration of Spiritual and Social Work Practice in the Time of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-392
Author(s):  
Shirley Newton-Guest ◽  
Claudia Sofia Moreno ◽  
Marla Coyoy ◽  
Roxanna Najmi ◽  
Tonia Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Unaccompanied Children ◽  
The Impact

This has been a season of change worldwide. It has become virtually impossible to ignore distressing news about the state of our world. COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, how we think, and even how we grieve. Every day, Americans are bombarded with reports of rising death tolls, massive unemployment, economic turmoil, and dismal foreseeable predictions. This health crisis has put an enormous amount of pressure on the global community, and this is especially true for our clients who are new immigrants. This pressure has manifested in mental health challenges. Social workers have reported that for many clients the uncertainty and pressure are becoming too much to handle. Typically, clients are experiencing anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and in some cases interpersonal violence (Brodhead, 2020; Endale et al. 2020; Saltzman et al.,2020). Now imagine the impact on unaccompanied minors arriving at our borders. Prior to the pandemic, the unaccompanied children were dealing with three crises simultaneously: 1) parental and home country separation; 2) trauma from a harsh journey; and 3) language barrier and cultural shock. These issues alone are overwhelming and cause powerful emotions such as anxiety in these children. So how can these emotions be managed, coupled with the dangers of COVID-19? How can social workers provide comfort and support when they may be experiencing the same emotions? This article brings this hidden reality into the public view and enrich the existing social work body of knowledge by demonstrating the restorative power of faith, spirituality, and self-care.      

The Impact of Personal and Professional Loss on Advance Care Planning and Effective Care Delivery for Healthcare Social Workers

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 358-368
Author(s):  
Cara L. Wallace ◽  
Yit Mui Khoo ◽  
Leslie Hinyard ◽  
Jennifer E. Ohs ◽  
Dulce M. Cruz-Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Advance Care Planning ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Death And Dying ◽  
Care Planning ◽  
Professional Experiences ◽  
Effective Care ◽  
Advance Care ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Impact

Personal experiences can influence the practice of social work. However, the connection between past experiences with death and social workers’ practice has been underexplored. As such, this study surveyed social workers ( N = 74) about their personal and professional experiences of loss, personal advance care planning, and professional practices. Results demonstrated that social workers that experienced prior loss were more likely to complete an advance directive and communicate their end-of-life wishes. Additionally, those who had experienced personal and professional loss showed greater effectiveness on measures of patient- and family-centered communication and care delivery. Findings suggest positive outcomes for encouraging social workers to connect their personal and professional experiences surrounding death and dying to effectively serve in their professional capacity.

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