Adult social care is the range of services provided to adults who – through ageing, illness or disability – have care or support needs. These services help adults live their lives as independently as possible, within their own homes and communities.
Adult social care also provides supported housing services and placements in care homes.
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Community social work for older people
Social work is often referred to as professional problem solving. We recognise that social work with older people is a specialist area. Social workers have a delegated statutory function to provide professional assessment, care planning and review. As a social worker, you have a critical safeguarding role for adults at risk or in need of protection.
People often come to the attention of social work at a challenging time in their lives. Relationships can be caring and supportive, but also complex and fractious. As people age, they often become more frail and require increased support to live independent, safe lives at home.
Social workers in community teams develop a range of skills and knowledge in areas such as:
- the ageing process
- mental capacity
- adult safeguarding
- the lived experience of older people
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Hospital social work
Social work in the hospital setting is an exciting place to work and an integral part of the Trust’s ambition to provide safe, effective and compassionate care. Social workers have the opportunity to develop assessment and care-planning skills, and build experience in statutory roles, including child protection and adult safeguarding.
Hospital social workers are part of multi-disciplinary teams on the wards and in Emergency Departments. They work in partnership with community social work colleagues and other professional groups.
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Community mental health for older people
The community mental health for older people service provides specialist assessment, care and treatment for older people with mental health problems.
The team consists of:
- mental health social workers
- community psychiatric nurses
- activity support workers
- mental health occupational therapists
- psychologists
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Physical and Sensory Disability Programme
The Physical and Sensory Disability Programme provides domiciliary care, day opportunities, respite and rehabilitation for service users with physical and sensory disabilities or brain injuries.
The programme recognises the different needs of service users and the impact of disability and acquired sensory loss on individuals. It aims to provide services and support tailored to each individual while incorporating the wishes of the service user, family members and carers.
The programme:
- promotes service user independence
- encourages service user reablement
- promotes social inclusion in the community