Coercion remains a central aspect of many people's mental healthcare. It can include the use of legislation to restrict freedoms, the use of physical restraint, the restriction of freedom of movement and/or association, and the forced or covert administration of medication. There is good evidence that the use of such measures can traumatise service users. This article reports the findings of a survey of service users regarding their experiences of coercion and restraint and embeds this in the wider international and institutional environment.

No abstract

No abstract

The current policy emphasis in adult social care in England is on promoting independence, preventing or delaying the need for more intensive support and the provision of personalised services. However, there is little evidence available on how social workers (SWs) identify and meet the complex needs of older service users in practice. In this article, we present findings from a study of innovative social work practice with older adults in England (2018–2019). We present five case studies of social care and integrated services in which SWs are integral team members. Twenty-one individuals participated in interviews; this included service managers and practitioners with social work backgrounds, and other professionals, including nurses and occupational therapists. Specific practices contributing to innovative service delivery included: the strong demonstration of social work values influencing the practice of multidisciplinary teams; positive risk management; importance of timing and ensuring continuity of relationships; and, the proactive application of legal knowledge to promote older people’s rights. While some of these features can be seen as returning to the ‘heart’ of social work, we argue that they are promising in forging new paths for social work with older people that turn away from more managerialist- and procedurally driven approaches.

Local authority social work departments in England have been facing challenges from a number of different areas for several years. The onset of austerity in 2008 resulted in funding reductions and constraints, many authorities have been deemed to be 'inadequate' or 'in need of improvement' by Ofsted, their inspectorate, and working conditions for practitioners have been found to be poor. It is against this backdrop that social work students on qualifying programmes undertake their final year statutory placement. This research investigates the experiences of final year social work students on a BSc (Hons) Social Work programme in England. Focus groups and interviews were used to explore the experiences of 18 students placed within both Adults' and Children's Services in three local authorities. Data was analysed thematically and revealed commonalities and differences in experience. Differences between services were apparent with students from Children's Services focusing upon local authority processes whilst Adults' Services gave greater consideration to supervision and support. The areas of motivation and values, awareness of others, power and process also emerged as significant themes.