This paper discusses a research project involving 5 MA Social Work Students and 1 member of Social Work Academic Staff.Using narrative and taking a collaborative autoethnographical approach, this project highlights some of the feelings that students articulated following a 70 day placement experience. Findings include anxiety, powerlessness and frustration, together with growing confidence, recognition of their skills and a deeper understanding of the role of 'self' in social work. Raising issues of preparedness for practice placement, this paper has implications for both social work practice and social work education.Autoethnography (AE) is both a method of carrying out research and a methodology, specifically a qualitative methodology linked to ethnography and narrative inquiry.AE results in highly personalised narrative accounts of the researcher's engagement 2 with specific sociocultural contexts in the pursuit of knowing more about a phenomenon. Applying such a methodology to explore collaboratively issues of student lived experience of placement is a new and innovative use of this method.

This article discusses potential opportunities for best practice in the United Kingdom that may be brought about by the Care Act (2014). Carers in the United Kingdom were given new rights within this legislation with a focus on needs led assessment. The underpinning philosophy of the Care Act is to streamline the previous legislation and offers a framework for carers and people in receipt of care, to enable a more personalized approach to care and support. Offering a discussion of likely opportunities brought about by provisions of the Care Act, this article draws on a small study involving older parent/carers of sons or daughters with intellectual disabilities. Exploring the extent to which such parents of adults with intellectual disabilities were aware of the details of this legislation and the potential impact it may have on their lives highlighted other significant areas, some of which are discussed below. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five parents over the age of 60 of sons or daughters with intellectual disabilities in North West England. The study adds to the body of knowledge and understanding about parents of adults with intellectual disabilities and explores and provides a deeper understanding of parents’ experiences of the implementation of this specific piece of legislation and their perception of the relevance of it to themselves. Findings include some awareness of the legislation and some feelings of optimism about its likely implications, although participants appeared less clear about the specificities and the impact of these upon them and/or their sons or daughters. Findings from the semi-structured interviews also showed parent’s articulation of the extent of reciprocal care manifest between them and their son or daughter with an intellectual disability, as well as an awareness of the fragility of their own emotional well-being.

People with a learning disability have an increased longevity. The majority of adults with a learning disability live with their parents which means that many of these parents are themselves elderly people. For the first time more adults with learning disability are outliving their parents. This paper presents some of the findings of a qualitative case study using interviews and focus groups with 24 carers and 14 adults with learning disabilities. It explores older carers' perceptions of stress and experiences of the longevity of care giving, together with the views of people with learning disabilities about their relationship with their parents. It shows that there is often mutual or co-caring between the older carer and their relative with a learning disability, and that the amount and quality of mutual caring is frequently overlooked by service providers and professionals alike. The findings highlight the complexity of ways that older carers make sense of, and develop strategies for, dealing with the effects of the longevity of care-giving, and their ambivalent relationship with social work and other professionals.

This commentary offers some of the author's experiences of parenting a child with a severe learning disability and complex and challenging behaviours. Drawing on principles of auto-ethnography and critical reflection, the author considers issues of transition from children's to adult social care services and the potential for support from a new piece of UK Legislation, the Care Act, 2014.

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