{"id":736,"date":"2017-10-26T14:02:53","date_gmt":"2017-10-26T14:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/cedr\/?page_id=736"},"modified":"2017-11-23T17:04:13","modified_gmt":"2017-11-23T17:04:13","slug":"better-social-work-conference-2017","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/cedr\/events\/better-social-work-conference-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Better Social Work Conference 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

Supporting people with learning disabilities to live the lives they want<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Image: Harry Venning<\/p><\/div>\n

On 18th<\/sup> September Lancaster University held an event for social workers and people with learning disabilities. It was to talk about how social workers can help people with learning disabilities.<\/p>\n

\"FamilyFirst of all, Hannah Morgan<\/strong>, from Lancaster University welcomed us all.<\/p>\n

Then we saw a video of Lyn Romeo<\/strong> talking.\u00a0She is the Chief Social Worker for adults.\u00a0She said that social workers need to get to know people and their families. This will help social workers to understand people\u2019s needs better.<\/p>\n

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The next presentation was Rob Mitchell<\/strong>. He is a social worker at Bradford Council.<\/p>\n

He talked about people with learning disabilities having their own, named social worker. He said that it is important to be part of \"\"the community.<\/p>\n

Social work offices should be places where people with learning disabilities feel welcome. He said social workers should not have all the power over people. Social workers should not tell people how to live.<\/p>\n

People with learning disabilities should make their own decisions, and social workers should help them to have better lives.<\/p>\n

Nina Riddlesden and Shvonne Nakoneczyni<\/strong> did the next presentation. They are social workers at Bradford Council. Self-advocates told them what a good social worker should be.<\/p>\n

\"\"They said you should be able to trust your social worker. A social worker should do what they say they will do. Nina and Shvonne told us that staff talk about risk too much and do not listen to the person with learning disabilities.<\/p>\n

There is too much jargon used by staff. People don\u2019t understand the words and they get upset.<\/p>\n

Social workers should make sure that all staff think about the Mental Capacity Act and the Human Rights Act. People with learning disabilities should be allowed to make risky decisions and have relationships that they choose.<\/p>\n

Chloe Grahame<\/strong> then came to the front to tell us about the Named Social Worker project. She works for the Innovation Unit.\"\"<\/p>\n

She said that social workers should be able to change the system by speaking up. She spoke to all of the social workers involved in the project and people with learning disabilities. This is what they said:<\/p>\n

What is a good social worker?<\/p>\n

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