In this episodeof the Social Work Sessions, Carolyn Smith (Principal Social Worker for Adults,Somerset Council), talks with Professor Suzy Bray about the Self-neglectThematic Review she recently completed for the Somerset Safeguarding AdultsBoard (SSAB).

Suzy is an Independent Safeguarding Adults Consultant and Professor of Social Work (University of Sussex). Her work onself-neglect has influenced policy and legislation plus she was awarded an OBE for her contribution to the field of adult safeguarding.

Suzy talks about what a Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) is, shares key findings from the Self-neglect Thematic Review about needs and risks, mental capacity, and inter-agency working, alongside discussion about relationship-based practice.

The Self-Neglect Thematic Review will be published on the SSAB website where other SARs can also be accessed: Safeguarding Adult Reviews

Practice guidance and resources, including self-neglect guidance, are also available on the SSAB website: Practice guidance and resources

Suzy is one of the authors of the Second national analysis of Safeguarding Adult Reviews: April 2019 - March 2023, which contributes to the knowledge base for adult safeguarding: Second national analysis of Safeguarding Adult Reviews:April 2019 - March 2023 | Local Government Association

Jess Manu, Becky Frounks and Loveness Chimombo join Carolyn Smith to talk about the vital and complex work of the Safeguarding Team from Adult Services in Somerset.

In this episode of the Social Work Sessions, Michael Preston-Shoot talks about the role of SARs in adult social care, including research findings and case examples

In this special episode to mark Social Work Week, Carolyn Smith talks to two of Somerset Council's Advanced Practitioners, Amanda Rae and Jana Taylor about Wellbeing and the transformative role social workers play in people's lives. But we need to look after ourselves.

Tim Fisher has been a social worker for over 15 years and is currently a service manager in London's Camden Council. Tim's Masters Degree research focussed on empowerment models in social work and he has published academic writing on community approaches.

He has collaborated with organisations to develop restorative practice, under the banner To Love is to Act. This encourages people towards Relational Activism, which means taking action in the everyday and making change happen through personal and informal relationships.

@familygroupmeet

Chris Hamilton is an experienced social worker and leader of Somerset's Mental Capacity and DoLS Team. Carolyn Smith talks to Chris about his past and his work in Somerset. Chris speaks passionately about communicating decisions so that non-professionals can understand them and what 'best interest' actually means for people and their families.

Dr Phoebe Beedell is a Senior Research Associate in the School for Policy Studies at Bristol University. In this episode of the Social Work Sessions, Dr Beedell talks to Carolyn Smith about her recent research project into social work with older people (SWOP), undertaken with the Universities of Birmingham and Bristol, and Effective Practice , funded by the NIHR School for Social Care Research.

For more information, please go to: https://swopresearch.wordpress.com/

In this episode of the Social Work Sessions, Professor Michael Preston-Shoot talks to Carolyn Smith about legal literacy; the ability to connect relevant legal rules with ethical and rights-based practice; and how legal literacy informs defensible decision-making.