Explain the broad relationship between social problems, social issues, social policy and social service provision, all related to my chosen client group which is drug abusers.

QUESTION TWO

The central government have many responsibilities for meeting the needs of any chosen client group, one of these responsibilities would be the Social Security; the objectives and constraints would be the cost of benefits - public expenditure levels need to be acceptable politically, the maintenance of incentives should not deter people from working and saving. My chosen client group is drug addicts; addicts greatly benefit from the Social Security because most of them do not work and they will need some sort of income.

Another responsibility of the Central government would be the NHS; the NHS is public health - receiving help from doctors, nurses, dentists etc. Many addicts overdose intentionally and unintentionally or they could have some wounds on them through using needles, addicts usually require treatment from the NHS; either by going into hospital or seeing their local GP. Employment is also one of the Central governments responsibilities.

The social security is central. For any one claiming benefits they can go to their local office and put a claim in. The social security's origins were local poor law, self-help and private charity, Booth and Rowntree, liberal and welfare reforms, no allowances for dependents, means testing and low wages were never addressed. Then there was a Beverage Report with the potential need categories and state intervention principles. There were many objectives and constraints one being that the maintenance of incentives should not deter people from working and saving but deter them to save. The post-war Social Security provision was implemented and it failed to keep up with the changing society. The Fowler Review then took place and now the Social Security is much better for people with different types of benefits.

The NHS operates central all over the world. The NHS was re-organised several times. The first re-organisation took place in 1974 were several changes were implemented. Then it happened again in 1982 were the Griffiths Inquiry took place. The Health Service and the Community Care Act had several disadvantages implemented within it for example, the NHS suffered from lack of resources, there were operations cancelled, hospitals were competing with each other etc.

The Local government also has many responsibilities one of which would be Housing; the current trends in housing is that there is an increase in owner occupation, there is an increase in mortgage arrears during the economic slum and there is an onset of negative equity. There is a transfer from local authority control - 'tenant's choice'; the 1986 Housing Act also had the right to buy. When drug addicts come out of rehabilitation most of them do not have houses to go to, so, by the housing helping them with a house this would really help them in their recovery.

Another responsibility would be Social Work. Social Work has many responsibilities for example, there are counsellors who do one to one counselling sessions with addicts to help them get through life. There are social workers who can help with the process of getting addicts children back, they also do referrals to several different places like, the Housing, the Social Security and a lot of other agencies.

All of these services are provided both 'centrally' and 'locally'.

Addicts using the Social Work department can go along to their local department. The Social Work Scotland Act had a White Paper, which created a comprehensive Social Work department and was implemented in 1971. It was concerned with individual's needs and difficulties and the Social Work departments reshaped existing departments into one single comprehensive provision.

Addicts usually get houses from their local housing office. There was no real housing policy before world war one and the housing shortage private sector could not cope. People had the right to buy their houses in the 1960's. The current trends in housing is, 1980 Housing Act - right to buy, deregulation of private sector, transfer of local authority control - 'tenant's choice' etc. In the 1980/90s, the government tried to expand housing associations. House ownership expanded rapidly peaking in 1988/89.

QUESTION THREE

For my chosen client group which is drug addicts I have done some research on the Voluntary Sector and what form of care is available from them to my chosen client group.

The Westminster Drug Project (WDP) is a voluntary organisation, the WDP works with drug users age 18 and over and offers counselling, advice, information, needle exchange, drop in service, complementary therapies including shiatsu massage and acupuncture, legal advice and an arrest referral scheme. The WPD also has a residential care building provided which is specialist residential detoxification and rehabilitation for those with drug abuse, they go in for a long term stay and get detoxed off their choice of drug - all residents who reside there are said to be well looked after.

Another voluntary organisation for my chosen client group is the Blenheim Project - The Blenheim Project works with drug users, their families and friends and offers counselling, ear acupuncture, detox teas, shiatsu, homeopathy, massage, legal advice, information and there is also a needle exchange for safer injecting. The aim of the service is to try and get drug users into a new way of living and to try and help their families and friends cope a little better and deal with the situation.

QUESTION FOUR

The Social Work (Scotland) Act changed the organisation and delivery of care services by creating a comprehensive Social Work Department; this was implemented in 1971 - ten years after the Kilbrandon report. The Social Work Departments reshaped existing departments into one single comprehensive provision and brought it together into a single organisation. It was established in 1969 and the Children's Panel in 1971. The Social Work Department's services included residential, day care and domiciliary care.

There have been many changes recently in the way in which Social Work Services are provided. Change has been quicker in some parts of Scotland than others and many authorities anticipate changes in the near future. These changes have had an impact on the reliability of Social Work information and Councils' Social Work Service departments' capacity to provide it. Before the change the act was concerned with individuals needs and difficulties in society and up to the mid eighties most of the care jobs were initially performed by staff with no formal qualifications - the generic social work courses weren't introduced until the 1950's, this is when people initially started to train. Most of this changed dramatically after the Social Work (Scotland) Act changed the organisation and delivery of care services - it was now made to ensure that practical support for carers was of a very high priority and to promote the development of domiciliary, day and respite care services to enable people to live in their own homes whenever it is feasible or sensible - really thinking more of peoples' needs. After the change, it was made that care workers had to have formal qualifications and to clarify the responsibilities of agencies and make it easier to hold them to account for their performance. Before this was the White Paper. This created a comprehensive Social Work Department, those considering children's problems drawn from wide spectrum, part III of the Social Work (Scotland) Act was in 1968 and was implemented in 1971 ten years after the Kilbrandon reported. The Act in 1968 was concerned with individuals needs and difficulties, historical roots back to the Poor Law, the Generic social work courses were not introduced until the 1950s and it was initially performed with staff with no qualifications. Then the Social Work Departments reshaped existing departments into one comprehensive provision, it was brought together in a single organisation. It was established in 1969 and the Children's Panels in 1971. The services included residential, day care and domiciliary care.

QUESTION FIVE

The NHS and Community Care Act has some negative effects on the delivery of care, some of the major concerns so far expressed emphasize some of the central contradictions which underlie the policy, these are problems of collaboration in planning and implementation, the lack of power and in some cases further disempowerment of particular groups within a policy which was proclaimed as offering greater needs-led user involvement and there is a possible overemphasis on informal networks.

Some of the positive effects on the delivery of care is that it promotes the development of domiciliary, day and respite care services to enable people to live in their own homes whenever feasible or sensible, it now ensures that practical support for carers is a high priority and it now makes a proper assessment of needs and good case management the cornerstone of high quality care. Some of the positive sides were also that they translated many ideas into legislation. More of the positive sides were to promote the development of a flourishing independent sector, to clarify the responsibilities of agencies and make it easier to hold them to account for their performance, to secure better value for tax payers' money by introducing a new funding structure for social care; changes to the benefit system for people going into residential or nursing homes.