Social worker: This professional’s role is to ensure that the individual’s rights are met and cared for in the right manner. The social worker has a constitutional responsibility to assess the level of support required to meet the needs of the client and their family that they are working with. Social worker also empowers the individuals involved to deal or solve their problems. For example, child protection issues.
Health visitor: Health visitor is a qualified nurse who has additional training. Health visitors specialise in children and families. Providing parents with advice and guidance. For example, a health visitor may visit a the mother of a newly born baby to guide the parent in relation to their baby’s growth and development
Family support worker: Family support workers work alongside social workers. Once the social worker has completed the assessment of needs, this is where the family support worker steps in, in regards to working with families closely, providing non-stop support to overcome various hurdles such as poor parenting skills and financial issues.
Probation officer: A probation officer is a qualified professional whose role is to supervise offenders within the community. Probation officers work closely with the offender on behaviour issues and are required to ensure that the offenders are meeting the requirements of their court orders.
General practitioner (GP): GP’s are medical doctors who have holistic knowledge on acute and chronic illnesses. From this GP’s can diagnose illnesses and provide treatments also referring clients to specialist such as physiotherapists or surgeons when needed.
Involvement of family: Individuals who need support usually rely or involve members of the family. For example, the client’s mother tongue is not English and requires a family member to come along to their doctor’s appointment to interpret the information shared.
Advocate: An advocate is an individual whether family member or professional who speaks on behalf of the individual. For example, an advocate may talk on behalf of a client who is unable to speak English in court.
Interpreter: Interpreters are individuals who communicate information from one language to the other. For example, an individual interpreting information spoken in Spanish to sign language.
Translator: Translators are individuals who change written material from one language to another. For example, a patient may request a hospital application form in Bengali; translators are required to translate the application form in to Bengali.
The assessment tools Assessment tools are resources that are used to back-up the support planning process which assists to build a holistic picture of individual’s needs. After the individuals personal details are logged as assessment can be done to identify suitable care and support.
The assessment tools are as follows:
- Checklist
- Forms
- Diary of the professional
- Questions
- Records of incidents
- Observations
- Personal histories
- Flowcharts
- Discussions
In Mr Farsal’s case study, it mentions that he had suffered from an accident and was seriously injured. The three key professionals I will be writing about in this essay are:
- GP
- Social Worker
- Counsellor
Mr Farsal has gone to his local GP, this is where his injuries were diagnosed by his general practitioner, Mr Farsal’s GP is also the place where he will get the efficient solutions to overcome his injuries. Mr Farsal’s GP can then refer him to appropriate professionals. For example, Mr Farsal may be referred to a social worker in order to care for his physical needs. He may also be referred to a counsellor, where he can confide and have an individual to talk to, which could then lead him to finding answers to overcome the barriers that he may have in his present life. The GP has the responsibility to ensure that Mr Farsal is not in harm’s way and guarantee treatments for Mr Farsal’s physical dilemmas until he has fully recovered from them. Moreover, the GP should ensure that Mr Farsal is aware of the treatments that he will be receiving, what it does and what it is for. Furthermore, Mr Farsal’s GP must ensure that his holistic needs are fully met.
Secondly, the second key profession that is involved in planning the support for Mr. Farsal is his social worker. The social worker will help Mr Farsal’s intellectual needs, social needs as well as physical needs. Mr Farsal’s social worker must ensure that his rights are fully met. Mr Farsal’s social worker must ensure that he/she provides the essential support needed in order for Mr Farsal to go about his daily life. For example, taking him to a place of worship, the library and barriers he may face at home like climbing up the stairs, changing his clothes etc.
Furthermore, a counsellor working with Mr Farsal may empower him in to taking decisions Mr. Farsal may need counselling as he may be struggling with his emotions. He may even be traumatised by the accident he was in. Mr Farsal’s counsellor would encourage him to socialise and confide in individuals he can trust. Mr Farsal should be aware that whatever he discloses will remain between him and his counsellor. What is more, the counsellor should ensure that he promotes Mr Farsal’s rights. At times Mr Farsal may want to isolate himself and bottle his feelings, his counsellor should encourage him to let it out. This can be done by building a trusting relationship between the counsellor and Mr Farsal.
The second case study I will be looking at is Maureen’s. In her case study it mentions that she suffers from multiple sclerosis and visual impairments. This means that she is unable to meet her own personal needs.
The three key professionals involved in this case study are:
- GP
- Health visitor
- optician
Maureen has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which means that she is unable to meet her own personal needs. To get efficient treatment Maureen should visit her GP, who then can take the accurate measures in order to better Maureen as much as possible. Maureen’s GP is responsible for diagnosing Maureen's condition as well as finding elucidations to Maureen's health problem. It is also her GP’s responsibility to ensure that Maureen is aware of what multiple sclerosis is and what she can do to overcome it. The GP can also refer Maureen to an optician for her visual impairments and a health visitor who can facilitate Maureen with her needs that she may no longer be able to meet unaccompanied, due to her illnesses. By ensuring that Maureen is assigned a health visitor, she will have support at home and won’t be alone if she ever ends up getting hurt.
Maureen’s health visitor will have the ability, as she has been given the right training to take care of Maureen’s holistic needs. Maureen’s health visitor can empower her by involving her in making decisions on making her support plan, this can higher Maureen’s self-esteem. Having her health visitor around, she may see her as a friend rather than her nurse, this could potentially lead her in to confiding in her health visitor. In a way, her health visitor can ne her skilled helper and almost counsel her. In her free time she may want to go to the library to read books, go church on Sundays or even stay at home and play board games.
Lastly, Maureen’s GP may have referred her to an optician to get her eyes tested and glasses or contact lenses. The optician has the responsibility of ensuring that Maureen receives appropriate services in order to get her the right strength of lenses. Maureen may feel as though she is getting old and there is nothing she can do to prevent these illnesses which may affect her self-esteem. In order for Maureen to feel better about getting glasses, her optician should be aware of her choices and even empower her to choose the frames she wants for her lenses or if she would opt for contact lenses instead. By doing this, Maureen may feel content when she gets a pair of stylish frames or contact lenses as people won’t realise she is wearing them
Bibliography:
Resource: Aldworth,C Et Al, 2010, EDEXCEL BTEC Level 3 Health and Social Care, Book 2,Pearson Education Limited
by
omzie (student)
