Disability, Policy and Professional Practice

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This is the first book on working with disabled people to take an aspirational, outcomes-focused approach to professional practice. It forms the first attempt to grapple with the massive legislative and policy shifts in the Disability field in the last 15 years and provides an up-to-date, positive approach to professional practice, based on the social model of disability. Importantly, the book translates both adult and children′s′ disability legislation and policy guidance into positive, creative, enabling practice methods for professionals in social care, health, employment and independent living.

The book takes a practical approach that challenges professionals to confront key issues in disability studies, policy and practice. The key topics covered are:

o The Historical Legacy, Legislation, Policy and Guidance

o Community Care and Beyond

o Pivotal Moments in the development of disability policy

o Independent Living, Choices and Rights

o Life course Issues

o Valuing Diversity

o Key Challenges for an aspiring social model practitioner

This book is an indispensable resource for all professionals and students working with disabled people.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 1 Introduction (p. 1)
• 2 The Historical Legacy, Legislation, Policy and Guidance (p. 6)
• Introduction (p. 6)
• The roots of policy, legislation and protection (p. 6)
• The Poor Law origins of health and social care (p. 7)
• Disabled people, abnormal bodies and industrialisation (p. 8)
• The categorical 'solution' to the problem of disabled people (p. 9)
• The Charity Organisation Society (p. 11)
• The great confinement (p. 11)
• The two world wars and the rise of disability as a unified policv category (p. 13)
• The National Assistance Act 1948: an early precursor to community care (p. 14)
• Towards community care (p. 15)
• New voices for old à new policy and practice visions (p. 17)
• Conclusion (p. 19)
• 3 Community Care and Beyond (p. 21)
• Introduction (p. 21)
• Community care legislation (p. 21)
• Deinstitutionalisation (p. 23)
• Conclusion (p. 34)
• 4 Pivotal Moments in the Development of Disability Policy (p. 36)
• Introduction (p. 36)
• The social model of disability (p. 37)
• 'Mainstreaming' controversies and critique (p. 37)
• Balancing greater individual choice with resource equity (p. 40)
• The lessons of history and new demands in practice (p. 41)
• Positive practice (p. 43)
• Advocacy, facilitation and empowerment (p. 47)
• The implications of Equality 2025 and the growth of Centres for Inclusive Living (p. 49)
• Conclusion (p. 50)
• 5 Independent Living, Choices and Rights (p. 51)
• Introduction (p. 51)
• Enabling practice in the 21st century (p. 51)
• Working futures: work options and economic wellbeing for disabled people (p. 52)
• Direct Payments and In Control: blazing a trail for personalised social care (p. 58)
• Personalisation and Self-Directed Support (p. 60)
• Independence, Wellbeing and Choice and beyond (p. 63)
• In Control (p. 65)
• Individual Budgets (p. 66)
• Conclusion (p. 68)
• 6 Life Course Issues (p. 70)
• Introduction (p. 70)
• Every Child Matters: towards seamless child services (p. 70)
• Every Disabled Child Matters (p. 73)
• Disabled children's wheelchair services: some distance still to travel (p. 75)
• Transition from children's to adult services (p. 77)
• Working with older disabled people (p. 78)
• Adult social care and older people: practice issues (p. 83)
• Home-based living options for disabled people (p. 84)
• Practice points with assistive technologies (p. 87)
• The family context: informal carers' issues - balancing the rights of disabled people with those of carers (p. 88)
• Conclusion (p. 89)
• 7 Valuing Diversity (p. 91)
• Introduction (p. 91)
• Mental health (p. 91)
• Learning disabled service users (p. 94)
• Gender and disability (p. 97)
• Ethnicity and disability (p. 99)
• Sexuality, sexual identity and parenting (p. 102)
• Conclusion (p. 104)
• 8 Key Challenges for an Aspiring Social Model Practitioner (p. 106)
• Introduction (p. 106)
• The challenge of user control and choice: how should a social model practitioner act? (p. 106)
• Managing the managers - budgetary constraints and street level bureaucracy: dealing with a disempowering system (p. 109)
• Mental capacity and Power of Attorney: how can the duty of care be balanced with social model practice? (p. 114)
• A presumption of capacity: the five principles of capacity assessment (p. 116)
• Practice guidance summarised (p. 119)
• Working with colleagues in user-led organisations (p. 119)
• Users, carers and wider service providers: seeing disabled people in context - the central place of the disabled person (p. 120)
• Relating the legislation and policy to the practice environment; how can professionals develop 'real reflexivity' in working with disabled people? (p. 124)
• Conclusion (p. 126)
• 9 Conclusion (p. 127)
• Bibliography (p. 131)
• List of legislation and statutory policy documents (p. 143)
• Index (p. 147)