Learning Matters Professional Accountability in Social Care and Health: Challenging unacceptable practice and its management (Creating Integrated Services Series)

Many social workers, health care staff and teachers maintain high standards of professionalism, often in stressful and challenging circumstances. However, research also reveals instances where individual practitioners and managers, or whole organisations, fail to act lawfully, ethically and/or carefully. This book addresses just those instances by providing guidance on how to maintain accountable professionalism in tricky "what if?" situations. Dilemmas are explored using case studies and the mosaic of legal rules and regulatory body requirements for accountable professionalism are also laid out. The book will appeal to students and newly qualified practitioners in teaching, health and social work and their managers. Review The book will appeal to those with supervisory and management responsibility and academics planning modules concerning law, ethics and professional practice. It presents scenarios, case studies and information that will help students and practitioners to gain the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to be able to weigh up difficult dilemmas relating to health and social care practice, before deciding on how to act′ Chris O′Grady Senior Lecturer Nursing, School of Health, Medical Science and Society, Glyndwyr University Wrexham This book is a useful resource and provides an excellent bibliography of cases, procedural guidance and relevant research. Much of this material is very practical and could be easily adapted to develop a training intervention to raise awareness in the local context. It will be of use to those taking on challenging roles as ethical advisors or complaints assessors with the caveat of course that local knowledge is central to good management. -- Liz Beddoe, Associate Professor of Social Work, School of Counselling, Human Services and Social Work, The University of Auckland About the Author Roger Kline works for Aspect (Association of Professionals in Education and Children’s Trusts). He has a distinguished trade union career, often representing practitioners in health and social care organisations. He is a member of working groups attached to the Social Work Reform Board. Michael Preston-Shoot is Professor of Social Work and Dean, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of Bedfordshire. He has researched and written widely on social work education and social work practice, with particular emphasis on the interface between law and professional practice.