Safeguarding Children: Health and Social Care Roles

Safeguarding is a critical responsibility for health and social care professionals. It covers a wide range of concerns, from abuse and neglect to exploitation. Child safeguarding necessitates comprehensive policies and protocols. These frameworks offer best practices and guidance, empowering professionals to effectively respond to concerns and recognise the signs of abuse. What is Safeguarding Children? […]

An Employer’s Guide to Autism and Neurodiversity

There are around one million autistic people in the UK. Every autistic person has unique strengths and capabilities, with different perspectives and experiences. However, due to a lack of inclusivity and accessibility, autistic people have one of the highest rates of poor mental health and one of the lowest employment rates. This is unacceptable and avoidable: […]

What Is Stimming and How Does It Affect the Mental Health in Neurodivergent Individuals?

Stimming, a term used to describe self-stimulatory behaviour, is often associated with the autism spectrum and neurotypical individuals. It involves different repetitive movements or sounds that a person may perform to express feelings, navigate sensory overload and self-soothe. Below, we explain the unique nature of stimming, its meaning, and its purpose. We also discuss how […]

Exploring the Impact of Delayed Hospital Discharges

Despite government initiatives, delayed hospital discharges remain a significant concern for families, hospitals, and local authorities. Within the social care sector, the increase in delayed hospital discharges arises from a multifaceted array of factors. This can further be worsened when an unnecessary hospital admission turns into a long-term inpatient stay, leading to a range of […]

Integrating Mental Health and Social Support Services

Mental health challenges stand as the leading contributor to disability in the UK. As NHS suggests, one in four adults may experience at least one diagnosable mental health condition a year, affecting their personal, social and overall quality of life. Lack of integrated mental health services often means that people needing mental health support receive […]

Are People Involved in Their Care?

How do health and social care services support people’s involvement in shared decision-making about their care, treatment and support? To what extent are people actively involved in their own care? National healthcare research, including our white paper publication, reveals that over 40% of people want to be more involved in their care, and the numbers have […]

What Needs to Be Improved in Health and Social Care Sector

Improving health and social care services requires consistent collaboration and informed decisions founded on evidence-based practices and personal experiences. To support the national service model in building the right support for people with lived experience, we conducted a white paper survey to gain a better understanding of what needs to be improved in our health and social […]

Supporting Children Experiencing Neglect

Regardless of the increasing prevalence of safeguarding, supporting children with neglect still presents a challenge for social workers. Based on the latest statistics, child abuse and neglect affect one in 10 children in the UK. Working with children who experienced neglect requires compassion, experience and extended skills to achieve the best possible outcomes. Definition of […]

Importance of Autism Awareness Training

Supporting autistic children and adults requires understanding, empathy, and compassion, in addition to extensive experience, knowledge, and skills. Autism awareness training was developed to educate healthcare assistants about autism and the challenges autistic people can experience. In essence, autism awareness training aims to provide guidance on how to make health and social care services safer […]

Importance of Early Autism Support

Early interventions play a vital role in the overall well-being of autistic people. Analysis shows that over 10,000 autistic adults in the UK are not receiving the care and support they need, and many people end up in mental health facilities. Frontline experience shows that early intervention for autism can make a major difference in […]