Social Workers for Adult Services

Responsive and accessible Service

Social Workers are present in all teams working with Adults, in Community Mental Health Teams; Elderly Mental Health Team; Disability Services; Hospital and Community Services and in the Rapid Response Team, which was established in 2005.

Social Work Staff are located within their multi-disciplinary teams and receive day-to-day operational support from Team Managers. A Social Work meeting is held monthly to concentrate on professional matters. Professional Supervision and Appraisal systems are in place and there is access to post-qualification training, both on Island and in England and Jersey.

A small Island, Guernsey does not have the range of resources one would expect to find in a UK city. Social Workers have to work autonomously and creatively. Forming a partnership with service users to identify problems and together to bring about change is the primary task. Financial assessment and the funding of services is the business of Guernsey Social Security Department, Health & Social Services staff are responsible for assessment, for locating appropriate support and for reviewing the success/appropriateness of this. Whilst there have been recent developments in the use of IT systems there is still an emphasis on developing good working relationships with service users and on the implementation of therapeutic programmes.

Within a small community many aspects of social care have to be provided in-house. There is a requirement therefore for social workers to have an interest in areas of work that now in the UK may be sent out to other agencies e.g. advocacy, counselling, and mediation. A great advantage of working in the Island is the speed of response from other agencies; professionals have a good understanding and respect for each other’s roles.

Whilst Guernsey Law is very different to that of England or Scotland Departmental Policies and Procedures ensure that the value base is the same, particularly in respect of anti-discriminatory practice, confidentiality and human rights.