We undertook a survey of health and local authority social work staff to find out their views on current proposals for integration of health and social care, whether they perceived any problems and to ask how they viewed they might be solved. Click here for the full report (pdf)
Responses varied; many staff already work in integrated environments and value the experience and what can be delivered for clients, others have found the experience less positive. For those staff for whom integration is in the offing responses indicated a range of barriers to be overcome and fears on the part of the staff – for the quality of service they deliver, but also over how their own skills would be valued and utilised. There was also a level of enthusiasm that closer working could deliver a better outcome for clients.
The impact of cuts in resources on the delivery of services is a huge concern for staff – over half of respondents report that they feel their professionalism has been compromised as a result of budget cuts. In this context it can come as little surprise that almost 70% of staff believe conditions are going to get worse rather than improve.
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