A scoping study of workforce development for self-neglect work

Copies of this work may be made for non-commercial distribution to aid social care workforce development. Any other copying requires the permission of Skills for Care. Skills for Care is the employer-led strategic body for workforce development in social care for adults in England. It is part of the sector skills council, Skills for Care and Development. A scoping study of workforce development for self-neglect work Self-neglect is complex and varied. In England, as in many other countries, there is no standard definition in general use. Consequently consistent prevalence data do not exist at a national level (Braye et al., 2011), making it hard to estimate the scale of the issue. However, qualitative research with social care and health professionals has indicated that self-neglect cases are often practically, personally and ethically challenging for There is as yet no widespread or definitive approach to workforce development to assist in addressing the difficulties of practice with self-neglect. This study, commissioned by Skills for Care, explores to what extent there is a need and justification for such an undertaking. It reviews evidence from the research literature, relevant serious case review summaries and interviews carried out at five localities within England. The findings add to what is known about the challenges of self-neglect practice and identify key workforce development issues to be addressed. They also identify examples of ways forward already in progress and point to key priorities for the sector skills council, Skills for Care. Self-neglect has long been something of a 'grey area' (Gunstone, 2003) for social care staff and agencies in England. In contrast to the equivalent guidance in Wales and Scotland, No Secrets (Department of Health, 2000) focused entirely on abuse and neglect by a third party, leaving how to respond to the demands of self-neglect largely at the discretion of local authorities and their partner agencies. As a result, some local authorities and local safeguarding adults boards include self-neglect within adult safeguarding procedures, whilst others do not and direct self-neglect referrals through adult social care channels. In its recent review of adult social care law, the Law Commission recommended that a new duty on a local authority to investigate cases of abuse and neglect should apply expressly to cases of self-neglect (Law Commission, 2011). While the Care Bill 2013 does not include an express reference to self-neglect, the government will clarify the position in a code of practice, due …