Building better social care in Wales
Zuzanna Oliwkiewicz My name is Zuzanna, I am currently studying human and social sciences at Cardiff University. I’ve had the opportunity to work with CASCADE over the past semester as a part of my placement journey. I’ve joined meetings, webinars, searched for venues and even got sucked into helping with the big move! As I… Read More
Children’s social care in Wales is in crisis. There are similar problems across the whole of the UK, yet while Scotland, England and Northern Ireland are having independent reviews to explore radical new ways of doing things, in Wales we do not seem to think that is needed. Read More
The last 20 years has seen a huge increase in the rates of children in care in Wales… Read More
The language that is used to describe all of us as we get older is largely negative… Read More
It is over 30 years since the publication of an influential paper by Ann Weick, Charles Rudd, Patrick Sullivan and Walter Kisthardt, which crystallized a case for a ‘strengths perspective’ in social work. This perspective evolved from a shared determination to turn away from a policy and practice focus on ‘problems’, ‘deficits’, ‘the negative aspects of peoples and society’ (Weick et al 1989, p. 350), and their disempowering mark. Weick et al (1989) situate this perspective as an expression of social work’s values, and as challenge to rethink professional and institutional power which diminishes a person’s capacity to be the expert in their own lives… Read More
It is over 30 years since the publication of an influential paper by Ann Weick, Charles Rudd, Patrick Sullivan and Walter Kisthardt, which crystallized a case for a ‘strengths perspective’ in social work… Read More
In a Social Care assessment, if a person has eligible needs identified, then the worker considers what, from the person’s assets and strengths can be drawn upon in order to meet those needs. The Worker is encouraged to consider assets first, services last thus preventing, reducing or delaying the need for perhaps more formalised input… Read More
I am passionate about strengths-based approaches to social work practice, so much so that I have dedicated my doctoral research project to studying this field. I hope that my work will help to shape the development of systems and structures that support real strengths-based working across adult services. But what do I mean when I… Read More
I am an Italian PhD student at the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science of the University of Trento, visiting Cardiff University and CASCADE for a few months. In this blog I will tell you something about my PhD related to care experienced parenting and I would like to start by telling you something about… Read More
The human ability to tell stories is perhaps our most important characteristic. As Mary Catherine Bateson said: “The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories.” Stories allow us to share understandings, emotions and motivations. They allow us to cooperate on a scale no other animal can – through shared stories about nations or… Read More
