INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORK PRACTITIONERS

Independent Social Work Services for Adults and Older People

CHESHIRE - MERSEYSIDE - MANCHESTER - LANCASHIRE & N. WALES

iswp

ISWP. News

ISWP affiliation with Sea Social Work

ISWP is pleased to announce that it has developed a link with Sea Social Work, in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the North-East. Ali Sea is an experienced social worker and manager with a wide range of skills and expertise which will build on and complement the existing ISWP skillset as well as ISWP’s geographical range. We look forward to developing our working relationship with Sea Social Work. For more information about Ali’s background and the services she provides, please see Our People.

April 2021.

ISWP are sad to announce that our founding partner, Liz Bruce, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in Hospital on the 18th March 2021, aged 69. Liz was a skilled, passionate and dedicated social worker who provided invaluable support to adults and older people over her 49 year career, which began with hospital social work at St Mary’s Hospital in London in 1972. Local authority social work, assistant manager and voluntary sector roles across Wirral and Cheshire followed. Liz’s energy and desire to use her social work experience in an innovative way led her to co-found the Independent Social Work Partnership in 2010 with social work values and ethics to the fore. Liz helped to establish ISWP’s reputation for highly professional, impartial advice and support. We pay tribute to Liz, her achievements and inspiration. She will be greatly missed but her legacy will live on through the current ISWP Associates.


October 2015. Changes to ISWP.

The Independent Social Work Partnership Ltd ceased to trade as a limited company on 30 September 2015. From October 01 2015 we have become an Affiliation of Independent Social Work Practitioners, sharing costs for marketing, training, peer support and projects. All Social Workers who are affiliated to ISWP are self employed, and will agree and negotiate their own Terms and Conditions and Fees individually with prospective clients.


The Care Act 2014

1st April 2014 saw the implementation in England of The Care Act 2014. This new Act, together with its 21 sets of regulations and extensive statutory guidance was the biggest change to the law governing Adult Social Care since the birth of the Welfare State in 1948. It introduced significant reforms which incorporate into the legal framework many key policy changes of the past ten years, including Personalisation, Prevention and Integration. The new Act also introduced a number of significant changes to the duties, powers and responsibilities of Local Authorities.

Key Changes include:-
  • An overarching statutory 'well being' principle for Local Authorities
  • A national eligibility criteria for care and support.
  • New statutory rights for carers and a broader definition of care.
  • A duty to offer deferred payments agreements (April 2015)
  • New upper capital limits (from April 2016)

It is important that self funders and their representatives are fully aware of these changes. ISWP are able to advise on how these changes may affect you, your relatives or your clients.

ISWP offer a ‘Briefing Session’ tailored to your area of work, using examples of case scenarios to illustrate the impact of the changes and how they may affect your clients' circumstances.


Great British Entrepreneur Awards

The Independent Social Work Practitioners was short listed as a national finalist for the Social Entrepreneur Category in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2013. The Great British Entrepreneur Awards are set to become the recognised standard of excellence amongst entrepreneurs. They mark a new era for entrepreneurship in the UK and this inaugural event is set to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution and inspiration provided by entrepreneurial businesses.


ISWP and Decision Tree working together

ISWP now links with Decision Tree Social Care to offer independent social work services across the Thames Valley, London and South East area. Liz Bruce, founder of ISWP says 'we are often being asked by clients if we can deliver our unique service in different parts of the country and we are delighted to respond by linking with Decision Tree. This alliance brings a greater diversity of skills and expertise together with all important local knowledge - this ability to respond to an individual's personal circumstances with a personalised and practical response is one of the things that our clients tell us that they really appreciate about us.'


Journal Articles

The ISWP are Social Work Practice Pioneers

The ISWP was successful in its bid to be one of ten projects which aims to provide social work to people who may have been unable to access it before.

ISWP interviewed for Social Work Matters

An interview with the people behind the ISWP has appeared in the January 2012 edition of Social Work Matters, the College of Social Work magazine.

Social work outside the Local Authority

The ISWP were featured in a special report in Community Care May 2012 about organisations delivering social work services outside of the traditional statutory services.
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/social-work-outside-the-local-authority/