| People with physical or psychological problems | | | | brief look at young people with learning difficulties |
| often need help with their everyday lives but still | | | | we know they benefit highly from outdoor |
| wish to be as free and self-governing as possible. | | | | activities such as swimming, football or an |
| Care workers can provide this practical support | | | | educational visit to a museum. However the |
| on a daily basis without stifling the person, and as | | | | English weather is not always permitting of |
| the industry advances we are seeing very | | | | external excursions and therefore internal pursuits |
| encouraging improvements from both the giver | | | | must also ensue. The range and quality of these |
| and receiver of social services such as care. | | | | activities is only limited by the carer's imagination. |
| The support provided by care workers is centred | | | | Creative activities such as arts and crafts are |
| around the particular person they are aiding. | | | | frequently popular with the children and young |
| Recently there is more emphasis on building a | | | | adults as they are hands on, visual and interactive. |
| trusting relationship between carer and caree, | | | | Specifically for young people requiring care they |
| helping people to live successfully in their local | | | | can advantage greatly from working with others |
| communities and rely less on outside aid. | | | | with similar issues, and this mingling is crucial to |
| Developments over the last decade have meant | | | | develop their interpersonal skills for later life. |
| returning power to the individual so now clients | | | | In the bigger picture there has been a massive |
| can have control over their specific care package | | | | improvement in communication between social |
| which they can differ from day to day or week | | | | care institutions and local authorities. The Police, |
| to week. The role of the care worker is changing | | | | NHS, and schools are all beginning to liaise with |
| so that the client relies less on the carer and | | | | PCT's, homes and hospices on a regular basis, |
| learns to support him or herself as much as | | | | building up a stronger system of social welfare in |
| possible. This empowerment encourages people in | | | | the given area. Improving the knowledge of the |
| care to be as autonomous as they can and gives | | | | entire public, especially the young on the issues of |
| them the confidence they need to do so. Social | | | | social services such as care work is just one |
| workers are striving to support the independence | | | | example of the excellent grassroots initiatives |
| of the character they are looking after rather | | | | springing up all around the country. We must |
| than smothering them with unnecessary attention. | | | | continue on the promising road we are currently |
| Of course there are many types of social work, | | | | paving and increasingly empower the people we |
| different issues require different forms of care | | | | care about. |
| and we can in no way generalise. If we take a | | | | |