Unfinished Business – 75 years since the National Assistance Act

By Professor Catherine Needham, Professor of Public Policy and Public Management, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham The National Assistance Act (1948) reaches its 75th anniversary, and with much less fanfare than the 75th anniversary of the NHS. Social care for working age disabled people, older people and those with long-term mental health conditions … Continue reading “Unfinished Business – 75 years since the National Assistance Act”

Leadership: style without substance is a road to nowhere

By Steve Gulati, Director of Healthcare Leadership, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham The current crisis engulfing Boris Johnson’s leadership has been long in the making and in some ways, has been a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’. Putting aside the immediate political dimension, what can it tell us about leadership – how … Continue reading “Leadership: style without substance is a road to nowhere”

The NHS White Paper: evolution or revolution?

By Professor Judith Smith, Director of Health Services Management Centre and Professor Robin Miller, Head of Department, Social Work and Social Care, University of Birmingham.  NHS White Papers seem to fall into two categories.  First, landmark ones that signal major change of direction and upheaval (can you remember where you were when you heard about … Continue reading “The NHS White Paper: evolution or revolution?”

Beneath the headlines: Are the older generation paying the price for neglect of social care?

By Dr Denise Tanner, Senior Lecturer in Social Work Department of Social Work and Social Care, University of Birmingham. “We need to recognise that beneath the headlines of the neglect of social care and the neglect of social care workers lies another neglect – that of older people.” Pre Covid-19 and the outlook for adult … Continue reading “Beneath the headlines: Are the older generation paying the price for neglect of social care?”

The neglect of adult social care during covid-19

By Jon Glasby, Professor of Heath and Social Care and Catherine Needham, Professor of Public Policy and Public Management, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham. “If any good is to come from such tragedy, we must renew our efforts to achieve a lasting settlement for social care, understanding and valuing it in its own … Continue reading “The neglect of adult social care during covid-19”

What does the 2020 Budget mean for health and social care?

By Professor Judith Smith, Director of Health Services Management Centre School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham For the NHS, there were in effect two Budgets: one for the short-to-medium-term to address the Coronavirus crisis, and the other to continue with the previously announced five-year investment in the NHS to enable it to meet its … Continue reading “What does the 2020 Budget mean for health and social care?”

The Time Travel of Young Carers

By Chloe Alexander, Teaching Associate in Sociology School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham For my recent research project, a group of young carers – all from the West Midlands – travelled with their families to space. This happened in their imaginations (due to a tight research budget). They drew pictures showing their idea of … Continue reading “The Time Travel of Young Carers”

Budget 2018 and the NHS: the gauntlet has been thrown

By Judith Smith, Professor of Health Policy and Management Director of Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham In June, the Prime Minister gave the NHS what appeared to be a very generous 70th birthday present  – the promise of a new long-term funding settlement worth an extra £20.5 billion a year by 2023-24. When set alongside other … Continue reading “Budget 2018 and the NHS: the gauntlet has been thrown”

Raising taxes to fund the NHS: are we (and the NHS) ready to grasp the nettle?

By Judith Smith , Professor of Health Policy and Management Director of Health Services Management Centre School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham ‘Tax rises needed to prevent NHS misery’. This was the stark warning from the BBC recently, reacting to new analysis by the Health Foundation and Institute for Fiscal Studies that suggests that … Continue reading “Raising taxes to fund the NHS: are we (and the NHS) ready to grasp the nettle?”

Thoughts on the Foster Care Review

By Simon Haworth, Teaching Fellow Department of Social Care and Social Work, University of Birmingham In aid of Foster Care Fortnight (14 May-27 May) this post focuses on the recent review of foster care in England. The post could have concentrated on a variety of topics related to fostering, in fact I had even considered commenting … Continue reading “Thoughts on the Foster Care Review”