Mental Health Legislation In Uk Social Work Essay

genial wellness Legislation In Uk mixer work at EssayOne adult in six in the UK endorses from hotshot or to a greater extent forms of intellectual unwellnessyness at any time. relative incidence of psychological ailments gouge as such be considered as familiar as asthma (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13). Mental ailments range from in truth common conditions alike(p) depression to ailments like schizophrenia, which affect less than 1% of the population. Mental ailments cost the nation approximately 77 billion GBP both year in marges of expenses on wellness and mixer trade (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13). such(prenominal) ailments atomic number 18 not really well understood even to daytime and often frighten large number and strike out great deal with such ailments (Sheppard, 2002, p 779 to 797). Individuals with languish term kind health issues argon likely to face discrimination and complaisant exclusion, phenomena that can locomote to unemployment or underemploym ent, poverty, inadequate housing, genial isolation and stigmatisation (Sheppard, 2002, p 779 to 797). Whilst UK ball club is progressively coming to terms with and accept modern day phenomena like homosexuality and same sex marriages, stack continue to be very apprehensive about noetic disorders and often associate such conditions with tomfoolery and the contend for isolation and detention of people with severe and long term mental health conditions (Angermeyer Matschinger, 2003, p 304 to 309).Legislation and well-disposed insurance towards mentally ill people has however evolved truely over the course of the twentieth century and more so in the last 25 years. I am lay in a residential building block that houses people that both sexes who ar over 16 and have mental health issues. This assignment focuses on mental health law and policy in the UK and the various ways in which Ii am using my familiarity and understanding of these issues to inform my practice.Mental welln ess Legislation in UK unworthy mental health continues to have substantial economic and personal strike in the UK. Stigma and discrimination increase such impacts (Angermeyer Matschinger, 2003, p 304 to 309). Social research has consistently found the presence of extremely negative attitudes towards individuals with mental health issues (Angermeyer Matschinger, 2003, p 304 to 309). T here persists the view that such people portray dangers to their communities, perceptions which are too on occasion reinforced by the media. such(prenominal) negative attitudes do not occur only in the media and the commonplace public but also among mental health workers and professionals (Angermeyer Matschinger, 2003, p 304 to 309). Such elements increase cordial distancing, cause sociable exclusion and reduce the hazard of such individuals to gain employment or access companionable and health cope assistant (Angermeyer Matschinger, 2003, p 304 to 309).Whilst discriminatory attitudes towa rds the mentally ill serene exists in substantial measure and adversely affect the life chances and social exclusion of such people, it also ineluctably to be recognised that substantial progress has been made over the course of the 20th century and peculiarly in the last 25 years to improve the physical, mental, economic and social conditions of such people (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1). Such changes have basically been brought about through changes in mandate and in social policy (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1).People with mental illnesses have traditionally been perceived negatively by society, with attitudes towards them varying from being harmless nuisances to violence prone and dangerous individuals (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1). Families with members with mental illnesses have often tried to hide such conditions for fearfulness of social stigmatisation and the state, right until the end of the 19th century, was comfortable with lock such people up in lunatic asylums (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1). The lo ony bin turn of events 1774 led to the creation of a commission with leave to fertilise licences to premises for accommodating lunatics (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1). Succeeding legislation gave mental hospitals the authority to detain people with mental ailments (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1).The Lunacy incite 1890 was repealed with the musical passage of the Mental health Act 1959. The Mental Health Act 1959 fortify the Mental Treatment Act 1930 and allowed most psychiatric admissions to happen on a voluntary basis (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1). The Act aimed at providing wanton litigatement for most individuals with mental ailments, even as it created a judicial framework for detention of certain people (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1). The recommendations made in the Percy Report led to decisions on compulsory detention of mentally ill persons changing from judicial to administrative prerogatives (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1). The 1959 Act however did not clarify whether legal detention orders for people with me ntal disorders authorised hospitals to treat such people without their consent (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1). The passing of the Mental Health Act 1983 impartd a range of safeguards for people in hospitals. The act also imposed a duty on the district health governing and social service departments to provide after business concern services to the people discharged from hospital (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1). The Mental Health Act 1983 cover the assessment, treatment and the rights of people with mental health conditions and specified that people could be detained only if the strict criteria specified in the act were met (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1).The Mental Health Act 2007 aimed to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983 and collective changes that widened the definition of mental disorder and gave greater say to patients about who their nearest relatives were (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13). The act also decreased the situations where electroconvulsive therapy could be accustomed without permission, gav e detained patients rights to independent mental health advocates, gave 16 and 17 year olds rights to view as or refuse admission to hospital without such decisions being superseded by parents and introduced supervised community treatment (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13). The amendment of the Mental Health Act was followed by the publication of a code of practice that provides charge to health care professionals on the interpretation of the law on a regular basis (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13). The code of practice has fivesome important additions to guiding principles, which deal with purpose, least restriction, participation, and effectiveness, efficiency and equity (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13). The code importantly states that the unique(predicate) leads of patients need to be recognised and patients should be involved to the greatest doable extent in the planning of their treatment (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13).Whilst The Mental Health Act 1983, as amended in 2007, constitutes th e most important mental health legislation in the country, the rights of people with mental health ailments is also governed by former(a) acts like The Mental Capacity Act 2005, The Disability difference Act 1995, The Health and Social veneration Act 2008, The Care Standards Act 2007, The Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1995, The Carers (Recognition and run) Act 1996 and The Community Care (Direct Payment) Act 1996. All of these acts by way of certain provisions provide for the rights and entitlements of young and old individuals with mental ailments (Mind.Org, 2010, p 1).Progressive legislation in areas of mental health has been accompanied by changes in social care policy for people with such ailments (Brand et al, 2008, p 3 to 7). The beginning of social work in the area of mental health commenced with the engagement of a social worker by the Tavistock Clinic in 1920 (Brand et al, 2008, p 3 to 7). Whilst social work in the area of mental health was subdued until the 1950s, it after assumed larger dimensions and led to the realisation of the utility of non checkup social interventions for treatment of medical health issues (Brand et al, 2008, p 3 to 7). The publication of the drink Report in 1942 was instrumental in altering governance policy and shifting the treatment of people with mental disorders from hospitals to the community (Brand et al, 2008, p 3 to 7).The 1950s saw the establishment of day hospitals, greater flexibility in provisioning of psychiatric services and reduction in hospital beds (Brand et al, 2008, p 3 to 7). The introduction of advanced drugs, the establishment of therapeutic bodies and reading of greater outpatient services led to the decrease of numbers of psychiatric inpatients from 1955 (Brand et al, 2008, p 3 to 7). practically of such decrease was prompted by the introduction of social rehabilitation and relocation methods, introduction of anti psychotic medication and availability of welfare benefits (Bran d et al, 2008, p 3 to 7).Intensive debate and discussion in the media and among the community on the need to improve the conditions of people with mental health issues led to the introduction of specific programmes like the Care political platform orgasm (CPA) in 1991 and other government initiatives (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13). The guidance on Modernising Mental Health Services stressed upon the need for providing care at all times of the day and night and access to a comprehensive array of services (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13).The introduction of the National Service Framework for Mental Health in 1999 elaborated the national standards for mental health, their objectives, how they were to be developed and delivered and the methods for meter performance in different parts of the country (Sheppard, 2002, p 779 to 797).Social workers are now playing important roles in the treatment of people with mental health disorders and their greater inclusion body in the community (Brand et al, 2008, p 3 to 7. Social work theory and practice has always espoused the use of the social model for dealing with people with mental health problems and have contributed to the development of a range of risees that are holistic, empowering and community based in approach (Brand et al, 2008, p 3 to 7.Apart from being responsible for the introduction of numerous clean person centred and community oriented approaches dealing with mental health issues, mental health legislation, by way of The Mental Health Acts of 1983 and 2007 empowered befittingly trained social workers with a range of powers for assessment and intervention of people with mental health disorders (Ray et al, 2008, p 2 to 13).Application of Disability knowledge in Practice SettingI am present-day(prenominal)ly placed for my social work practice in a residential unit for people with mental health problems, who are furthermore homeless, more than 16 years of age, and fall under the purview of the Care Programme A pproach (CPA). The CPA, which was introduced in 1991 for people with mental illnesses, requires health authorities, along with social service departments, to make specific arrangements for the care and medical treatment of people in the community with mental ailments (Care Programme, 2010, p 1). The CPA requires that all individuals who fuck off treatment, care and support from mental health services should receive noble quality care, which should furthermore be based upon individual assessment of their choices and needs. The needs of service users and their carers should essentially be central to delivery of services (Care Programme, 2010, p 1).Mentally ill and homeless people are conjectural to pose special challenges to health and social care workers.The majority of those who suffer major mental illness live in impoverished heap somewhere along the continuum of poverty. Homelessness, however defined, is the extreme and most marginalised end of this continuum, and it is here t hat we find disproportionate numbers of the mentally ill. (Timms, 1996, P 159)It is very possible that the levels of cooperation and motivation of the mentally ill, who are also homeless, could be lesser than that of other patients (Net Industries, 2010, p 1). Whilst their limited resources often result in difficulties in their obtaining raptus to treatment centres, such people often forget to keep appointments or take their medications. Frequently unkempt in dress and bug outance, their engagement in drug abuse can render them unresponsive and unruly (Net Industries, 2010, p 1).My practice setting provides specialised and supported residences for people with severe and long lasting mental health problems. Each resident has his or her own bedroom and is required to share the use of kitchens and bathrooms. some(prenominal) of the residents have histories of quadruplex admissions in hospitals, combined with lack of compliance with medication and disengagement with services. Some of them also have histories of alcohol and substance abuse.Our organisation provides residents with a accommodative and supportive environment for the carrying out of comprehensive assessment of needs (Timms, 1996, p 158 to 165). Assessments and care plans of our residents need to consider a range of requirements. These include assessing the requirements of parents with regard to physical health, housing, vocation and employment, dual diagnosis, history of abuse and violence, carers and medication (Timms, 1996, p 158 to 165). Assessment and care plans for such users need to essentially address endangerment management and plan for crises and contingencies (Timms, 1996, p 158 to 165).I, along with the other staff of the residential unit, work with mental health services for carrying out of detailed need assessments and for facilitateing residents in development of independent living skills. My academic training and my knowledge of legislation and policy, whilst substantial, has not really provided me with the wherewithal to meet the practical challenges of my current position. It is still not widely recognised that social and economic disadvantages can lead to mental health problems (Timms, 1996, p 158 to 165). It is clear from my inter fulfill with the residents that many a(prenominal) of them come from disturbed and abused backgrounds and sprightliness insecure about the social exclusion and stigma attached with mental ailments. They often have a multiplicity of needs that includes dual diagnosis as well as physical and mental health issues. I have to constantly retrieve my knowledge of anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory theory and ensure that personalised, cultural and socialised biases do not affect my responses towards the inmates of the residential unit and that I am able to help them with their social service needs.My work includes involvement and help in assessments, assisting residents in finding educational agencies that can help them in imp roving their skills and earning ability, arranging for medical appointments and counselling sessions in line with their intervention requirements, making them aware(p) of their various social services benefits and entitlements, and helping them to access such benefits. I am aware of the need to read a person-centred approach, and take care to ascertain the needs of service users as also their opinions on what they feel is best for them in the first place I make suggestions. I try to adopt a uniformly cheerful and cooperative approach that is based upon prize and helpfulness in my routine interaction with them and strive to ensure that my responses are free of condescension and patronage.I find that some members of the health and social care professions, despite such significant progress in legislation and policy, approach the mental health and other problems of our residents in traditional and bureaucratic ways, (much in the manner of Dominellis portrayal of the current state o f social services), and appear to be constrained by resources as well as fix attitudes (Dominelli, 2004, p 18 to 95). I am doing my best to ensure that the opinions of the residents are taken into account in the satisfaction of their needs, that they are helped to overcome their mental health issues, and are made more self sufficient to fount after their needs.ConclusionSignificant changes have occurred in the last 40 years in the ways in which disabled people are perceived in society. Whilst many of these changes are outcomes of legislative and policy action by UK governments, the growing awareness of (a) the relevance of the social model, and (b) the fundamental flaws of the medical model, in dealing with disabled people has driven both legislative and policy changes.Social workers, with their commitment towards bringing about of social inclusion of excluded and disadvantaged segments of society, their specialised education and training, and the resources and authority at their disposal, are especially well placed to bring about attitudinal changes among the members of health and social services, as well as among members of the community. My practice experience has convinced me that much more will have to be done in the application of legislative provisions and social policy at the ground level, especially so by the people responsible for delivery of social and health care, before the disabled can truly be integrated into mainstream society.