Adult social care training for newly-qualified doctors from general medical practice: A pilot project, doctors and social workers learning together

ABSTRACT

This article reports findings from a pilot project evaluation, involving workshops for newly qualified doctors training as general practitioners (GPs). The learning project, designed as part of GP training programmes in one English city, focused on strengthening newly qualified doctors’ knowledge of social work practice in adult social care. The evaluation reported here used pre- and post-workshop questionnaires and GP and social worker participants’ discussions, presenting quantitative questionnaire data (from Phase one) and qualitative discussion data (from Phase Two). GP trainees from eight programme sites (n = 221) took part in Phase One; in Phase two, GP trainees were joined by 13 social workers from local adult social care teams. We gathered data about trainees’ prior experience and training, pre- and post-workshop levels of knowledge confidence and attitudes towards working with social workers/others in adult social care, including knowledge of the Care Act 2014 requirements (including prevention and reduction of the need for care where this is possible and safe). Overall findings demonstrate that this workshop training impacted positively on knowledge and understanding gained by trainee GPs in key areas including knowledge of social care referral routes, adult safeguarding and reciprocal roles of adult social workers and GPs.

KEYWORDS:

• Care Act 2014
• GPs
• social work
• integrated care
• adult safeguarding
• inter-professional learning

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge our colleagues Dr. Anwar Khan and Professor Kay Caldwell (Middlesex University) who steered the learning project, with financial support from the English health authority (Health Education North Central and East London) and supported us in taking forward the evaluation reported on in this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. CCGs are groups of GP practices located in the same area, who commission services for their patients as a group.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

L. Allain

Lucille Allain is Professor of Social Work (Practice) and Head of Department, Mental Health and Social Work at Middlesex University. Her research and teaching interests include: child and family social work practice with looked after children; fostering and special guardianship, social work leadership and interprofessional practice. Lucille has developed and led a number of partnership projects and is an independent member of a local authority fostering and permanency panel

L. Bell

Linda Bell is a researcher and retired Associate Professor, now an honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Mental Health and Social Work, Middlesex University, UK. She has published on various aspects of social work, social care, health, gender issues, parenting and research ethics, and has experience of teaching research methods to social workers and other professionals

E. Carter

Edd Carter is a registered social worker and Senior Lecturer, Social Work at Middlesex University. He is Director of Programmes for the Think Ahead post- graduate mental health social work programme. Edd’s practice background is in adult social care and mental health with a specialist focus on working with people who have learning disabilities

H. Hingley-Jones

Helen Hingley-Jones is an Associate Professor, Social Work and professional lead for social work at Middlesex University, where she is also Director of Programmes for qualifying undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Her practice specialty is in social work with disabled children and their families and her research concerns social work interventions, pedagogy and relationship based practice