Creative & Innovative Social Work Practice

Birmingham’s Hospital Extended Services initiative was introduced after commissioners recognised social workers were at risk of burnout due to an increasing number of referrals. They knew it was time for a radical change but were clear it should be one with social workers at the heart of it.

The work has involved rolling out a series of extended hospital schemes that protect the skills, knowledge and expertise of social workers, while offering better outcomes for older people.

One notable example is the extension of social work provision to cover seven days a week – a change that is on the horizon for practitioners across the UK as health and social care services join together. With no additional funding available, Birmingham has relied entirely on the goodwill of 16 volunteers to make it happen. The experienced social workers are based across eight hospital sites and have already achieved an increase in more timely discharges from hospital.

Birmingham’s commitment to the profession shone through this application and, despite having to change the minds of those who believe social workers have no place in a medical setting, they have succeeded in bringing hospital social work back under the spotlight for all the right reasons.