Organisational context KSS 9

Last updated: 15 February 2021

Straight arrows going through arrows in different directions to illustrate organisation

Image: Olivier Le Moal/Fotolia

This page sets out the knowledge and skills listed under point 9 (organisational context) in the Department for Health and Social Care’s knowledge and skills statement. Against this, we have mapped Community Care Inform Adults’ guides, research, learning tools and other resources to help social workers meet and evidence this part of the statement. The links to the resources are in blue; click to follow them to the page you’re interested in.

What the statement says	Resources to help you
• Social workers working with adults should be able to confidently fulfil their statutory responsibilities, work within their organisation’s remit and contribute to its development. • They must understand and work effectively within financial and legal frameworks, obligations, structures and culture, in particular human rights and equalities legislation, the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and accompanying guidance and codes of practice. • They must be able to operate successfully in their organisational context, demonstrating effective time management, caseload management and be capable of reconciling competing demands and embrace information, data and technology appropriate to their role. • They should have access to regular quality supervision to support their professional resilience and emotional and physical wellbeing. • Social workers should work effectively and confidently with fellow professionals in inter-agency, multi-disciplinary and interprofessional groups and demonstrate effective partnership working particularly in the context of health and social care integration and at the interface between health, children and adult social care and the third sector.	Section-by-section guide to the Care Act 2014 covers what each section of the act means for your role, referencing relevant regulations and the statutory guidance. The A-Z of the Care Act 2014 contains definitions and explanations of the key terms in use in the Care Act and its accompanying statutory guidance. Financial assessments under the Care Act 2014 details the purpose of a financial assessment, when one should and should not be completed, and what is taken into account or disregarded. Webinar: difficult conversations under the Care Act helps staff act in a legally defensible manner, particularly when dealing with issues arising from resource constraints within local authorities. Section-by-section guide to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 covers what each section of the act means for your role, referencing relevant regulations and the code of practice. Case law and the process of assessing mental capacity includes advice on how to start from the presumption of capacity, tips on preparing for an assessment, and advice on distinguishing the fine line between unwise and incapacitous decisions. Case study: a practical analysis of a mental capacity assessment contains an example of a good mental capacity assessment and how to reflect on your practice. Assessing mental capacity and making best interests decisions provides an understanding of the presumption of capacity, practicable steps you can take to support someone to make a decision, and how to make use of the best interests checklist. Case law in relation to making best interests decisions covers the importance of including the individual’s wishes and feelings when making a best interests decision, and how to use the best interests checklist and the balance-sheet approach to help you arrive at the right decision. Section-by-section guide to the Mental Health Act 1983 covers what each section of the act means for your role, referencing relevant regulations and the code of practice. The interface between the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 outlines the key differences between the two pieces of legislation, and how to decide which regime to follow in a hospital or community setting when admission and care or treatment might lead to a deprivation of liberty. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards framework: quick guide covers what constitutes a deprivation of liberty, and how the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards system works. The Liberty Protection Safeguards: quick guide explains how the Liberty Protection Safeguards will differ from the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, the settings where the LPS will apply, and the role of the approved mental capacity professional. The mental capacity, deprivation of liberty and best interests knowledge and practice hub contains the key steps to follow when assessing capacity or making a best interests decision, determining whether a situation amounts to a deprivation of liberty, and what case law says about capacity to consent. Understanding the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 covers the principles of data protection, its relevance to social services, and what you need to know to remain compliant. Time management: how to feel more in control of your workload includes tips on taking control over your work goals and making sure they are SMART, using and analysing a time diary, and managing interruptions. Developing emotional resilience and wellbeing in practitioners outlines the essential components to build resilience and what you can do to enhance your emotional resilience. Supervision: building high quality relationships looks at ways to create a safe space within the supervisory relationship, and how to use supervision to offer emotional support to supervisees. The continuing healthcare knowledge and practice hub details the process governing the continuing healthcare system in England and Wales, explains how to apply the primary health needs test for determining eligibility for continuing healthcare in practice, and outlines how social care practitioners can put across their side of the argument at each stage of the continuing healthcare assessment. From trust to mistrust: improving relationships between GPs and social workers contains training materials to help social workers build better relationships with GPs.

What the statement says

Resources to help you

• Social workers working with adults should be able to confidently fulfil their statutory responsibilities, work within their organisation’s remit and contribute to its development.

• They must understand and work effectively within financial and legal frameworks, obligations, structures and culture, in particular human rights and equalities legislation, the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and accompanying guidance and codes of practice.

• They must be able to operate successfully in their organisational context, demonstrating effective time management, caseload management and be capable of reconciling competing demands and embrace information, data and technology appropriate to their role.

• They should have access to regular quality supervision to support their professional resilience and emotional and physical wellbeing.

• Social workers should work effectively and confidently with fellow professionals in inter-agency, multi-disciplinary and interprofessional groups and demonstrate effective partnership working particularly in the context of health and social care integration and at the interface between health, children and adult social care and the third sector.

Section-by-section guide to the Care Act 2014 covers what each section of the act means for your role, referencing relevant regulations and the statutory guidance.

The A-Z of the Care Act 2014 contains definitions and explanations of the key terms in use in the Care Act and its accompanying statutory guidance.

Financial assessments under the Care Act 2014 details the purpose of a financial assessment, when one should and should not be completed, and what is taken into account or disregarded.

Webinar: difficult conversations under the Care Act helps staff act in a legally defensible manner, particularly when dealing with issues arising from resource constraints within local authorities.

Section-by-section guide to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 covers what each section of the act means for your role, referencing relevant regulations and the code of practice.

Case law and the process of assessing mental capacity includes advice on how to start from the presumption of capacity, tips on preparing for an assessment, and advice on distinguishing the fine line between unwise and incapacitous decisions.

Case study: a practical analysis of a mental capacity assessment contains an example of a good mental capacity assessment and how to reflect on your practice.

Assessing mental capacity and making best interests decisions provides an understanding of the presumption of capacity, practicable steps you can take to support someone to make a decision, and how to make use of the best interests checklist.

Case law in relation to making best interests decisions covers the importance of including the individual’s wishes and feelings when making a best interests decision, and how to use the best interests checklist and the balance-sheet approach to help you arrive at the right decision.

Section-by-section guide to the Mental Health Act 1983 covers what each section of the act means for your role, referencing relevant regulations and the code of practice.

The interface between the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 outlines the key differences between the two pieces of legislation, and how to decide which regime to follow in a hospital or community setting when admission and care or treatment might lead to a deprivation of liberty.

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards framework: quick guide covers what constitutes a deprivation of liberty, and how the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards system works.

The Liberty Protection Safeguards: quick guide explains how the Liberty Protection Safeguards will differ from the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, the settings where the LPS will apply, and the role of the approved mental capacity professional.

The mental capacity, deprivation of liberty and best interests knowledge and practice hub contains the key steps to follow when assessing capacity or making a best interests decision, determining whether a situation amounts to a deprivation of liberty, and what case law says about capacity to consent.

Understanding the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 covers the principles of data protection, its relevance to social services, and what you need to know to remain compliant.

Time management: how to feel more in control of your workload includes tips on taking control over your work goals and making sure they are SMART, using and analysing a time diary, and managing interruptions.

Developing emotional resilience and wellbeing in practitioners outlines the essential components to build resilience and what you can do to enhance your emotional resilience.

Supervision: building high quality relationships looks at ways to create a safe space within the supervisory relationship, and how to use supervision to offer emotional support to supervisees.

The continuing healthcare knowledge and practice hub details the process governing the continuing healthcare system in England and Wales, explains how to apply the primary health needs test for determining eligibility for continuing healthcare in practice, and outlines how social care practitioners can put across their side of the argument at each stage of the continuing healthcare assessment.

From trust to mistrust: improving relationships between GPs and social workers contains training materials to help social workers build better relationships with GPs.

Organisational context KSS 9

Links to resource maps for other parts of the KSS: