Japanese Journal of Social Welfare

The Developments of Quasi-market and the Elderly Care Policy in England

Keiko YAMAMOTO

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 3-16
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_3

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During the last decade, major changes have been made in the organization and delivery of elderly care in England. Local governments are expected to purchase most of their services from the independent sector. This arrangement became known as quasi-markets. The quasi-markets and commissioning have been a central element in the government's overall strategy, which is designed to promote greater efficiency by encouraging more competition and to promote a greater diversity of service providers and consequently more consumer choice. To put it in a wider perspective, commissioning is the process by which local authorities decide how to spend their money to get the best possible services for local people. The stakeholders including local people need to contribute to the commissioning process. However, the quasi-markets are by no means fully competitive markets. As for funding care services, local authorities, working within cash-limited budgets, now impose low unit costs on service providers. As a result, they are faced with financial difficulty, causing the closure of their care homes, and eventually overall the care capacity in England has decreased. In order to fund care services properly, the central-local financial relationship has to be reconsidered.

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Influential Factors concerning the Management of a Regional Network for the Prevention of Child Abuse : "Situations as if They are Lying on a Bed of Thorns" and Three Contexts

Noriko YAMANO

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 17-29
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_17

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My purpose in this article is to clarify by means of evidence the contexts relating to the management of the regional child abuse prevention network. I analyze data acquired through semi-structured interviews with twelve practitioners in the regional network, using a Modified Grounded Theory Approach. The result of this study explains that the regional network had two stages: the early stage and functional stage. There is a "situation as if they [managers] are lying on a bed of thorns" that influences both stages and the three contexts: the position, the relationship and the family's sense of values-each have a different influence on each stage. Finally, I explore future challenges in regional networking practice for child abuse and neglect in Japan.

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Perceptions of the Caregiving Role among Mothers of Children with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities and their Impact on the Mothers' Well-being

Kaoru NAKAGAWA, Atsuo NEZU, Keiko SHISHIKURA

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 30-42
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_30

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This research sought to examine the structure of "perceptions of the caregiving role" among mothers caring for children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and clarify the impact of these "perceptions of the caregiving role" on the well-being of the mother. Subjects were154mothers receiving a questionnaire for mothers of children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities residing in the suburbs of Tokyo. Results of analysis indicated the following. Five factors were identified with regard to the structure of "perceptions of the caregiving role": "being solely responsible for the role, " "primacy of the caregiving role, " "maximization of role involvement, " "recognition of personal gain, " and "role captivity." Of these, those factors having a significant impact on the well-being of the mother were "being solely responsible for the role, " "recognition of personal gain, " and "role captivity." Among these impacting factors, "role captivity, " i.e. being constrained by perceptions as part of norms regarding fulfillment of the caregiving role, had the greatest impact on well-being and resulted in indirectly diminishing well-being through the reduction of social support overall and amplification of secondary stressors.

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'Identity' and People with Disabilities : Deaf People

Keiko OKUDA

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 43-54
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_43

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This paper speculates on the inevitability of disabled people who belong to minority groups to stress their identity, and how that inevitability is related to the state of contemporary (and later) society. First, the study sorts out the transition in the concept of "community, " which is the basis of these persons' sense of belonging. Then, taking the case of deaf persons as an example, it focuses on changes in their sense of identity which are rooted in generational differences. It then reveals a structure in which progress in normalization simultaneously subsumes disabled people into a contemporary society that is characterized by reflexivity, thereby intensifying their awareness of their identity as a minority. Today, just as Erikson himself suggested, the presence of diverse perspectives (identities) is becoming mutually accepted, and there is a need for activities that seek common ground. This paper posits that the context for that can be nothing other than the physical and substantive community that emerges only after the experience of a linguistic turn.

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Incentives and Disincentives Regarding "Person Centered Support" of Residents by the Care Staff at Group Home for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

Akiko YAKUSHIJI, Kanji WATANABE

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 55-67
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_55

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This study aims to clarify incentives and disincentives regarding "person centered support" of residents by the care staff at a group home for persons with intellectual disabilities, in order to obtain basic data on the quality of their support. The research method employed was recording of group discussions at seminars for care staff and analyzing the data by a modified grounded theory approach. Disincentives found were (1) "the formation of images of group home and the wrong perception of them", (2) "the formation of images of residents and the wrong perception of them", and (3) "my own logic of Ie-based program", a set of individual distinctive values including these images, which may readily induce (4) "non person centered support". The fact that a group home is run by a single care staff member and that the residents have intellectual disabilities may bring him/her (5) "senses of achievement, self-complacency and pretension" and strengthen these attitudes and acts of his/hers. Incentives include (6) "awareness about the support they give", which is obtained through occasions when they recognize their own acts of support and their influence on the residents ; this awareness can lead to a person centered support.

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Prior Issues in Care for Frail Elderly from the Viewpoint of "Community QOL" : Application of the Delphi Method and Nominal Group Techniques

Masashige SAITO, Sachiko TAKEI, Mai YAMAGUCHI, Yutaka SHIMIZU

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 68-79
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_68

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The purpose of this paper is to obtain an agreement among local people about future priority issues in care for frail elderly from the viewpoint of "community quality of life (community QOL) " by Delphi method and nominal group techniques. The research was conducted in A city of Nagano Prefecture. Two-round Delphi surveys were conducted by mail using 24 evaluation items related to "community QOL" for the frail elderly. The respondents were those who were engaged in formal care (FC) and informal care (IC) for the elderly. They were asked the degree of priority in terms of 5-point rank scale about each item. The effective responses collected were 327 (60.0%) at the first round, and 242 (87.1%) at the second round. The major results of the survey were as follows: 1) Issues given higher priority were not only the basic physical and mental care but also social relationships for and self-realization of the frail elderly. 2) Issues given very high priority were improving professional care for the demented, dissolving social isolation, developing arrangements for safe and convenient transportation, and coping with abuse or neglect. Based on the above results, nominal group techniques were utilized in the focus group interview. The participants were the nine key persons who were engaged in FC and IC in the local community. Through the discussion and polling in the technique process, an agreement was reached on 10 priority issues and pertinent functional sharing patterns between FC and IC to cope with each issue.

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Mental Support for Elderly Long-Term Care Receivers Using "Power Rehabilitation" : A Qualitative Study

Nobuyasu UMETANI

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 80-91
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_80

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The purpose of this study is to develop a support method for reducing the anxiety of elderly long-term care receivers using "power rehabilitation" (PR). The study involved 32 elderly long-term care receivers who underwent the PR program. The data was analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach. In conclusion, the following suggestions were made: 1 ) The support method helps the service users forge better relations with training machines, workers, and other elderly users, and helps in obtaining information regarding PR effects, PR programs, and medical care. 2 ) The basic support described in the "practice manual for power rehabilitation" contributes toward reducing the anxiety of the service users. 3 ) Social workers have an important role to play toward effectively reducing the anxiety of the service users. In further studies, it is necessary to verify these suggestions and clarify the role of welfare workers in the support service.

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Community Residential Support for People with Severe Intellectual Disabilities : Support wherein Group Home Support Staff Introduce the Application of the Active Support Model to Person-Centered Planning

Katsunori FURUI

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 92-105
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_92

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This study aims to propose the process by which support staff can arrange and organize opportunities for people with severe intellectual disabilities, whereby they can participate in various events at community residential facilities such as group homes. Based on person-centered planning, which values the desires and aspirations of each person with disabilities, 'A-no-kai', the subject of the author's study, has recently introduced the Active Support Model, which considers the opportunities and appropriate care for people with severe disabilities, where by they can participate in various activities. The main result was the following process of community residential support at A-no-kai: Support staff assess the needs of each person with severe disabilities by considering what the person is interested in or what the person wants to do. Then, using "staff intervention involving participation from each person with disabilities, "the staff plan, conduct, record, and evaluate the opportunity for each person to engage in/play activities or roles that will enable him/her to have better life experiences. This process reveals (1) the importance of the plan being assessed by more than one support staff member and (2) the necessity of providing training and supervision to front-line staff.

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Foreigner Support for Unity among Different Cultures(Part 1, Forum on Policy and Theory)

Yasutoshi KURAHASHI

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 106-109
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_106

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Support for Women Suffering from Domestic Violence(Part 1, Forum on Policy and Theory)

Yumiko KAGEYAMA

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 110-113
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_110

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"Hikikomori" Problem and Social Work(Part 1, Forum on Policy and Theory)

Toshio HASEGAWA

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 114-117
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_114

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Countermeasures for Disaster Victims : Can Social Work Services Support the Most Vulnerable People(Part 1, Forum on Policy and Theory)

Atsushi TANAKA

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 118-121
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_118

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The Interlocking Faces of Social Welfare Problems : Suggestions from Fieldwork Research(Part 2, Forum on Policy and Theory)

Osamu AOKI

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 122-126
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_122

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A History of the Discussion on Needs and Problems in Social Welfare(Part 2, Forum on Policy and Theory)

Masami NAGAOKA

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 127-132
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_127

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How the Scope of Social Welfare Policy and Practice is Defined?(Part 2, Forum on Policy and Theory)

Masami IWATA

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 133-136
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_133

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[title in Japanese]

[in Japanese]

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 137-139
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_137

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[title in Japanese]

[in Japanese]

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 140-142
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_140

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[title in Japanese]

[in Japanese]

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 143-145
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_143

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[title in Japanese]

[in Japanese]

Article type: Article
2007 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 146-148
Published: August 31, 2007
Released on J-STAGE: July 20, 2018

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.24469/jssw.48.2_146

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