The Integration of Mental Health Social Work and the NHS (Post-qualifying Social Work Practice Series)

The integration of services has been NHS policy for a number of years, but how successfully has it been achieved? This book explores the issues from a social care perspective and examines changes in practice so far, particularly progress towards the overall aim of improving the experience of the service user and achieving ′seamless services′. The clash between medically-driven and socially-driven approaches has long been discussed and the book considers whether these two approaches have now been reconciled, or whether the reality of modern service provision continues to create a range of power struggles and demoralization among the professional groups.