Introduction: Key issues
How a Mental Health Nurse contributes to Social Care will be assessed in this paper. All citizens of a country are eligible to receive social care and protection. In regards to the case study character Ms. Cora has been abused in her home by her husband as well as by society by not being addressed even though Social Care was informed (Case Study). Agency stakeholders such as health care, health nurse, doctors, and local government are responsible for protecting victims such as Cora. Care tools such as DASH, and EHCH play a significant role in evaluating the techniques and strategies for protecting patients and endangered citizens. Service users and all agencies should be involved in the service care decision-making process to upgrade the services and make the system efficient. Social care models play a significant role in making excellent mutual understanding among all the stakeholders, including service users.
Individual Contribution of a Mental Health Nurse in social care
A mental health nurse is mainly responsible for promoting and supporting the mental health patient in recovering and enabling them to have more control and involvement in their activities (Curtis, 2013). The mental health nurse has significant duties and responsibilities towards maintaining the Social Care status of any country because of the underlying responsibilities of their jobs and duties are consisted of. As a nurse of Mental Health, she should talk to Ms Cora (the patient), assess the problems, and find the best way to solve the problems through delivering care. Building relationships with the patient and listening to the problems give great psychological support (Curtis and Burns, 2015). Therefore, the nurse should also build relationships and listen to the patient about the issues giving great psychological support and strength. In addition, the nurse should investigate the source of discomfort in a friendly manner and try to make her come to their usual life.
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Based on the problems and features of the patient, the nurse should determine the medications and use of medications and, importantly monitor the impact of the treatment. The nurse should also play a leading role in introducing her to the doctor and collaborate with other agency stakeholders such as doctors, health visitors etc. The nurse should also play an important role in helping the patient participate in evidence-based therapy to reduce anxiety, cognitive behaviour and depression. Finally, the nurse should introduce the patient to different social programs to help her acquire social skills. The above duties to the patient will significantly help to recover the social stigma and mental disorder condition. All the above jobs and responsibilities should be performed by a mental health nurse. The nurse should perform the above responsibilities in the case of Mr Cora or any other circumstances.
The rationale for social care tools/Processes in Care Planning Process
Social care tools and processes refer to a comprehensive and inclusive diagram or model that aims to protect people regardless of their gender or age in the UK (Brett et al., 2014). Common special features of the model are that they critically evaluate the vulnerable details of the victim, they find the source of the problem, and the model shows the way to protect the victim. Different social care models include DASH Risk Identification, assessment and management model, EHCH Model, MCP Model, and PACS Model (Heslop et al., 2014). In regards to the case study, Ms Cara, DASH Risk Identification, assessment and management model, and EHCH model should be adopted for the below reasons.
The rationale for DASH Model
Firstly, this detailed, comprehensive model has evaluated the patient’s situation in many aspects. Such information gives the social care department a clear idea about the real situation to help them assist Ms Cara. Secondly, the survey has both open-ended and close-ended questions in which Ms Cara can also put qualitative comments to explain the situation clearly. This also helps Social Care Department to have insights into the problems. Thirdly, DASH Model collects qualitative and quantitative information about the current situation, details of abusers, the number of children, and frequencies of the violence or abuses in small details. Such detailed information is important to separate the victim from the place and put her in a safe home. At the same time, the information will help to punish the abusers. Fourthly, the model also categorizes the extent of risks into two types: medium risks and high risks, which a patient can select. High risk implies that rapid actions should be taken to save the victim. Finally, DASH Model suggests a framework named RARA Model, which navigates Social Care authority the ways to solve the problem and save the victim.
The rationale for EHCH Model
Firstly, EHCH offers the patient two options: staying at the patient’s residence or staying at the vanguards operated by the Social Care (NHS, 2020). Therefore, Ms Cara can either stay at her residence, or she can stay at the vanguard. Secondly, EHCH works in collaboration with other agencies such as local government, the community, voluntary etc. This will also play a good role in helping Ms Cara because different social care agencies are involved with the case of home abuse.
Importance of Service User’s voice in the social care decision-making process
The involvement of service users in social care decisions means helping the service users to coordinate their own health and social services (Aoun et al., 2012). It is not merely about making a list of treatments and providing them with the services; rather, it involves making a forum or platform where the service users can have a say or opinion on how they want the social care services to be (Osborne and Strokosch, 2013). As the definition implies, counting the service user’s voice in social care will significantly improve the quality of services in a number of ways.
Enhancement of Health & Well-being: People’s health, well-being and lives can significantly be improved if the service user themselves are able to take part in the healthcare development process (Mockford et al., 2012). People who will consume the services will be able to have their say in the development of the services of how the service users will be served, what services to include, what to be the features etc.
Improvement of healthcare quality: Forum and platform generated through discussion, analysis and evaluation result in effective and service-user-oriented decisions (Cook, 2011). The result of such critically analyzed decisions brings greater satisfaction among the service users. As a consequence, the service users demonstrate a greater level of satisfaction. Additionally, service users feel a sense of satisfaction and they feel less regret because they are involved in the decision-making process.
Enhancement of financial stability through effective distribution of resources: Many resources can be saved, and the distribution of services can be made greatly efficient and energy-saving if coordination and collaboration happen at the planning stage (Scott‐Pillai et al., 2013). The involvement of service users also helps social care to efficiently utilize the resources and make efficient distribution plan as per the needs of the community. For example, service users will reveal their health problems. Thus social care can arrange those programs in that area, eliminating the extra costs of arranging some other services.
Legal Duty: In many countries, including the UK, it is the legal duty of the Social Care department to engage the service users in the decision-making process (Aveyard, 2014). It is legally bound because of the reasons shown above.
Social Care Plan to meet the needs of service users and other stakeholders
Care Plan is an inclusive and comprehensive essay that includes the needs and accessible ways to receive those needs, views and preferences of the service users (population, 2011).
Gathering and sharing information: In the first stage, Social Care Department should collect the required information from the service users about their needs and expectation and from the agency stakeholders to know their difficulties in executing the social care services.
Establishing mutual understanding among users and agencies: At this second stage, there should be a mutual understanding among the service users and agencies through a common platform to build mutual trust and understanding among internal and external stakeholders. This will pave the way for better relationships among all stakeholders.
Systematic review: This stage should conduct a systematic review of all the reviews from service users and agencies.
Exploring and discussing options: After review, it is time to have an evaluative view of all the options and determine the choices.
Setting goals: The team then should finalize what to achieve and when to achieve it.
Ensuring safety and support: Finally, a safety plan is made to make social care as safe as possible. A support plan helps someone who wants to take care of his own health.
Legislation and Roles
Mental Health Act 1983
The underlying principle of the Mental Health Act 1983 is that it is the right of people with mental disorders to have assessment and treatment in hospitals or in any mental health facility (Crown and Database Right, 2020). The act also implies that the health service must be voluntary, which implies that the patient must agree to the treatment and stay at the hospital and facility.
In case of a severe mental health crisis, the patient can be detained with the help of mental health hospitals, policies and any other stakeholders under a Section 135 warrant (Crown and Database Right, 2020). However, in case of non-emergency, family members, a caretaker, or other professionals should talk about the mental health of a patient and can take a further steps to hospitalize with the help of doctors.
As per this act, Ms Cora should be considered a non-emergency case, and her mental health nurse should take the lead role in treatment.
Mental Capacity Act 2005
The law aims to help and empower those people who lack the mental capacity to take care of themselves and make decisions (Crown and Database Right-2, 2020). People requiring help include, as per this law, those suffering from the below problems:
Dementia: On-going decline of brain functioning
Severe learning disability: People who take more time than usual to learn
Brain Injury: Includes brain damage
Mental health illness: People who expose to unusual behavior
Stroke: Brain stroke resulting in unconsciousness
As per this act, Ms. Cora’s problem is related to Mental Health Illness.
Human Rights Act 1998
Human Rights Act 1998 are very basic rights and freedom that should be available to every person in the world (Vick, 2002). The act implies that every person should have basic rights such as dignity, fairness, freedom, equality, and respect (Vick, 2002).
As per this act, several issues were violated in the case of Ms. Cora, such as dignity and respect were violated. Her divorced husband should be charged in this regard.
Conclusion
A mental health nurse has a number of responsibilities toward society. Ms Cara was deprived of social care even after the concerned department was informed. Social care tools and processes such as DASH and EHCH play significant roles in upholding the service in a community. The involvement of the service users also helps a community to improve the quality of service.