Our featured book looks at social policy and thier consequences since the Cold Climate crisis, while we also feature news of a film to raise awareness about CMT and a life story about people who work with dementia sufferers.
Featured book: Social policy in a Cold Climate: Policies and their consequences since the crisis, by Ruth Lupton et al (eds) ISBN: 9781447327721
This book offers a reference guide for readers who wants facts, figures and a meticulous analysis of social policy in order to critique the claims that make headline news.
The ‘crisis’ in the title refers to 2007-2015: a period marked by global recession and pressures on public spending to meet changing population needs.
The book is presented in two sections. In the first, chapters two to nine, the authors present a detailed account of policies, spending trends and the impact of policy on topic areas including education, employment, and health and social care.
Facts and figures are presented in a series of well-designed tables and charts with clear signposting to sources of further information.
Each chapter follows a similar structure, making it relatively easy to recognise similarities and differences in how policy is done in a various areas of relevance to physiotherapy practice. Chapters 10 to 13 offer a cross-cutting approach, exploring questions relating to public and private welfare, the changing structure of socioeconomic inequality and spatial inequalities.
The spread of topics creates a tension in the context of political devolution. Each chapter covers UK policy where it applies (such as personal taxes and pensions) but limits itself to England for topics where policy is devolved (such as health and social care), and signposts the reader to policies, facts and figures from the devolved nations. This approach manages the divergence of policy post-devolution and ensures the book does not become an encyclopaedic tome.
While the book is not specific to physiotherapy, it is a potentially valuable resource for understanding the socio-political context and policies that shape contemporary physiotherapy and what it can become.
This is not a book to read cover-to-cover in one sitting, but one to return to as a well-researched reference for thinking critically about current and future physiotherapy practice.
- Gwyn Owen, professional adviser, CSP
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT)
A film has been launched to raise awareness about CMT, said to be the most common inherited neurological condition. The one-minute film aims to spread the word about the condition because so few people have heard of it, including many health and social care professionals.
Stumps and Cranks: An introduction to amputee cycling, by Sonia Sanghani (ed) ISBN: 9781782550884
Many amputees want to know how it feels to be able to cycle, and some even want to be professional amputee cyclists. This book shows them how to get started.
My NHS
This site has been updated. Data for the clinical commissioning group (CCG) clinical improvement and assessment framework, which tracks how well healthcare commissioners are working for the people in their area, now includes the first summary assessments for learning disabilities, dementia and diabetes.
See how your CCG in England is performing, and how it compares with others.
Caring for the Military: A guide for helping professionals, Joan Beder (ed) ISBN: 9781138119529
With overseas deployment scaling down, professionals need practical tools for working with servicemen and women returning from deployment. This book offers case studies and clinical discussions.
Life Story Work with People with Dementia: Ordinary lives, extraordinary people, by Polly Kaiser and Ruth Eley ISBN: 9781849055055
This is an introduction to life story work, which helps people with dementia to connect with their relatives, carers and professionals.
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