Social work news

• Transparency data: DHSC: spending over £500, October 2025

  28-11-2025 18:12 via gov.uk
  Department of Health and Social Care spending by electronic purchasing card solution (ePCS), over £500.
  
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• Glossary

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  An alphabetical list of technical words and terms and their meanings and definitions that are used in the UK clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment.
  
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• Annex 4: development group and other contributors

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  Members of the expert guidelines development group, the experts through experience group and small groups advising the development of these guidelines.
  
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• Annex 3: alcohol withdrawal symptoms

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  A summary of common alcohol withdrawal symptoms and serious complications of alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol treatment staff should be able to understand and recognise the signs of alcohol withdrawal.
  
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• Annex 2: fitness to drive

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  This annex explains when people and healthcare professionals must notify the relevant agency about conditions such as alcohol use disorders that may affect driving safety.
  
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• Annex 1: relevant legislation and guidance

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  An overview of relevant legislation and guidance from across the UK's 4 nations, covering child and adult safeguarding, mental capacity, carers and domestic abuse.
  
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• 27. Armed forces

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How to treat problem alcohol use in UK armed forces personnel and veterans. It covers evidence-based interventions adapted for armed forces settings, the transition to civilian life and tailored support for veterans in community alcohol treatment services.
  
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• 26. Parents in alcohol treatment services

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How alcohol treatment services can support parents and their children, including safeguarding responsibilities, working with children's social care and assessment and making referrals.
  
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• 25. Developing inclusive services

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How alcohol treatment services can become accessible and effective for everyone, especially groups who face barriers to accessing care. This includes ethnic minority groups, LGBTQ+ people, women, older adults and people with learning disabilities or neurodevelopmental conditions.
  
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• 24. Pregnancy and perinatal care

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How to support women and other people who are pregnant to reduce or stop their alcohol use to reduce risks for the fetus and mother. It covers information and advice, multi-agency care planning, specialist treatment for alcohol dependence and support in the perinatal period.
  
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• 23. Specialist alcohol interventions and support for children and young people

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How to provide specialist alcohol interventions and support for children and young people. This includes assessment, care planning, multi-agency co-ordination, working with parents, safeguarding and the transition arrangements needed for young people moving to adult services.
  
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• 22. People experiencing or perpetrating domestic abuse

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How to identify, assess and respond to domestic abuse among both victims and perpetrators in alcohol treatment services. It covers safety planning, staff training, multi-agency approaches and appropriate referral pathways and working with specialist domestic abuse services.
  
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• 21. People experiencing homelessness

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How to provide tailored alcohol treatment for people experiencing homelessness. It covers strategies for improving access and engagement, highlighting the need for multi-agency integrated care to address alcohol use, housing and wider needs while reducing health inequalities.
  
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• 20. People with alcohol related brain damage

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How to prevent, identify, assess and treat alcohol related brain damage (ARBD) using brief cognitive assessment, harm reduction, multidisciplinary pathways for comprehensive assessment and treatment planning, adapted interventions for cognitive impairments and long term support.
  
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• 19. People with co-occurring physical health conditions

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  Healthcare assessments, treatment and recovery planning and referral pathways for primary or secondary healthcare for people with alcohol related physical health conditions including liver disease, cardiovascular disease, specific cancers, and smoking and lung health issues.
  
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• 18. People with co-occurring mental health conditions

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How to support people with co-occurring mental health conditions and problem alcohol use, emphasising the 'everyone's job' and 'no wrong door' principles while outlining co-ordinated care across mental health and alcohol treatment services and evidence-based interventions.
  
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• 17. Alcohol treatment in the criminal justice system

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How to deliver alcohol treatment interventions in police custody suites, prisons and other secure settings and for people with community sentences or on licence.
  
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• 16. Alcohol care in acute hospitals

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How to care for people with alcohol-use disorders in acute hospitals, covering assessment, providing a multidisciplinary approach, managing withdrawal, treating complications and planning discharge to ensure continuity of care with community alcohol treatment services.
  
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• 15. Primary care and community health services

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How primary and community health services can routinely identify health risk from alcohol use and respond appropriately. GPs and their teams identify and manage alcohol related health conditions, provide harm reduction interventions and work with specialist alcohol services.
  
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• 14. Residential treatment and intensive structured day programmes

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  Residential treatment and intensive structured day programmes for alcohol dependence aim to help people achieve abstinence and begin recovery through evidence-based interventions. This includes group work, individual support and planning for continuity of care in the community.
  
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• 13. Community alcohol treatment and recovery services

  28-11-2025 16:46 via gov.uk
  How community alcohol treatment and recovery services can provide accessible, trauma-informed, inclusive care. This includes how they work with health, care and recovery services to develop personalised treatment plans and deliver evidence-based interventions.
  
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• Working together to raise the healthiest generation ever

  28-11-2025 12:51 via gov.uk
  The Secretary of State addressed the Barnardo's Health Conference about children’s health.
  
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