“Changes in society, opinion, politics & values - impact on
technology advances that are unknown”
Kevin DoughtyCo-Director, Centre for Usable Home Technologies
University of York and Newcastle University
Alliance Hub, Venlaw Building, Bath Street, GlasgowFriday, 8th March, 2013
Imagining the Future - enabling technology
Feedback and Presentation Event
Issues to be Addressed
• What is social work?
• Who will need social work?
• Demography
• Chronic disease burden
• The Welfare State
• Disability
• Who and Where are the
Workers?
• Service provision
• Finding people who don’t fit
• Big data and the Big
Society
• The High Street
• Privacy
• Data protection and sharing
• Information sharing
• Connecting with people
• Downloading everything
• Health and well-being
• Attitudes to public health
issues – obesity, smoking,
alcohol abuse, drugs
• Attitudes to surveillance
• Attitudes to driving
What is Social Work?Social work is a professional and academic discipline that
seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an
individual, group, or community by intervening through
research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and
teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or
perceived social injustices and violations of their human rights.
Research is often focused on areas such as human
development, social policy, public administration,
psychotherapy, program evaluation, and international and
community development. Social workers are organized into
local, national, continental and international professional
bodies. Social work, an interdisciplinary field, includes theories
from economics, education, sociology, medicine, philosophy,
politics, anthropology, and psychology.
Who Will Need Social Work Help?Some of the people who might need the support or
advice of social workers include:• Older people who are unable to perform some ADLs
• Families who are unable to cope
• Cared for children
• Families with problems
• People with physical, sensory or learning disabilities
• People with Mental health problems
• Teenagers leaving care
• Recently released prisoners
• Those with a drug, alcohol or substance abuse problem
• Victims of social injustice
• Vulnerable adults facing abuse
• People without capacity
• Those who are socially excluded
7 Domains of Social Exclusion
Demography
Chronic Disease Burden
Older People Are Challenged
by Multiple Conditions
© KD 2013
The Welfare State
Attitude to Disability
Who and Where are the Workers?
• Domiciliary carers
• Care Managers
• Support workers
• Personal assistants
Service Provision and Response
• Profiling
• Assessment
• Provision
• Maintenance
Digital Reminiscence Therapy
© KD 2013
Finerday Reminiscence System
© KD 2013
Memaxi System
© KD 2013
Finding People Who Don’t Fit
Big Data and a Big Society
The High Street
City centre vs.
Retail Park vs
Online
Personal Privacy
Data Protection
Information Sharing
Connecting with People or Friends
Downloading Everything
– Data Overload
Health and Well-being
Attitudes to Public Health Issues
• Smoking cessation
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Sexually transmitted disease
• Obesity
• Influenza
Attitudes to Surveillance
Attitudes to Driving
• Should older people be allowed to drive?