Health & Social Care: Multi-Agency Support Plan for Liam Malcolm

This health and social care assignment presents a detailed care plan for Liam Malcolm, a 16-year-old boy facing multiple challenges including family issues, substance abuse, and gang involvement. The plan emphasizes multi-agency working, involving youth workers, social workers, education professionals, and the police, to provide comprehensive support. It addresses Liam's need for guidance, family support, and intervention to deter him from harmful activities. The assignment also discusses relevant UK legislation, such as the Medicines Act, Misuse of Drugs Act, and Care Act 2014, outlining how these laws protect vulnerable individuals and ensure their well-being. Furthermore, it highlights the ethical considerations and organizational principles that professionals should adhere to when working with Liam and his family, stressing commitment, leadership, cultural understanding, and respect. The report also acknowledges potential delivery issues in implementing the care plan, such as initial resistance from the family, and emphasizes the importance of regular reviews and accurate reporting to ensure effective care delivery. This document, contributed by a student, is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide range of study resources and AI-based tools for students.

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Assignment
Health and Social Care
Student Name:
Submitted by:
University:

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Care Plan
Liam being raised by his maternal grandparents is not adaptive to live with his parents and
siblings after death of grandparents. Liam is deprived of adequate parental care as his father is
alcoholic and mother is working lady, having no time to care for kids. He fell in ill company of
local gangs where he learned to smoke skunk. He is inconsistent at his school. Few days back he
got attacked by the rival gang and got his jaw broken. He also got a stab wound over his leg.
Also, his girlfriend reported to be pregnant. I think that the scenario of the family shows that the
parents Donald and Mary, have no time to care for their children. The family support for the
children is negligible.
The social workers can provide extended protection, personal care, and support services for the
family in safeguarding their best interests. They can provide Youth Program support to Donald’s
family through social fund. They can educate and train Liam for better career options and a more
productive life.
Multi Agency Working
The Multi Agency Organizations work in a collaborative manner acting as a single point of
entry. They research the case study in a thorough manner assessing the potential risk factors and
share the collected data with all the agencies involved(UK Home Office, 2014).
Liam’s family needs community based multi agency assistance to avail a range of support
services they require to improve their life. The professionals who may support them involve
Youth Worker, Social Workers, Education and Police. The education can be provided to
differentiate between right and wrong in society. The youth support groups can divert his interest
towards the positive ways of earning money and becoming responsible person instead of falling
prey of ill gangs. The social support services for Donald may help him to get rid of his alcoholic
addiction. He may get treatment for alcohol detoxification and intensive rehabilitation for this
problem. Several Social support Organizations in London can help the family like National
Health Services (NHS), Community Drugs and Recovery Services (Brahm and Andrew, 2015).

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The social workers are aware of the ill factors in the families like poverty, and ill mental health
which make them prone to the substance use. They can support and motivate the family in
changing their problems with their supportive behavior. They can build up trust and support in
family relationships.
The Youth workers can help Liam understand his family needs in various roles. Liam can guide
his younger sister, and may support his father in taking care of the house, cooking and cleaning.
Liam and his sister Lulu can help Donald in starting a small family business, after school hours.
Donald also needs emotional support. Donald can develop his skills to become bread winner to
help his wife in getting rid of long working hours of job so that she can also spend time with the
children. Liam needs thorough guidance and support of youth workers to advocate and empower
him.
The police can warn Liam of his irresponsible behavior and links with the gang indulged in
illegal practices. Police can arrest him for selling and smoking the Skunk drug at the age less
than 18 (Childline, 2019). The police can confiscate the cigarettes. He can also be punished for
indulging in fight with the rival gang. Liam can be sent to schools and preferentially his
behavior, conduct and Gang Company needs to be monitored by the school teachers so that he
could become more inclined towards the education.
Liam is unaware of London’s lifestyle as he has spent most of life in Ireland. So, the family and
Social workers need to help him to get involved and understand the rich cultural heritage of UK.
Liam’s difficulty to settle in London and teasing due to his physique should be properly
addressed by the social and youth workers. Liam should be educated about the illegal activities
of his gang regarding delivery and sale of skunk, which are taking him towards a dark future.
Liam’s adaptability with the gang is due to his distant relationship with his own family.
Legislative, Guidelines, Procedure and Policy frameworks in Multi-
agency working
I feel the vulnerable children like Liam are more protected when the interdisciplinary agencies
and multiagency groups work in collaboration with the families. Such collaboration is required to

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ensure safeguarding the interest of Liam and his family for encouraging their wellness.
According to the guidelines of (Department of Health,2013), directing the roles of health and
care services in safeguarding adults, the social workers may take action against the gang which
encouraged illegal addiction and drug transport by using innocent kids like Liam. It will be a
lesson to learn for the other similar kids in society and will prevent the similar incidents to occur
(Norwich, 2015).
According to the Legislation of UK, the three main statutes may be enforced by the police to
regulate the drug use by Liam: The Medicines Act (1968), The Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) and
The Psychoactive Substances Act (2016) (Drugwise, 2019). These Acts prevent and ban the
unlawful possession and supply of controlled drugs like Canabis and Skunk.
I propose that the social Care to be provided to Liam’s family must be ensured under the Care
Act 2014, where the local social worker authorities will have the responsibility to promote the
individual well being of Liam and his father, and to promote the integration of care. The care
delivered will have to meet the needs of the family (UK Government Legislation, 2019).
The family can also lodge a complaint under the Local Authority Social Services and National
Health Services Complaints Regulations 2009, in case there are any discrepancies in the social
and youth workers’ services (UK Government legislation, 2019).
I feel that, as Liam is less than 18 year old, the Safeguarding Adults Boards may help in
addressing the issues like responding to the cases of child abuse, sharing the responsibilities of
the family in addressing the complex cases of child abuse and bad company. They may do so
through redundant interview sessions, communication breakdowns and intimidation of
courtroom procedures with the family members (Sutton Safeguarding Adults Board
[SSAB],2015). It will also help in preventing the trauma of systems’ impact on the Liam.
Liam can also seek protection and care under the considerations of National Action Plans for the
children, General Protocols for Protection of children from neglect and abuse, Child Protection
Acts, Standards for social service for children, Care Act 2014 etc (Social Care Institute for

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Excellence, 2019). These legislative protocols will direct the implementation of Social services
to support the vulnerable family (Bregu & Delani, 2016).
I think that Liam may be given protection under the strategies of Section 2 of Care Act.
(Association of Directors of Adult Social Services[ADASS], 2015).
Liam is also liable under the Section 11 of Children Act 2004, to seek welfare from the
concerned Organizations to safeguard his interests and welfare (Sutton Safeguarding Adults
Board [SSAB],2015). This Act also supports the children with additional help in case the adults
of the family are alcoholic and suffer from mental illness, complex requirements and violent
relationships (London Association of Directors of Adult Social Services [ADASS], (2015).
Values, Ethos, Organizational Principles of Professionals involved
The involved Professionals need to practice ethics and values like commitment, leadership roles,
and informative approach with all the knowledge about the client behavior and social context.
They need to exhibit mutual respect for the client and should have cultural understanding of the
family to help them as per their priorities.
They should understand the common language used by the client. The multi agency team may
involve health visitors, ancillary health workers, family support worker, clinical psychologist,
link social workers and center’s senior manager. A language therapist may be needed to
communicate with the client when they could not understand the client’s language. The health
visitors need to have parent’s consent to support the child below 18 years. The family support
workers may understand the issues in the family and may arrange a meeting with them collecting
all the information from the family and thereafter can arrange a visit, according to agreement
with the family.
Appropriate safeguarding options may be discussed with Donald, to provide him primary right of
decision making for Liam. Donald should be supported to help him make decisions for his own
treatment as well.
Roles of Professionals Involved

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The Safeguarding Adult Boards and specialist safeguarding staff can monitor the effectiveness of
outcomes. Social Care providers will train the staff in effective implementation of safeguarding
procedures, Social workers will identify the concerns and will respond to them, police will
investigate the criminal activities and will ensure protection for the victim. The Care Quality
Commission will inspect, monitor and regulate the care services to deliver compassionate and
quality care.
Delivery Issues in care plan
The family may initially refuse to get the assistance from the social workers or any social groups
however, understanding the role of these organizations and adequate knowledge about them may
enhance the knowledge about their work. The family may refuse to allow the family health
worker to visit the family. The family care plan, if implemented involves a review of the changes
taking place in the family members every 6 months. The family should support in reporting the
correct details and status of the issues at that point of time to facilitate effective care delivery.

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References
Brahm N., and Andrew E., (2015) The new special educational needs (SEN) legislation in
England and implications for services for children and young people with social, emotional and
behavioural difficulties,Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 20:2, 117-
132, DOI: 10.1080/13632752.2014.989056
Bregu,E. and Delani,S. (2016). Multi-Agency Working In Child Protection. Retrieved from
https://childhub.org/en/system/tdf/library/attachments/multi-
agency_working_in_child_protection_2016_08_09.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=24849
Childline (2019). Smoking. Retrieved from https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/you-your-
body/drugs-alcohol-smoking/smoking/#2
Delap,E.(2013). Protect my future. Retrieved from https://www.terredeshommes.org/wp-
content/uploads/2013/06/20130322_protect_our_future_summary_document_april_2013.pdf
Department of Health (2013). Safeguarding – roles and responsibilities in health and care
services . Retrieved from http://www.hampshiresab.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Safeguarding-
Adults-Roles-and-responsibilities-in-health-and-care-services.pdf
Drugwise (2019). What are the UK drug laws? Retrieved from
https://www.drugwise.org.uk/what-are-the-uk-drug-laws/
London Association of Directors of Adult Social Services [ADASS], (2015). London
Multiagency Adult Safeguarding Policy & Procedures. Retrieved from
http://londonadass.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/LONDON-MULTI-AGENCY-ADULT-
SAFEGUARDING-POLICY-AND-PROCEDURES.pdf
Norwich,B.(2015). The new special educational needs (SEN) legislation in England. Retrieved
from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13632752.2014.989056
Social Care Institute for Excellence (2019). Multi-agency working: Legislation and policy.
Retrieved from
https://www.scie.org.uk/publications/nqswtool/multiagencyworking/legislation.asp
Sutton Safeguarding Adults Board [SSAB],(2015). Legislation, National & Local Policies.
Retrieved from http://www.suttonsab.co.uk/legislation.html
Walker,G.(2018). A Critical Introduction to Multi-Agency Working. 2nd Edition. UK:
Bloomsbury.

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UK Home Office (2014). Multi Agency Working and Information Sharing Project Final report.
Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/
attachment_data/file/338875/MASH.pdf
UK Government legislation (2019). The local Authority Social Services and National Health
Service Complaints Regulations 2009. Retrieved from
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/309/contents/made