“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?