Learning in Later Life ─ Challenges for Social Work and Social Care

Within the UK and Europe, government legislation and policies concerned with demography have asserted a paradigmatic shift towards the increased engagement of older people with public services. The philosophy of user involvement and co-production within these contexts has become integral to finding ways in which to improve the wellbeing of older people and their experiences of ageing well. Whilst this area has been steadily emerging within the educational field in relation to the lifelong learning of older people, there has been a relative under-theorization and a lack of empirical research however into the lifelong learning needs, opportunities and experiences of those older people using social care who are typically marginalized from these debates and developments. This book address this gap by paying specific attention to examining what opportunities might be present within care services and public services in general for older people using social care to capitalize on the skills and knowledge they might need to achieve more person-centred support. Through developing a debate and argument for the convergence of the lifelong learning agenda with social policy and social care, its core argument focusses on the challenge of sustainability of the care and support of older people and how social care should engage more meaningfully with concepts such as social capital and the challenges associated with achieving a genuine co-productive approach towards the quality of experience of older people using social care. This book will be an essential read for professionals working with older people in health and social care, as well as those engaged with gerontology and ageing studies in education and practice.

Dr Trish Hafford-Letchfield is Professor of Social Care at Middlesex University where she has been responsible for delivering an interprofessional Leadership Programme for people working in the public and community services. Trish also contributes to teaching on research methods, social policy and adult social care. As a trained nurse, social worker, manager and educator, Trish has particular research, teaching and practice expertise in older people and management. She is a committed lifelong learner and much of her expertise lies in the engagement of service users, carers and the voluntary sector in the development and delivery of social care services. She has published extensively across a range of interests and her more recent publications include two edited texts ’Revisiting Anti-Discriminatory and Anti-Oppressive Theories for Social Work Practice’ with Christine Cocker for Palgrave in 2014; and ’Ethics and Values for Social Work Practice’ with Linda Bell for McGraw-Hill in 2015. She has particular interest in LGBTQI older people, solo women in later life and in exploring the use of the arts in social care.