"Depression"Biggest Social Issue in UK

It has been observed since last few years that depression, anxiety and other forms of mental illness have taken over from unemployment as the greatest social problem in the UK, a health economist warns today.

As per a research around 15% of the population suffers from depression or anxiety. You’ll be surprised to know that economic cost in terms of lost productivity is huge - around £17bn, or 1.5% of UK gross domestic product. Well "There are now more than 1 million mentally ill people receiving incapacity benefits - more than the total number of unemployed people receiving unemployment benefits," he writes in the British Medical Journal.

Many people take drugs for mental relaxation. According to The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) drugs are not the best answer. Drugs may work in adults in the short term, but patients more easily relapse when they stop taking them, and may suffer side-effects. A company, The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA), which licenses drugs, has told doctors not to prescribe most of the modern antidepressants known as the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), like Seroxat, to under-18s because risks outweigh benefits.

As per an analysis only 4% of all those with depression and anxiety disorders received psychological therapy in the past year, Lord Layard says. However the "talking" therapies are popular with patients who often do not want drugs.

The cost of therapy is about £750 for each patient. And in the next two years it is likely he or she will have about 12 extra months free of illness compared with no treatment, and at least one extra month in work worth more than £1,880, which more than pays the £750 cost of treatment. Infact there are other financial benefits too, which include fewer needing to be hospitalised.

Elderly care system Trend in UK

Currently UK faces a care timebomb within seven years, with the number of elderly needing full-time help outstripping the number of carers, a report has found.

This thing is in news these days that the charity Carers UK yesterday said that without reform the care system is in danger of collapse.

Actually it wants the Government to revolutionise support in the same way that parents have been given access to flexible working and tax credits.

And now the charity's warning came as politicians squabbled over whether to attend a care conference starting today, hosted by Health Secretary Andy Burnham.

Additionally, according to Carers UK, a lack of facilities means one million family members already take time off work to care for aged or disabled relatives, while another six million take some ad-hoc responsibility for caring.

And with the over-85 population expected to double to two million by 2025, the number of carers needed will have to soar as well.

According to Carers UK chief executive Imelda Redmond this army of carers will lose around £1.5bn in potential earnings.

Infact taking time off work also stores up potential problems for carers who will then find themselves facing poverty in old age as they have missed vital pension contributions.

Launching the charity's Tipping Point for Care report, Miss Redmond said: 'By 2017, we will reach the tipping point for care when the numbers of older people needing care will outstrip the numbers of working age family members currently available to meet that demand.

'Unless we take action now, we will be condemning increased families to lives of poverty and ill health.'

Social Activities of Youth in UK

It is becoming very important to get involved in different kind of social activities for relaxation. Basically social activities allow young people the chance to have fun, interact with other youths, learn valuable skills, and feel a part of a group. Young people need constructive ways to stay busy, and youth groups can help to meet that goal. Well if you're an adult who works with youths, you will realize that coming up with new ideas for activities can be a challenge; it helps to first plan objectives for your group, and then find specific activities to meet those objectives.

Taking Responsibility can be a good activity for young ones. So let the youths plan as many of their activities as possible. This activity will allow them to gain valuable leadership and organizational skills and to exercise responsibility. Interesting thing is that youths can be put in charge of such things as making telephone calls to remind other youths of scheduled activities, researching the cost and hours of operation for a destination, planning and making refreshments, inviting guest speakers and bringing supplies for an activity. When youths plan their activities, they will have a vested interest in seeing the activity succeed.

Secondly, Team building activities help the group members to form friendships and identify with the group's purpose and shared beliefs. And at the same time, team building activities should be fun for everyone involved, and allow each member to express his individuality. A board game night, sports night or high-adventure activity such as whitewater rafting or a ropes course can help bond the youth group and form lifelong friendships.

Moreover, youth groups can do a lot to help out in their communities. Basically service helps to teach the youths unselfishness, compassion, social awareness and gratitude for the good things in their lives. Older youth groups can work for Habitat for Humanity, helping to build houses for financially disadvantaged people. Almost every city or town has a food bank or soup kitchen where youths can help out. Social activities could include doing yard or housework for the elderly or cooking freezer meals for a young mother who is ill.

Drugs in UK

In today’s world there are many drugs fall into a number of groups according to the conditions for which they are prescribed. You can use drugs for many different purposes, it could be a good purpose or it can be bad as well. Usage of drugs is increasing day by day in UK.

Lets have a look on few drugs, which are very common these days:

Cannabis is very popular these days. It is basically a plant that can be found in many parts of the world. And this can be easily cultivated in temperate climates such as the UK's. There are many different forms of cannabis are available in different part of world. And all types can be found in UK as well. one very common form found in UK is “A Resin” that is scraped or rubbed from the dried plant and then pressed into brown/black blocks.

Sometimes cannabis can be used socially with peers but in some cases can prevent you from developing new friendships and socialising in new places. There are cases in which people smoke cannabis to stop them from feeling sad, but this can make the problem worse. Some people who use cocaine may mix this with smoking cannabis, in order to take the edge off the cocaine. As result they feel like becoming more anxious and paranoid, rather than making them calm down.

It has been observed that in UK cannabis is usually rolled into a cigarette (or joint), often with tobacco, and smoked. And let me tell you that it is the most extensively used illegal drug in the UK and by far the one most likely to have been tried by young people. You can be arrested if you are under 18 because possessing or supplying cannabis is again law. One can be charged fine as well.

The other drug that is used very commonly in UK is Cocaine. It is produced from the leaves of the coca shrub. White crystalline powder cocaine, which is divided into lines and snorted, is very popular in UK. Cocaine can also come as 'freebase' or 'crack' cocaine, which is made into small lumps or rocks, which make a cracking sound when burned. The crack is smoked in a pipe or bottle. Crack and freebase both forms can be made into a solution, which can be injected.

All types of cocaine are strong, but short acting stimulant drug. Person can feel extreme anxiety, paranoia and even hallucinations if he takes a large dose. Well initially it can make a person feel alert and energetic. Basically it’s a stimulant, which increases heart rate and gives the user a sense of increased alertness and energy. High doses of cocaine may cause an heart attack because it causes the heart to beat faster than a normal routine.

This is very important to know that cocaine is also an illegal drug. You are not allowed to keep this drug. If any one caught in with this drug he’ll can get up to atleast seven years in jail.

There are many other drugs as well, which are illegal to have. These two are the most common in the list in UK.

Social Networking Services

Today news from all over the world is just a click away from you. Actually, social networking services allow users to create a profile for themselves, and can be broken down into two broad categories: internal social networking (ISN) ; and external social networking (ESN) sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and Bebo. So both types can increase the feeling of community among people. An internal social networking is a closed/private community that consists of a group of people within a company, association, society, education provider and organization or even an "invite only" group created by a user in an ESN. An external social networking is open/public and available to all web users to communicate and are designed to attract advertisers. Basically ESN's services can be smaller specialised communities (i.e. linked by a single common interest eg TheSocialGolfer, ACountryLife.Com, Great Cooks Community) or they can be large generic social networking sites (eg MySpace, Facebook etc).

On the other hand, is either specific or general community, the general approach to social networking services sites. Users can upload a photo of herself to make her "profile" and is often "friends" with other users. Confirm, in most social networking services for both users that they are friends before they are connected. For example, if Alice lists Bob as a friend, "said Bob would have to approve the request friend, Alice, before they appear as friends. Some social networking sites have a "favorites" feature that is not the consent of the other user. Social networks tend to the privacy controls that users define who their profile or contacting with them, etc. can
The social-networking sites usually have a section devoted to comments from friends paid. On Friendster, called the heading "References". On Facebook in this section, "The Wall". At first it was a feature that people turn encouraged to messages on the person who is in the profile. But over time people began creative stories, write behind the creation of a form of entertainment.
Some social networking services sites are for others, like parents made social networking site "Gurgle." This page is to talk to parents about the pregnancy, birth and raise children.
Various social networking reach in Asian markets such as India, China, Japan and Korea have not only high but also a high level of profitability. Services such as QQ (China), Mixi (Japan), Cyworld (Korea) or mobile service to mobile game DENA city in Japan (who has more than 10 million users) are all profitable, apart from their Western counterparts.

Education & Freedom of Choice

Let us discuss some real facts about home education and freedom of choice in UK. Few parents who home educate do so to restrict their children's choices. Well it may be that we in the UK home educate in a different way or that home education is different in character in the UK to that practiced elsewhere, but I feel strongly that home education is about choices.

Moreover, it would be better to say that children in school have choice whereas home educated children do not seem perverse. No harm in saying that School is all about restricting choice.

Discussing further to the restrictions inherent in school attendance including truancy punishments there are further restrictions concerning what should be studied, how it should be studied and that in the UK parents are encouraged to sign "Home School Agreements" where the parent promises to restrict their child's choices dramatically in terms of bed times, TV viewing, meals, dress, personal hygiene, hair styles, reading materials and many other issues, all in their child's best interests.

If we see it in a positive way we can say that a child will meet with people from a diverse background in school is also incorrect. Schools (at least in the UK) have catchment areas. All these tend to be based upon social backgrounds. And all Schools, therefore have fairly homogenous student populations.

This is very sad as to abuse in school, in the UK, 2 children a week commit suicide as a result of school stress. Infact this figure rises year on year, this year is a record year. While we're on the subject of the 90 thousand or so children home educated in the UK not one suicide has been recorded - ever.

So in the response to school phobia by the authorities in the UK is to threaten children (yes the children) with their parents imprisonment and themselves with care orders. This is IMO abusive. Despite this the rates of school phobia are still rising dramatically. Children simply cannot be forced into school any more and despite the best efforts by educational psychologists (may they rot in hell) to blame parents its becoming clear to everyone that this problem is one of school stress. Even the DfES guidelines to LEA's states that parents should be told about their right to home educate, however from evidence I have received many LEA's consistently refuse to do this and one LEA recently admitted in its internal policy guidance notes to EWO's to actively hide this right from Traveler families.

Well what sort of measure one would apply to ensure that children meet with a wide range of people and come into contact with a wide rang of positively presented alternative lifestyles and ideologies - that would also be used to measure school performance.

As per my research, in the European Union parents have the right in law to bring up their children in any philosophical framework they believe in.

A Look on Social Trend in UK

A magazine named Social Trends keep on the ever-changing fashion in the society and it could also be referred to as a record or an update of the happenings in the society. Basically "Social Trends" being an old magazine among the people in UK has won itself the trust of people, and is also referred to as one of the best works.

According to a report we examine four decades of social relations in the United Kingdom to take is the fundamental theme of social development this year it celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2010. To mark this anniversary, the social trends of population publishing, households and families, employment and housing chapters online earlier than usual. In this first wave, these four chapters highlight some of the major demographic changes over the past 40 years.
A study of the UK population has grown steadily and now has more than 60 million people. The country has also experienced significant immigration in recent years, particularly from countries in Europe. There was a decrease in the number of people under 16 years, and the people of the United Kingdom, the aging caused by past trends in births, deaths and migration. However, the fertility rate has increased in recent years.
Few facts of population
• The total number of people in the United Kingdom increased from 55.9 million in 1971 to 60,6 million in 2006.
• The total number of persons 65 years and older in the United Kingdom should be greater than the number under 16 years in 2021.


Infact size and age structure of populations is essential to understanding aspects of society such as employment and household composition. And over 40 years, the composition of the labor market is changing: employment and unemployment has fluctuated, reflecting the economic cycle. There are also some notable changes in the life situation of persons whom they live, the type of houses they live in.


In fact, there is a huge change in social trends over the past 20 years. And communication channels are increased. Many people have become more independent. Usually, a piece of life had improved over the last 20 years. In addition, the convergence of technologies has led to uplift society as a whole. Mostly people today have become more materialistic and family values and ethics are considerably reduced.

In addition, income plays an important role in the welfare of the people, determine how much to spend on goods and services as part of their material living standards. Between 1971 and 2005 in the United Kingdom, GDP per capita has more than doubled in real terms.
Principle of the United Kingdom aimed at reducing poverty. And since 1997 the government has lifted 2.4 million people out of relative poverty, including 800,000 children and one million pensioners.
Low income and material wealth
• Between 2004 and 2005, UK household disposable income rose 1.4 percent in real terms, while GDP per capita grew by 1.2 percent.
• In 2005, the United Kingdom has the third highest GDP per capita in the G7 countries, while in 1991 was lowest in the group.
• The net wealth of households in the United Kingdom have more than doubled in real terms between 1987 and 2006.

UK Social Trend Analysis

Recent trends have been observed that UK has seen important developments across many aspects of society. Like the birth-rate has been declining and so economic strategy now focuses on ensuring that a high proportion of working-age people are engaged in the workforce. Moreover, Lifelong learning has become an important part of the strategy to achieve this goal.

According to a report if we take a look on four decades of social reporting in the UK is the underlying theme of this year's Social Trends as it celebrates its 40th year in 2010. And to mark this anniversary, Social Trends is publishing the population, household and families, labour market, and housing chapters online earlier than usual. In this first wave, these four chapters highlight some of the main demographic changes over the last 40 years.

According to a research the UK population has grown steadily and is now over 60 million people. The country has also seen substantial migration in recent years, particularly from the European accession states. There has been a fall in the number of people under 16, and the UK’s population is ageing due to past trends in births, deaths and migrations. However, the fertility rate has increased in the past few years.

Few Population facts

· Total number of people living in the UK has increased from 55.9 million in 1971 to 60.6 million in 2006.

· Total number of people aged 65 and over in the UK is expected to exceed the number aged under 16 in 2021.

Infact size and age structure of the population is essential in understanding aspects of society, such as the labour market and household composition. And over the 40 years period the composition of the labour market has been changing: employment and unemployment rates have fluctuated, reflecting changes in the economic cycle. Additionally, there have also been some notable changes in people's living situations: from who they live with, to the type of homes they live in.

Actually there has been tremendous change in the social trends in the last 20 years. And communication channels have been increased. Many people have become more independent. Mostly living standards have improved a lot in the past 20 years. Moreover, technological uplift has led to convergence of society as a whole. Mostly people have now become more materialistic and family values and ethics have diminished considerably.

Moreover, income plays an important role in people’s social wellbeing, determining how much they have to spend on the goods and services that make up their material standard of living. Between 1971 and 2005 in the UK, GDP per head more than doubled in real terms.

Basically the UK has been focusing on poverty-reduction. And since 1997 the government has lifted 2.4 million people out of relative poverty, including 800,000 children and a million pensioners.

Few Income and wealth facts

· Between 2004 and 2005, UK household disposable income grew by 1.4 per cent in real terms, while GDP per head grew by 1.2 per cent.

· In 2005, the UK had the third highest GDP per head within the G7, whereas in 1991 it was lowest in the group.

· Household net wealth in the UK more than doubled in real terms between 1987 and 2006.

Social Services Policies UK

Basically after 1948, three departments were responsible for personal social services:

• First one was health departments, responsible for public health and various aspects of social care;
• 2^nd one was welfare departments, responsible for residential care and help to elderly and disabled people;
• 3^rd one was Children's departments, responsible for child care.

While in the 1960s they were unified into Social Work Departments in Scotland, and Social Services Departments in England and Wales. This gave the momentum to social work as a generic profession, though genericism is increasingly rare in practice.

Though much of the spending on social services went on residential care, the SSDs, and professional social work, were dominated by child care. But government tried to shift balance by the introduction of community care policies in the 1990s, following the Griffiths report of 1988. Recent improvements in central government have divided out responsibilities further. Basically Community care is within the Department of Health; children's services within the new Department for Children, Schools and Families, and criminal justice is within the Ministry of Justice.

The most important department is child care department, Children’s Departments in 1948 were founded in part in response to a child care scandal. It was mentioned in the 1948 Children Act, it became the duty of a local authority to 'receive the child into care' in cases of abuse or neglect.

The foundation on which a care order can be made are defined in England and Wales in the Children Act 1989. The main purpose for admission to care has to be the welfare of the child, taking into account his or her needs, wishes and family background. In order to be admitted to care, a child should be suffering or at risk of 'significant harm', which is defined as 'ill-treatment or the impairment of health or development', or should be beyond parental control.

They key purpose for the formation of Social Services Departments is the intention to co-ordinate their activities as far as possible with health services. In the report of Griffiths on Community Care, published in 1988, proposed a different kind of arrangement. It was mentioned in the report that rather than depending on co-ordination and integration of services, there should be one service with clearly defined responsibility, which would commission services from others.

Even though the government announced that Griffiths would be implemented, the reform of community care stopped short of this. Basically Care management in practice is unlikely to be devolved close to the practitioner level; there are not multiple purchasers, but one main purchaser - the Social Services Department; and there is much more emphasis on co-ordination than on choice and the market. The basic systems which have been put in place seem at first blush to have more in common with the planning of the 70s than with market ideology, and in practice emphasis on co-ordinated activity with other services has increased rather than diminished. Existing indications are that the services have become disorganised and demoralised.

Social Work in this Era

The social work is growing very fast in UK it is becoming a profession and social science committed to hunting on social justice, quality of life and developing the full potential of every individual, group and community in a society. Social services in the social sciences and clinical expertise to solve social problems.They may work in research, practice, or both. In the United Kingdom, social service providers generally have a diploma or a certificate registered in the discipline, according to national legislation. There is a wide spectrum, research in social work is concentrated, such as individual and family therapy, social policy, public administration and development. Social services are organized in local, national and international professionals to promote the objectives of the action.

Professional social workers, particularly in England, worked in a series of mostly public, including: grassroots organizations, defense, hospitals, hospices, community health offices, schools, organizations of employee assistance, philanthropy, and even the army. You will also find a number of social workers work as psychotherapists, counselors, psychiatric social workers, community organizers or mental health practitioners.
Let us discuss social care. And Social Care, defined as the provision of social work, personal care, protection or social support services to children or adults in distress or danger, or adults with special needs arising from illness, disability, the age or poverty, their families and caregivers. This may create one or more of the following objectives: to protect people involved in preserving or promoting health or physical mental, promote independence and social inclusion, improving opportunities and life chances for strengthen families and protect human rights in relation to the social needs of people.
You can find many types of social services available. This could include housing and home care, community support and activities, information, advice and advocacy and support for caregivers.
Social protection is commonly used as a term synonymous with social welfare and as an alternative to social work.
Indeed social care have long existed as a concept informally, through family support and community and charity work. Infact the first laws of England to provide formal support Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601, referred to people in need of health and home care, housing or employment to take care of their parish.
Over time, the social care more formal with the advent of social work in the United States and England in the 19th century. This change is attributed to the end of the feudal system and the increasing industrialization, which has bought a great social distress. In addition, he also bought a drop in support from family and close community, because people were more mobile and move to different work areas. Social services are often provided by charities, but some services funded by contributions collected by insurance companies mutual belonging.
It is obvious that if the British Liberal government came to power in 1906, the pension was first tested in force for people aged 70 and over. In addition, formal health and social services will require the creation of the NHS and welfare in England in 1940, mandating access to social care and health for all.

Social Services in UK

Today social work has become a profession and a social science committed to the hunt of social justice, to quality of life, and to the development of the full potential of each individual, group and community in a society. Social services providers draw on the social sciences and on clinical expertise to solve social problems. They can work in research, practice, or both. In UK social service providers usually possess a degree or registered license in the discipline, dependent on national law. There is a vast range available where social work research is focused, such as individual and family therapy, social policy, public administration and development. Social service providers are organized into local, national, and international professional bodies to further the aims of the profession.

Professional social workers, especially in UK, work in a variety of mainly public settings, including: grassroots advocacy, hospitals, hospices, community health agencies, schools, international organizations, employee assistance, philanthropy, and even the military. You may also find some social workers work as psychotherapists, counselors, psychiatric social workers, community organizers or mental health practitioners.

Let us discuss about social care. Well social care is defined as the provision of social work, personal care, protection or social support services to children or adults in need or at risk, or adults with needs arising from illness, disability, old age or poverty and their families and carers. That condition may have one or more of the following aims: to protect people who use care services, to preserve or advance physical or mental health, to promote independence and social inclusion, to improve opportunities and life chances, to strengthen families and to protect human rights in relation to people's social needs.

One can find many different types of social care available. It can include residential and domiciliary care, community support and activities, information and advisory services and advocacy, as well as support for carers.

Social care is normally used as a synonymous term with social welfare, and as an alternative to social work.

Actually social care has long existed as an informal concept, through family and community support and charitable works. Infact earliest Act in England to offer formal support was the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601, which referred those in need of health or domestic care, housing, or employment to the care of their parish.

With the passage of time social care became more formalised with the advent of social work in the USA and UK in the 19th century. This shift is credited to the end of the feudal system and the rise of industrialisation, which bought greater social deprivation. Moreover, it also bought a decline in the support provided by family and close-knit communities as people became more mobile and moved to different areas for work. Social care service was often provided by voluntary organizations, but some services were financed through health insurance contributions collected through mutually owned societies.

It is very clear that when the UK Liberal Government came into power in 1906, the first means-tested pension came into force for people aged 70 and over. Additionally formal health and social care provision followed with the creation of the NHS and the welfare state in England in the 1940s, making statutory health and social care free at the point of access.