© British Association of Social Workers
Theory for Approved Social Work: the Use of the Compulsory Admissions Assessment Schedule
Michael Sheppard is a principal lecturer in social work at the Department of Applied Social Science, University of Plymouth.
Correspondence to Michael Sheppard, Department of Applied Social Science, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth.
Summary
In his work on compulsory admissions under the Mental Health Act, 1983, Sheppard (1990) developed the Compulsory Admissions Assessment Schedule (CASH) in response to identified knowledge deficiencies and as a means for operationalizing a knowledge base distinctive to social work. While subject to detailed theoretical development it was not tested in practice. This article examines the use of CASH in practice, and the results have implications for compulsory admission assessments. This paper indicates that CASH is practical to use, that, although there are some grey areas, CASH on the whole distinguishes clearly between possible sections and those not possible to section, that dangers, hazards and risks are clearly identified, that rating is consistent with the seriousness of dangers identified, that cumulative use of CASH may help develop accountability, and that social work evaluation of CASH is positive. This article concludes that there are considerable benefits from the use of CASH, that ASWs should be trained properly in its use, and, more widely, that these results, together with Sheppard's (1990) original research and theoretical development, indicates that, when conducted appropriately, social science can directly, and beneficially, be applied to practice.
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