CPN or Social Worker
 

Do you think it makes a difference if you have a CPN or a Social Worker as a care coordinator.

Today I saw a GP & he said he thought I ought to have a CPN not a SW. He said my usual GP also thought this.

Id be interested to hear your thoughts.

I'm not too sure. A CPN is more likely to understand about health and medication issues though.

I'm also not sure how CPN degrees differ from SW or OT degrees too - I wonder if a CPN might be more specialised in mental health qualification-wise than a SW or OT who might have had a 'broader' degree.

In my case the most important thing is that I have a good rapport with a CC, that they're relatively proactive and that they're relatively experienced.

Do you have any feelings or preferences about a CPN instead of a SW?

It doesn't matter enormously to be honest. SWs and OTs are still trained in mental health and how to care co-ordinate. I've had CPNs, SWs and OTs as care co-ordinators and they all did the same job and I didn't really notice any difference between what they could offer me.

I've had both. There isn't a lot of difference in my experience but I found that a social worker is better at helping with practical things like helping you apply for a bus pass or calling companies to sort out debt repayment, stuff like that.

thanks for your replies

I had a CPN for 12 years until she retired last year. She was very professional and reliable.
I got allocated a SW when she left. I had her for about 10 months until she made some major mistakes and proved unreliable. I complained about her and was allocated a different SW.

My new SW (March this year) is a male which isn't a problem, but he is also proving unreliable. Saying he'll visit and then not turning up and not phoning or getting someone to phone me to say he won't be coming.

I had an appt with the psych two weeks ago and my SW was coming to it. I phoned him the afternoon before to confirm he was coming to the appt. He said he would see me there. He didn't turn up to the meeting and I've not heard from him since.

I know he's over stretched. He's got 28 clients instead of 20. They also had a CQC inspection. But it would just have been polite for someone to phone me and let me know he couldn't make the appt.

So because the GPs think I should have a CPN, I am toying with the idea of saying to the Manager of the CMHT it's not working out with the SW and could I have a CPN instead in the hope that the CPN might be a bit more professional.

Hmm. I have a lot to think about.

May be I should bite the bullet and phone my SW and see what he has to say for himself.

I have both.

I've always had a SW as a CC. She's very reliable and did most of the work on my benefits application forms.

But, I would prefer a CPN because they could do my depot instead of some random person.

thanks guys

I *think* the GPs would prefer me to have a CPN because they believe the CPN would have more specialist knowledge of MH.
But that's not necessarily true is it?

This SW I've got has been working for this CMHT for about 8 years I think

I think I'll phone him on Monday and try and organise a meeting to sort things out. If I've got the confidence I think I will say to him it upset me when he didn't turn up for the appt and that he didn't call to let me know.

I really do appreciate that he has got a lot of people he's responsible for but I still think it only takes 5 mins to make a quick phone call.

You're right. It's up to the individual person as to whether they are reliable or not. I'm just finding it tough as my old CPN was so professional and reliable.

I work in a CMHT and basically where I work there is no real difference between the professions in there role as a care coordinator.

That said social workers are often AMHPs and CPN's do depots so as Mary said if you are on a depot than a CPN may be easier.

Thanks Random.
I called my SW at 10am & reception said he was in a meeting
I'm waiting for him to call me back
Reception said he'd be half an hour
It's been an hour
Things aren't too good
I had an emergency GP appt this morning
GP told me to phone SW & he would phone SW after surgery
Suppose I'd better phone SW again.

I called him and I ended up going to see him
He apologised for missing the outpatients appt I had the other week.
Apparently he was at a MHA assessment and it went on

Things aren't too good
I've got to phone him tomorrow
he's faxed my GP surgery to get some prn prescribed for me

thanks
no plan as such
SW mentioned may be seeing my psych before 11th July (when I'm going away to visit my Mum for 2 wks)
but I don't think I really need to. I don't want to waste his time.
Am seeing him on 28th July anyway.