Welcome to Simply Social Work

Welcome to Simply Social Work!  Whilst we are a new company, we are by no means new to Social Work.  Simply Social Work is the culmination of ten years of Independent Social Work practice for Gary Crisp and Neil Courtney.  Meeting whilst working on a hospital discharge project in 2014, Gary and Neil’s Social Work skills complemented each other perfectly and they have been colleagues and friends ever since.

Although Gary and Neil are directors of Simply Social Work, they still practice as consultant Social Workers and expert witnesses, leading the way and promoting excellence in Social Work practice amongst other Social Workers both within Simply Social Work and sharing their knowledge with Local Authorities.  Both have developed relationships with families, local authorities and law firms that they intend to develop further.

Gary is a specialist adult and children Social Work which places him in a unique position.  Typically, Social Workers either work with adults or children.  He took this unusual step of developing his skills in both areas because so many areas of Social Work span adults and children so a knowledge of both enhances the work he does.   Gary is registered with Social Work England and Social Care Wales which means he can practice as a Social Worker in England and Wales.

Gary’s areas of interest are; Special Educational Needs (SEN) tribunal reports, immigration tribunal reports, specialist parenting assessments for parents who live with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and mental capacity.  Gary also has a wealth of experience assessing care needs and planning care and support for people.

Neil has developed excellent relationships with local authorities across London and the South of England and has spent several years completing care needs assessments under the Care Act 2014.  Neil has advanced care planning skills and has experience supporting people who pay for their own care.  Neil is a qualified Best Interests Assessor and regularly undertakes mental capacity assessments and deprivation of liberty assessments.  Neil has also developed our specialist VIP and alcohol support services.

Neil’s areas of interest are; care needs assessments for adults, care management and support planning, deprivation of liberty and mental capacity.

Neil and Gary have (between them) over twenty years of experience assessing mental capacity and can be instructed to complete mental capacity assessments for any decision including COP3 deputyship applications. As the company expands, we have increasing availability to be instructed by solicitors and their Court of Protection departments and are happy to be added to your professionals database to complete regular mental capacity reports and COP3 assessments across England and Wales.

Does your local authority require assistance completing care assessments or reviews for adults or children? We can assist with individual or multiple assessments if you have a backlog. Let us help, leaving your Social Workers free to focus on other matters.  Because of the unique nature of our company, we can span the barriers often faced by children or adult Social Workers. Do your children’s teams lack confidence or skills in deprivation of liberty matters? We don’t, and we can help.

Do you pay for your own care, or are you a court appointed deputy that manages the finances of others?  The type of care that people require as they age is vast and is not just limited to a care home. A care needs assessment and regular care reviews can help you to manage your own or other people’s finances because it will identify whether you are paying for the right care. As part of our care assessments and reviews,  we also explore whether a referral for a continuing healthcare (CHC) assessment is required which may result in the NHS paying for health and social care needs.

If you would like to discuss the work of Simply Social Work, or discuss how we can assist you, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We would love to hear from you.  We can be contacted by email: hello@simplysocialwork.co.uk or @SimplyISW_Gary / @SimplyISW_Neil on Twitter.