Everyone needs someone

 

When we discuss building relationships in Social Work training and practice. We usually mean the relationships we build with the people we support but actually we spent a lot of our time building relationships with everyone else.

We spend a lot of our time speaking to other professionals, health colleagues and our own colleagues. I am fortunate to work in a community team where, as part of our working week we have peer review. Peer review is a really good opportunity to gain knowledge and information from the people who have specific gained knowledge. I know that if I am struggling with something, either process wise or general situation wise on a case I can call anyone in my team, and they will help.

This is such an important part of Social Work practice that is not discussed enough. The support that you get from the people around you are crucial. We work in a field where you can’t get home at the end of the day and discuss with your spouse or family what is worrying you, why you can’t switch off today or why you feel like you need a good cry. This is where in my opinion work colleagues fill the gap, you can give them a call and have a chat about that difficult case or frustrating situation, and they are usually pretty good at providing the support you need.

I have definitely taken advantage of this, speaking to people around me not only for their knowledge and experience but also for their listening ear because to be honest sometimes I don’t need a fix or a solution. I just need to get the frustration out of my head and share it with someone else. This is an important part of being front line because it is easy when you work in a role where you care about the people you support for it to take over. It is easy to have a mixed-up night’s sleep or not be able to switch off at the end of it because what if? Finding what works to get you out of your own head is so important and this looks different for everyone. For some it is a gym session, others a walk, for some its watching TV in their pyjamas and all of these are okay. You don’t always have to be productive, and this is something that people forget. We live in a society where if you aren’t hustling then you are lazy when actually self-care is just as important as that side hustle.

Working in Covid is a difficult thing for everyone and finding what gets you through the day is what it is all about. I have been in my current team for approximately 9 months, and I have not worked in our office once. I have however built some really good relationships with colleagues who I have either never met or have seen in person once and that was only recently. I have gained knowledge from them that I wouldn’t have been able to get from anywhere else because it has come from their experience. It is not written in any textbook, and it can’t be listened to in a podcast because it is something that they just know.

I will always try and help whoever I can with whatever they need but I am the first to admit that there is a lot I do not know. I will never give an answer as if I know what I am talking about when I don’t. One of the things I say often to people I am working with, or their families is I am not sure, but I will go away and find out for you. This has meant I have got a lot of positive feedback because people prefer honesty. They don’t want some made up not true answer that will reveal itself next week or some time soon because this doesn’t help anyone.

I think recognising that although a lot of the time we attend visits alone or complete assessments, Social Work is not a solo job. We need each other to get us through the days and help when things get tough.

Everyone needs someone and Social Workers are no exception.