Balancing Act

 

Social work is a balancing act. Not in a literal sense but definitely in a metaphorical plate spinning way. We balance our case load, our diary, training, self-improvement, meetings, and the needs of people.

When we are working with someone we are also working with the family, carer, or care provider. This can make situations trickier because what the family think a person need does not always match up with what the person wants.

It can be incredibly frustrating and that can be directed at us a lot of the time. Usually this is nothing personal they are just frustrated with a difficult process that they don’t necessarily always understand, and you are the face that they put on that.

You are the person representing that agency therefore it becomes your fault. Even when it’s not.

I have had many conversations about whether someone has capacity. This is usually one person saying they do and someone else saying they don’t. I always explain that it is not a blanket statement, but people don’t see it that way. I try to explain as best as I can about the nature of capacity being time and decision specific.

Also, the number of times someone will say well I have power of attorney and I don’t want them to do X is unreal. Especially when that Power of Attorney is for health and welfare. People don’t always understand that only kicks in when someone loses the capacity to make a specific decision about it. It doesn’t just automatically mean that you can decide what happens. That’s not how it works.

The other situations that happen a lot are families saying that we don’t need to speak to the person. This one raises the most red flags for me because we are discussing that person’s life and you would rather, I don’t talk to them? Keeping people involved is a big part of the Code of Ethics, law and legislation in Social Work. We work in partnership with people, doing things with them and not to them.

I understand some situations are difficult especially when the main issue is carer strain and the person, we are supporting doesn’t want any help this can be really difficult and make people feel like working with us is a waste of time. I always tell people we cannot force them.

I had a situation where the family wanted the person in residential care, but they were determined to stay at home. I was the one that suggested going somewhere, in that moment for respite and every time they tell me afterwards the only thing, they could recall from our previous meeting was that I was trying to get them out of their home. They were totally on board with respite and demonstrated this when I went on my next visit by telling me it doesn’t matter what you say because I am moving to this care home. They did not realise that I was the one who had organised it and that they have previously disagreed with me about it. By the end of my work with them they remained at home because I was able to make enough changes to keep them safe in their own home and they were happy to use the respite which gave the family a break. That one ended up as a win win.