Skip to main content

About Me

My photo
Natalie
My name is Natalie, I started this blog as a Newly Qualified Social Worker working with adults. I have now progressed to a level 3 Social Worker and want to continue sharing my experiences.

The point of Social Work


As I explained in a previous blog I am currently working on a project separate from my team. I have really enjoyed this but it has feel a step away from Social Work even though I am completing Care Act Assessments as I would be in my normal job and asking the same questions. I think because there has been a time crunch on the project it has meant that I have been getting the information quicker and then getting everything processed. Which has been the best for the people in the situation but has meant there has been less opportunity to relationship build.

I have enjoyed working on this project up to now and it is coming to the end of the process and I am looking forward to going back to my own team. I have found that when visiting people for the odd cases I am still holding in my own team I have really enjoyed the opportunity to relationship build and support people in a more holistic way as opposed to working through a process to be completed as soon as possible.

It has made me realise how much I enjoy long term work and although short term is enjoyable I would not want that to be my job long term. I like to get to know the person, visit numerous times and view them in a more holistic way. It allows you to delve deeper into whether what they have got at present is working or is something needs to be changed. It also means that you can identify other support they may require, either paid or from the community because it gives them a chance to discuss with you other aspects of their lives.

I find that it also gives the chance to get to know the family and provide them with any required support. There have been occasions where although the initial visit was focused on issues with a care provider through having an in depth discussion I recognised that this person also needed mental health support and some social relationships. This allowed me to look at options that provide this and refer them for counselling and provide information on local groups that could be of interest to them. The person was so grateful I was given really good feedback and to me that was a standard visit and viewing someone holistically.

This is a big part of Social Work practice that I feel like I have been missing at the moment and look forward to getting back to.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hidden skills

  One of the most difficult things I have found since going back to work is the change to my working hours. I now work 3 days a week. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Which is brilliant don't get me wrong but also it is one of the hardest things about going back. I get a 4 day weekend which is lovely but as I regularly remind people that does not mean I just get to chill. I have a 15 month old so I am in mum mode as soon as I finish work and everyday I am off. I solo parent 2 days a week so they are definitely busy. The tricky thing about the days I work is that Thursday to Tuesday is a long gap. If I am working with a family regarding a situation that needs sorting fairly quickly if I have not completed the work by the end of Thursday then it will be almost another week before I work on it again. They have the option to contact my team in my absence but that is not the best continuity for the family. I am lucky that I am in a role where I manage my own diary so that means I ca...
Post a Comment
Read more

Language

I was recently reading a couple of blogs from Rewriting Social Care and found that it got me thinking about the use of language and whether this has improved over time. One word that is used often when referring to people who require support is the world vulnerable. What does that even mean? There are a lot of different ways of thinking about this word. Does it mean at risk, does it mean open emotionally, does it mean uneducated or lacking in skills. I don't know about you but I have definitely felt vulnerable in my life but I do not require Social Care support. The two things are not mutually exclusive but they seem to be intrinsically linked. I have felt vulnerable physically when having my daughter because you are in effect in a room full of strangers, not wearing very much, in pain and for me experiencing something I had never done before. Not only was I open emotionally, I was at risk physically and I did not really know what I was doing. I have felt emotionally vulnerab...
Post a Comment
Read more

Importance of Communication

We talk a lot in Social Work about the importance of communication and generally we are talking about the communication between us and the people we work with. Those who are also involved in the care of the people we support such as families. The thing that I find most frustrating is that this doesn't always happen when it should the most. I had a visit booked this week and when I arrived I was told that they were waiting for an ambulance to take the person I was going to see to hospital to be checked out. I am glad that they were doing what needed to be done for the person but found myself frustrated that nobody thought to give me a call, let me know they weren't themselves or tell me the reason why because I had travelled a long way to get to this visit only to pretty much turn around and travel back. This is time that I could have used to provide support for someone else that ended up wasted due to the simple lack of a phone call. I know people are busy but I felt t...
Post a Comment
Read more