Social Worker Sharing

How would you like to be told to make a decision without all the relevant information? How would you like it if someone made a decision for you and didn't even ask you what you thought? How would you like it if someone disregarded what you wanted because it was easier for them? I would be angry, frustrated, sad, upset and many other emotions but there are so many conversations that happen in Social Work specifically with older people where we are told that they need something because family would find it easier not necessarily because it is what is best for the person. I have had cases where people don't really want me there because they hold Power of Attorney and have already made a decision. I have explained more times than I can count that Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare only kicks in or becomes active when someone loses capacity to make the specific decision. It does not allow you to make decisions for someone who has the capacity to make it for themselves. I...

It is coming to the time of year where a lot of people have time off. Me included. Some practitioners can find this difficult because they are concerned about what may happen with their cases whilst they are off. With the team that we work in you never know what is going to happen. This discussion brings us back round to how you find a work life balance or how you switch off from what is a difficult job. We can hold people's lives and futures in our hands so taking a break from that can feel difficult especially when there are situations where carers are struggling with carer strain and certain groups or social inclusion are their lifelines but they close down for Christmas. Especially the ones which are run by volunteers. I have noticed the same when it comes to playgroups and groups for young children. They all stop over the Christmas period which is understandable but it can also cause a lot of anxiety and make situations more difficult for people. Christmas and New Year...

Values and Ethics are vital in Social Work practice and something that you not only complete modules about when studying but they also run through your practice every day. I know that there are a lot of situations where people's personal lives change dramatically through completing their Social Work degree and a lot of this comes down to values. The easiest way I can describe what completing your Social Work degree does is breaks you down and then builds you up piece by piece. It brings your values to the forefront of your mind and you reflect A LOT on how this looks to you. It also impacts your relationships because you find yourself noticing where your values do not line up. You find yourself speaking up more and people who know you best don't necessarily know how to take it. You would presume that the majority of people who come into Social Work hold similar beliefs on the major issues. Which on the whole in my experience they do, however there are so many other situat...

  Age does not automatically equal inability or mean that someone doesn't know what they are doing/thinking.  A specific diagnosis does not cause a blanket inability. Someone can have a dementia diagnosis and still be able to make their own decisions and choices. They can still know where they want to live or what they do and do not want with their care.  I have a lot of conversations with family members telling me what the person needs and sometimes actually what they are telling me is what they need to make it easier. For their worry to decrease. I understand this from their perspective but also I am there to do the best thing for the person. I am there to advocate on their behalf. If they don't want to be in care and I can do something to support this then I will.  We work to a home first model in my area and i got into a conversation with someone at a care home about this. They asked me whether that's the best thing for everyone and my response was tha...

  As many of us are aware Social Work is not the easiest job. There are many reasons for this ranging from the bureaucratic ones relating to case load and resources but there are also the day to day we are involved in people’s lives in usually tough situations ones also. When first starting in the journey of Social Work a lot of people talk about the want to help people and I am not saying that we don’t but that’s not what it is all about in the practical sense. We spend a lot of our time behind the scenes finding information or putting together referrals to the appropriate people. I try and explain processes and how things work as best as I can but there will also be occasions where I have to refer them elsewhere or signpost to the appropriate team to deal with the particular query. We have cases come to our team often due to carer strain and to look into options to alleviate this. There are a few reasons why I think this happens. There is the obvious so we can provide sup...

  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,...

  I recently wrote a post on here about carers and how they are unsung heroes. I got some feedback from that blog post which asked me to discuss some more specifics about this so I will give it a try. I am not currently, or have I ever been what I would classify as a carer for anyone so some of this is my opinion or how I think something will impact. Some of the information comes from a fact sheet about carers which I will link at the end of the blog if you want to read into it a bit further. I think the first thing it is important to explain is what makes someone a carer? To be someone’s carer you don’t have to be the person getting them washed and dressed in a morning, they can have paid carers coming in to support with that and you can still be their carer. You might organise their care package and look after their money for them, you are still a carer. You might keep them company because you are worried about them being on their own, in your eyes you are visiting a parent but ...

  I think unpaid carers are such heroes. It’s all good and well people saying it must be tough or they are good but since working in my role I have seen just how incredible they are. I have heard amazing stories from people who have slept on the floor to be there for a loved one or not gone to bed until the person has fallen asleep because they get anxious. They give up their time, energy, space, relationships, and lives to support the people that are important to them, and I applaud them. It’s all good and well me speaking to them and getting home care in place or respite but this doesn’t take away the strain that is on their shoulders. I may be able to try and help or see what can be utilised to give them a break, but they still come back to it. They still lose sleep because they are worrying if that person is okay, and I cannot even begin to imagine what that feels like. I am in a role that cares about people, and I definitely don’t always take my Social Work hat off at t...