Social Worker Sharing

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...

This is a weird one for me to write because I finish my ASYE tomorrow and this blog started from writing about my experiences as a NQSW which has been a part of my identity for a long time but presuming everything tomorrow goes well (fingers crossed) then I won't be that anymore. I will officially be a Level 2 Social Worker. I feel a mix of emotions with this. I feel relieved because the paperwork is all done and handed in but I also feel a bit I don't know if sad is the right word. I started over 2 years ago because of maternity leave in the middle, I have done it both full time and part time. Before I was a parent and after so it has been a bit part of my life and although I am staying in my team so nothing changes day to day it is starting to feel different. I feel the imposter syndrome I had more so when I started my ASYE rearing its ugly head again. I started that fresh out of university and that feels an entire lifetime ago. The people I started with have long sinc...

  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...

  I am probably not going to be putting a new blog up for a couple of weeks. I have volunteered for a project that is going to keep me pretty busy. I find that I am definitely the person that volunteers to do stuff. I'm the one that speaks up in meetings. I am the one that provides answering in training courses or classes. I do not see any of these as a bad thing but I am also aware of how this can stop other people having opportunities. If I get there first to volunteer or give the answer other people do not have the chance. Luckily I feel like I am pretty good at allowing silence when I am on a visit. I understand that some people need longer to process so I give them the chance to do so before commenting further. I think that when I am in a class or a course part of me feels sorry for the person running it and I don't want them to feel like nobody is interested in what they have to say. On the other side I have definitely had feedback that I need to step back at times...

  Social Work is a job where no 2 days are the same. However you definitely see a theme in terms of the types of cases we get. Sometimes you can predict what will happen when you have barely begun because although people are individuals and have their own wishes, views and feelings certain aspects appear over and over again. The geographic area that we cover means that a lot of the people we support are older people because of the locations we have. Other local teams get a lot more cases involving drugs and alcohol or additional needs. I see a lot of people on my caseload with either a Dementia diagnosis or suspected Dementia. When I had the opportunity to attend some training on Dementia this week I took it. It was split into 3 sessions, the first two were more what I am used to in terms of training. Here is the information, what are your views, how would you manage this situation etc. Whereas the third session was delivered by Palliative Care nurses and talked about End of ...

  What does well-being mean to you? I was in some Care Act training this morning run by The Mental Capacity Cat and was reminded about the first principle of the Care Act. It is the well-being principle. We talk about well-being a lot in Social Work but it is really hard to define because it means different things to different people. It is made up of so many parts of somebodies life and experiences. What one person feels is important to their well-being might not be something that other people even do. For example working out may be a major factor for one person but other people do not do it at all because it isn't for them. It is not as simple as self care it also includes engaging with the local community and activities. This is what can become difficult in our assessments because what we see as important is not what other people need. The way that somebody lives may be their choice and would not work for us but it does for them. It is where you cannot let your own viewpo...

  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...