So, it’s been a very long time since I’ve written a blog
post about life in social work – which perhaps tells you all you need to know
about how busy it is!
I’ve been qualified now just four months, but have been
working in a Children in Care team just over 18 months, first as a student,
then an unqualified keyworker, and now as a NQSW.
So what are my first impressions…where to even begin..
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First is to say, I still love it. I love the
variety of the work, I love working with children and young people and having
the privilege to play such an important role in their lives and I love thinking
of new ways to carry out direct work – exploring new resources, going on great
training ( have used my AYSE budget to go on 2 days with the Child Centre for
Mental Health – would really recommend, although they’re on Saturdays.)
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I have definitely felt surprised and at times, a
little overwhelmed, by how much responsibility you have so quickly. I have
probably said this before, but whilst working in advertising, you were always
part of a big account team, and everyone knew what was going on and was playing
some kind of role in the account. As a social worker, sometimes it can feel a
little more isolated, and the responsibility is very much on you as an
individual worker, to share information, where you think relevant, with your
supervisor, or your wider POD – if you work in that way. I think communication is
vital – not just in the way we learn about in training – in terms of sharing
with the wider multi-disciplinary team to avoid child protection crises, but
for more informal things too. I like to chat regularly to the supervising
social workers/link workers about anything that is going on for my children and
is having an impact on their foster carers – it also helps me feel part of a
wider team.
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But yes responsibility is a big part and
something I take pretty seriously and like to seek guidance wherever possible.
I have recently been preparing a child for their transition to adoption – the first
one I have done. I have found it has made a huge difference asking a therapist
to sit down with me and give me guidance on the best way to handle this transition,
discussing the right timing for revealing information to the child and
strategies as to how to do this. It has left me feeling so much more empowered
and it’s been amazing watching how well the transition has been going (fingers
crossed!)
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I ’ve learnt lots about attachment and its
implication for neuroscience – through my training and in turn different
techniques to use – including art therapy and play therapy techniques and a
greater understanding for why many Looked After Children are constantly drawn
to extremes and chaos – for them, a life in the middle is not familiar. It was,
my hero – Camila Batmanghelidjh, who discussed this on one of my training days,
that helped me to understand one of my teenagers a bit more clearly.
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I’ve felt blessed that we have such a great
bunch of professionals at work – everyone is kind and friendly and this makes a
huge difference to day to day life. We do a tough job and one that often be
emotionally draining, so being able to laugh and joke in the office can make
all the difference
To conclude, I think, in a not particularly
philosophical way, that the job is what you make of it. I recently had a
student shadow me for a couple of visits and she was asking for some advice
(which given my limited experience, was probably not too profound!) but I talked about the importance of the
little things. I’ve just sent out all my cards to my teenagers wishing them
luck for their GCSEs. Whereever I can, I try to send birthday cards. I’ve put
all their GCSE exams in my diary so I remember to wish them luck – my mum would
never forget to wish me luck, and we’re their corporate parent. I did the same
as a student for one of my kid’s SATS exams. I think it’s important to text or
email just to check in with the young people and see how they’re doing, show
you’re holding them in mind. I pushed to get budget to take them for a meal on
their 16th birthday.
My favourite part of the job is advocacy.
Advocating to get these kids what they need and deserve and trying where possible
to push the limits.
All of this is hard to do inbetween the
mound of paperwork and constant deadlines. And without a doubt you can feel hit
over the head with emails about targets and data. But we know why we do the job
and as long as we can remember that, it’ll be okay (I tell myself!).
On another note, there’ been some amazingly
interesting tv shows of late:
From 15,000 kids and counting on Channel 4,
to Louis Theroux’s documentary on sex offenders in America, BBC3’s prison
programmes – life and death row, life behind bars, death behind bars etc. Love
this stuff!
Anyway, that’s all for now!
