# 2 Identities in social care

Many people see their identities as being in a process of transformation as they make new relationships and are subject to pressures, challenges and changes in how they see themselves in the world. The same is true of people who use social care services. Social care professionals can only really understand the identity of someone if they give that person opportunities to talk about themselves, if they ask open questions and listen attentively without making assumptions.

This can be more challenging than it sounds. Social care professionals are frequently limited in the time they can spend with the people they provide services to, and, in some situations, may be under pressure to complete specific tasks or ask specific questions in order, for example, to complete paperwork for assessments. However, allowing time and space to build relationships, listen and value other people’s experiences or perspectives, is a skill that is at the core of social care and social work practice.

## Activity 1 Identities of young people leaving care

Allow 20 minutes for this activity

The participants in the following video are all young adults who have experienced being in care as children. Here they talk about the impact that their experiences of care have had on their identities.

Watch the video through a couple of times and then note down your thoughts in response to the questions that follow.

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Being in care
Transcript

1. How do these care leavers suggest their identities are shaped by the concepts of home, family and place?

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2. In what ways do these young people suggest their identities are shaped by how other people see them?

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### Discussion

These young people talk openly about their individual experiences of spending time growing up in care. They have had a variety of experiences and their identities have been shaped in very different ways. One young person reflects on the impact of being moved around and how sense of self can be affected and even lost along the way. Another young person notes that her social workers have undertaken the role of family, while another states that he has learned to depend only on himself. One young person observes how young people in care are often viewed negatively and that the expectation can be that they will cause trouble. It is important to remember that everyone’s circumstances are different and that we are all impacted by our lived experiences. How we view ourselves and how others view us can significantly influence our identity in both positive and negative ways.

You will now consider more about how (or why?) understanding the whole person is essential in social care and social work.

OpenLearn - Introducing social care and social work
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