CYM-HSCRes_E1 Perspectives on social work: Individual stories Perspectives on social work: Individual stories If reading this text has inspired you to learn more, you may be interested in joining the millions of people who discover our free learning resources and qualifications by visiting The Open University [http://www.open.ac.uk/choose/ou/open-content].

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We reserve the right to alter, amend or bring to an end any terms and conditions provided here without notice. All rights falling outside the terms of the Creative Commons licence are retained or controlled by The Open University. Head of Intellectual Property, The Open University Individual stories: perspectives on social work In this series of four interviews you will watch a service user, a carer, a social worker and a social work manager talking about their different experiences. The interviews will illustrate the importance of listening to people’s stories, the importance of relationship in social work practice, and the importance of the context in which social work practice takes place. You will consider questions about the interviews, and will reflect on the implications for practice of what the individuals have to say. While these video interviews can be used as stand-alone resources, they also support the free online courses An introduction to social work, in which you can read more about working with individuals and the importance of biography, and An introduction to social work in Wales, in which you will learn about the importance of the Welsh context and its impact on social work in Wales. After studying this unit, you should be able to: think about the impact of biography on personal lives. consider the role of relationship in social work practice. consider the importance of context in social work practice. Allow 45 minutes As you watch the videos, jot down the different life experiences of the speakers. When you have watched the videos, answer the questions below. Siân Parry - Service user I was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Mum and Dad were from Wales and spoke Welsh, but Dad happened to be working there. I returned to Wales when I was around 3 years old. I've lived in North Wales ever since. I had a short spell working in London. I was working there with the police for about two years. I've had quite a few different jobs. I worked for the Welsh Ambulance Service in North Wales for around five years. After I had children I went to college in North Wale in order to train to become a teacher. I've been poorly for over twenty years now. But after suffering kidney failure things changed a lot. I worked part-time for a period. Things became more difficult for me in school. I had to cut my hours and eventually I finished working. Everything changes completely when you're on dialysis because you're tied to the hospital on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It's quite a strain to be honest. It's been an enormous change for me to go from a very busy life to one which is a lot quieter. It takes time to come around to the fact that you're not well enough to work. Work was everything. It's where my friends were, that's what I did. As a teacher, you pray for the holidays to arrive. But I had all this time and didn't know what to do with it. I was very fortunate, because the hospital helped me straight away. Because I had dialysis at home at the start, there was a lot of contact. There's a team of renal nurses who look after you. They come to the house and help you to get set up. But I could only do that for around five years. It was during that time that I had my first social worker. She was extremely good with the children and the family as well. They were teenagers at the time and teenagers aren't the easiest to deal with at the best of times. I was poorly and it was extremely difficult for them. They were able to talk to her about it as well as me. She was there for us all as a family. Speaking to a nurse or a doctor is difficult. They have a completely different attitude. When she came here, I was able to tell her what was really worrying me. She really helped me. Even though I'd been suffering with different illnesses I couldn't get a blue badge. I wasn't receiving Disability Living Allowance or anything like that. I would have been elligble for that whilst working part-time but I didn't realise. I was too ill to think about things like that. Financially It was a huge strain. She came along and worked on those things for me, and on my behalf when I couldn't fill in those horrible forms myself. It was a lot easier when she worked on them with me. I've been very fortunate to have a social worker who is a fluent Welsh speaker. I've also had a social worker who couldn't speak Welsh but was willing to say simply "Bore da". It's very simple but it makes a big difference in terms of ethos. It makes you feel very comfortable. Some of the staff wear badges to symbolize that they are Welsh speakers. That's really nice because when you see that badge it's then easy to speak to them in Welsh. I think that the Welsh language service is essential because it's important to use Welsh from day to day. It means a lot to me. I speak Welsh with my family and with little children. It's natural for me to do so. It's a strange thing, If you start off speaking in English with somebody you'll always speak to them in English. There's no reason why we shouldn't all be able to speak a little bit of Welsh. After all, we're Welsh, aren't we? Mr Howell Mudd - Carer My life has been very interesting. I was born in Neuaddlwyd, near Aberaeron. I moved to and that's where I was brought up. I attended school and The Grange School, Carmarthen afterwards. Secondary school. Whilst at school, I became partially sighted After school I spent some time in Torquay, Devon and then to Letchworth near London. After that I got a job with a company in Birmingham. I was there for a while. There were a lot of strikes at that time in the car industry because they were building car parts with machines. I went to work in St Fagans, near Cardiff, in the museum. Then I went into ministerial service. I was ordained in Cilcennin, near Aberaeron. dihewyd – desire I moved to Gwynfryn in Ammanford and then to six churches in north Pembrokeshire. I retired back here up until my wife lost her health. Mary went in on the 14th of April. She's very happy there. Perhaps she doesn't really understand where she is. At times she doesn't recognize me. They decided that the best option for her was to go into care permanently. She's very happy there. The reason she's happy there is because there's a day centre in Ammanford. Every day, after the carers have been in to look after her, she would go down to the day centre. She's got to know the staff and the other people who go there,she does the same thing now, the only difference is that she doesn't sleep at home. She goes to the day centre every day from the care home. Because of that, she's happy mixing with other people. Things are easy, but some things have changed as well. It's easier because I can sleep at night whereas I couldn't before. Because of her condition she'd be waking up and walking around. To a certain extent it's easier but it's also very difficult because I’m on my own now – I’m not used to that. I sit here sometimes and think that she's here, but she isn't. I think that I can hear her speaking like she used to. Sometimes she'd talk all night. Sometimes I can't sleep because I think that she's still here. It's a strange experience. To tell you the truth, I do find it difficult because we were happy together. We wouldn't ever go out without each other because that's the nature of being in the ministry. She was a Sunday school teacher. It was hard to make the decision but the CPN nurse and the social worker advised that it was the best option for her. We don't deal with social workers in the ministry. I realize that they are meant to help people. They go to residential homes. I sometimes think they have too many qualifications and not enough practical experience. I would think that you'd need sympathy and wisdom to deal with the elderly. That's more important than a piece of paper which show's you've done the right exams. Because of their condition, the patients themselves I think you need sympathy and wisdom to be able to deal with them. I've been doing it for years now, and It can be difficult. You can be impatient sometimes. But you have to have patience and understanding of the illness itself. You need to have Welsh speaking services for the elderly. That's their language. When they were being brought up, there wasn't a lot of English. Welsh speaking social workers are essential. I haven't had any myself. If I had stayed at home, perhaps I would have had problems understanding English. But because I've been away, I could understand them fine. There was nothing wrong with the little bit of Welsh service that I had But something got lost between myself and them through not being able to speak in Welsh – having to think in Welsh - and speak in English. Mags Thomas - Social worker I tried to find a job, but, of course, I didn't have any experience. So I decided to do some voluntary work with The Samaritans. I think the project was called Youth Enterprise. I was working with the elderly. They matched older people with younger people. I managed to get a job as a welfare assistant in West Glamorgan. It was in Morriston, near Swansea. I went on from there to become a qualified social worker. I then went to Oxford to get my CQSW. I came back to Carmarthenshire in 1984. As a social worker you can help people and make a difference in their lives. And just to stand next to people who are worrying. Over the years I've worked with people with learning difficulties people with problems, people who are worried. It's a privilege to stand next to people who are worrying and to make a difference. You have to make time to talk about your feelings. This work can be stressful, and you often take it home with you. You worry and you can't sleep. It's important that the worker's feelings are dealt with in the supervision process. You need time to feel that you matter and that your work is important. You should never feel ashamed to admit you're struggling. When stress levels are high, the case load is too much. There's no money or somebody has been chasing me for something. It's important that the door is always open. You have to be open and you have to respect people. Perhaps some people and their lifestyle choices are different to yours. It's important to accept people as they are and to respect them without thinking about their colour, their beliefs or sexual preferences. You have to be non- judgemental and also have a sense of humour. You have to be able to place yourself in somebody else's situation even if you've never had that experience. If somebody is worried their children may be taken into care. I haven't experienced that, but I know what it's like to be worried. I know what it's like to not feel in control from other circumstances in my life. You have to try your best to put yourself in their shoes. It's important to use your personality. I had an experience many years ago, before I began to work within teams. You would go to see people for an hour with your diary under your arm. I was working in London, in a halfway house unit. People would go there after coming out of a psychiatric hospital before going out into the community. That was a very different experience, but I really enjoyed it. It took me a while to work out that you have to use your personality; At 3.00 in the morning if they have a nightmare or 2.00 in the afternoon when you're playing snooker. I was giving counselling and doing a lot of group work. But it was really important to sometimes leave out the formalities and use your personality. I think Carmarthenshire is one of the places in where Welsh is spoken the most. It's important to me that I'm able to use my first language. I didn't learn Welsh in school but it's my first language. It's important to have that opportunity and that people are able to choose. Linda Jones - Social work manager I used to work as a television scriptwriter. As part of my work I researched the role of social workers working with children. I spoke to social workers to find out how abused children behaved and what signs to look out for. I found it so interesting. The job itself sounded better than writing about it. I hadn't realized that it was in my background. My dad was disabled, and my brother suffered from Down's Syndrome. I was familiar with having social workers in the house. Supervision is important to social workers, especially new social workers. In order to know they're supported and that their work is appreciated. Often people work long hours. They're unsung heroes out working in the community. It's important they can come back saying, "I've done such-and-such" and that somebody recognizes the good work they've done. It's also a chance for them to talk about anything that may have arisen. Things which have worried them, or maybe even upset them. The work we deal with can be very sad. It can be tragic. It's important they discuss their feelings so they don't take them home with them. The principles noted in the Care Council for Wales' code of practice are important. There are personal principles too - what kind of person you are. You must respect individuals who have problems or disabilities. You have to respect people's differences and not be prejudiced. I never thought I was prejudiced person. But when I was training, the tutor asked, "What prejudices have you got?" I remember thinking, "I haven't got any." But we all have our prejudices and it's important to leave them outside. Perhaps talk about them in the supervision process. Admit you have them and that they're worrying you. It's vital that you're an honest and genuine person and that you try to do your best for the person. What you want is secondary. The person is important. In order to be a good social worker, what I look for I've sat on an interview panel once. The personality of a person comes across before they begin to answer the questions. We look for people who are honest, natural and comfortable with people. People who are interested in people and want to listen to their story. Listening skills are very important. I also look for somebody who's professional. Somebody who knows the law and policies and who knows the structure within the council. When we do what we do, we have an important role within the law. The person must take responsibility for the quality of their work. Taking minutes, assessment skills, risk assessment. They must completely understand their role. Professionalism comes when they understand their role. Working in Wales is different because it's a devolved country. The structure of the legislation is very different to England and Scotland's. I'm a mental health social worker. Our code of practice for mental health is different to the one they have in England. They're small but important differences,and you have to know them. The way you apply the Mental Capacity Act is different in England. It's important to recognize that there are differences. We're not the same as England and Scotland. They have small differences in their legislation. Also, the way we work is affected by the traditions we have in Wales the language and the type of country we have. We have areas which are urban and some which are extremely rural. It's important that service users are able to choose their language. It's their right as individuals who live in Wales.it’s important to remember that the people we work with are going through some kind of  personal crisis. There's closeness straight away. They trust you straight away. It happens, people relax straight away when they realize you can speak Welsh. People can say what's worrying them. They can express themselves better in their own language. If they can tell you what's wrong, and tell you what they need it ensures your assessment is better. You get the truth rather than struggling with a language they're not comfortable with. What life events or turning points impacted on the lives of the individuals in the videos? Make some notes on your own life and about your current situation. What life events or turning points have had an impact on you and the decisions and choices you have made? What do you understand from the interviews about the importance of relationship in social work practice? (Listen in particular to the social worker talking about using her personality.) What do you think the carer means when he says there’s something missing between himself and the social worker who doesn’t speak Welsh? What do the individuals in the videos suggest are the qualities necessary for good social work practice? What are the similarities and differences between the qualities identified by the various individuals? What impact has social work intervention had on the life of the service user? The carer? Why is it important that social workers have an understanding of the nation in which they are working and the language needs of the people they work with? What did you learn most from watching the interviews that you think would be important for social work practice? This is a very personal, but nonetheless valuable activity. There are a number of cultural and other differences in individuals’ biographical experiences which variously influence their present lives and attitudes, and it is it is important that we acknowledge and value such diversity. People go into social work for all sorts of reasons: to do good; to help others; because of their own family background or experiences of loss, illness or disability; to confront their own problems, or simply by chance. A 2011 survey of students undertaking social work training found that people were influenced by both personal and career factors when choosing to study social work. Motives included those associated with the following elements: Altruism – a desire to make a difference, help others and fight injustice. The personal qualities and experience of the student – an ability to get on with people, work in a team and, for some, a suitable career choice because of their own life experiences. Career factors – such as a well-paid job with career prospects and flexibility. The day-to-day nature of the work – variety, high job satisfaction and having individual responsibility. (Based on Stevens et al., 2012) As illustrated by both social workers in the videos, making the link between personal experience and what social workers bring to their practice is an important early step towards their becoming a reflective practitioner. Good social work practice is primarily about relationships (Wilson et al., 2011) and engaging effectively with service users, carers and others to enable them to tell their stories. Forming a good relationship is the starting point for working ‘with rather than on people’ (Beresford, 2012). It is through the professional relationship that social workers ‘engage with and intervene in the complexity of an individual’s internal and external worlds’ (ibid), and this is illustrated by Mags (a social worker) in the video, as she relates how she used her personality (her ‘self’) to establish relationships with young people in a half-way house. However, forming a good relationship becomes more difficult when service users’ needs within this relationship are not met, as in the case of Mr Mudd (a carer). Being allocated a social worker who did not speak Welsh made it more difficult for him to engage with her as he would have wished, as he had to ‘think in Welsh and speak in English’. Although speaking in English per se is not problematic for him, the relationship would have been an easier one had it in been established in Welsh. This is echoed in Siân's (a service user) interview - Welsh is, after all, the language in which she lives her life. The introduction of the ‘active offer’ principle (CCW, 2014), requires that in future the identification of language need in Wales will become the responsibility of the professional rather than the service user or carer (who may already be in a position of low status and power, and therefore may not feel able to exercise their right to request a Welsh medium service), Off camera, Mr Mudd suggested that providing care, while physically and emotionally demanding, may be missed by the carer when the person who is being cared for requires additional support and moves into residential care. The gap left by the absence of that person and the removal of the role of ‘carer’ can be difficult. So it is important to acknowledge that while social work intervention may change some aspects of peoples' lives for the better, the consequences of intervention can also mean that life might now be quite different for all concerned. The qualities or characteristics of a good social worker identified by the four individuals are broadly similar. The importance of listening, and the other qualities mentioned, reflect the ‘warmth, empathy, reliability and respect’ identified by Beresford (2012) as being what service users want from social workers – that is, the same kind of qualities one would expect in a trusted friend. Beresford, P. (2012) ‘What service users want from social workers’, Community Care, Friday 27 April 2012 [online]. Available at: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2012/04/27/what-service-users-want-from-social-workers/#.U6naPJRdXAk Care Council for Wales (2014) The Social Worker, Cardiff, CCW http://www.ccwales.org.uk/practice-guidance-for-social-workers/ Stevens, M., Moriarty, J., Manthorpe, J., Hussein, S., Sharpe, E., Orme, J., Mcyntyre, G., Cavanagh, K., Green-Lister, P. and Crisp, B.R. (2012) Helping others or a rewarding career? Investigating student motivations to train as social workers in England, Journal of Social Work vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 16–36. Wilson K., Ruch G., Lymbery M. and Cooper, A. (eds) (2011) Social Work: An introduction to contemporary practice, Harlow, Pearson This unit was written by Judith Davies The material acknowledged below is Proprietary and used under licence (not subject to Creative Commons Licence, see terms and conditions). Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources for permission to reproduce material in this unit: Carmarthenshire County Council Mr Howell Mudd Siân Parry Learn further: 1. Further Welsh-medium Studies on this subject https://www.open.edu/openlearn/society-politics-law/openlearn-wales-take-your-learning-further 2. Linked study material from the Open Universityhttp://www.open.ac.uk/ choose/ ou/ open-content 3. This subject and free course materials on OpenLearnhttp://www.open.edu/ openlearn/ 4. Studying from outside the UK? 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