Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR:
Sunday morning, and Sam Swan, an emergency duty social worker, is starting a long shift. Sam, like all EDT colleagues, works when others don't, weekends, nights, and bank holidays. The work is diverse, and the caseload usually heavy.
SAM SWAN:
We cover the whole spectrum of social work, really, in terms of working with children and families, mental health services, people with learning disabilities, and people with physical disabilities, and also old people. So really, we cover a wide spectrum. Predominantly, nine times out of 10, we work on our own.
We work through the night, which means that we have to prioritise work. We have to do assessments and investigations. And so there's a lot of responsibility and accountability, really, because obviously, we have to stand by those decisions that we make at that time.
NARRATOR:
After a handover from the colleague she's relieving, Sam's work starts.
[PHONE RINGING]
Almost immediately, the phone calls begin.
SAM SWAN:
That's custody. OK, appropriate adult, OK.
NARRATOR:
A 16-year-old is being held at Telford's main police station, suspected of carrying an offensive weapon. By law, an appropriate adult must be with him to safeguard his welfare and ensure that he understands all procedures and any charges being brought against him. As his parents are refusing to attend, that role will fall to Sam.
SAM SWAN:
So the officers are ready to go, but the solicitor's not there yet. OK, well, if you can give me a call when the solicitor has gone into consultation, I'll come along then. All right, then, so we'll give you a ring just before we arrive, OK.
NARRATOR:
Sam's next case is a woman at a local hospital who's causing staff concern. Sam may need to undertake a mental health assessment. She discusses the case with the co-cited community nurse crisis team.
SPEAKER 1:
She's been placed on a ward where she's continued to complain of physical complaints.
SAM SWAN:
But their medical investigations don't identify that there's any medical problem. OK, so she's known to us. She's care coordinated, is she?
SPEAKER 1:
She is, yeah.
SAM SWAN:
Presumably, they'll let us know if they become concerned about her behavior.
SPEAKER 1:
Yeah.
NARRATOR:
Jointly, they decide that no immediate action is needed, as the hospital will hold the patient until Monday.
And Sam's phone is ringing again. It's the call she's been expecting from the custody suite.
SAM SWAN:
It is. She's in consultation. OK, so we'll come over. See you shortly. Bye, bye. That was the sergeant from custody there. The solicitor's arrived. So we need to make our way over to custody.
NARRATOR:
The EDT role demands experience. And Sam has plenty. She left school at 16 and came into social work through an admin job.
SAM SWAN:
I was appointed a social work assistant. And I also had a varied caseload at the time. I worked at the local psychiatric hospital. I also had a few cases where children were on the child protection register, as it was known at that time. Qualified in 1995. And chose to come back into predominantly child protection.
I became team manager covering the north side of Telford. I stayed in team management for probably about four years, until the job came up in EDT.
Morning, how are you?
SPEAKER 2:
Very well, thank you.
SAM SWAN:
Good, good.
Very rare opportunity for a job to come up in the emergency duty team, where I am now. So it was an ideal opportunity, really, to go back in as a practitioner. Because you have that experience and knowledge base, I think it's fair to say that we all feel fairly confident in doing the job. But that's not to say that it's not tough at times. And sometimes you do question, is this the right thing to do?
OK, then, cheers. Well, this one actually was record time, I would say. We were in and out, really, within probably an hour, which is pretty amazing. That's pretty good. He admitted it. He was charged. And he's been bailed to go to court, a week on Wednesday.
NARRATOR:
Back at the office, there are concerns that an elderly woman is not coping alone at home.
SAM SWAN:
Because she's having four calls a day, isn't she? So she'll have had a morning one.
NARRATOR:
Sam checks in with the woman's home care service.
SAM SWAN:
So it's the same carer going in. So that's good. So she'll notice if there's any change, won't she, if there's anything she's worried about? OK, all right, then. Thanks, Linda. Bye.
NARRATOR:
It seems to be good news. And Sam will continue to monitor the situation. In the meantime, there's a new message waiting.
SAM SWAN:
That is our shop doc, our out-of-hours GP service, who wants help with a lady who's suffering with severe anxiety and some symptoms of depression.
NARRATOR:
A phone call to the doctor who has visited the patient reveals the woman's condition could be serious.
SAM SWAN:
The fact that she's not eating and drinking, from a medical point of view, how will that impact? She sounds very unwell. All right, then, bye, bye. Right, so I've got to coordinate a full mental health assessment on this lady.
She's a 64-year-old lady who, he says, is not actually previously known to mental health services and has had problems with anxiety now for the past month or so. Things have escalated in the last 10 days.
NARRATOR:
This assessment now takes priority over Sam's other referrals. And she swings into action. Several phone calls later, she's on the road. As an approved mental health practitioner, Sam's job is to coordinate and take an active role in the assessment.
SAM SWAN:
I've arranged to meet the psychiatrist and another GP at the address. The three of us have to assess and agree a plan, really.
NARRATOR:
It's up to Sam to look at alternatives to hospital and ensure the woman's rights are protected.
SAM SWAN:
We need to talk to the husband and get his views about the situation. And then make a decision then about the best way forward.
NARRATOR:
Over the course of two hours, Sam and the doctors decide the woman does need to be admitted to psychiatric hospital. The woman's husband agreed to support the decision of the team.
SAM SWAN:
Oh dear, OK. It was-- mental health assessments are always, well, they're just difficult, really. It's quite stressful. She was really very sad. And I think the way we wrestle with that is you have to decide what's in the best interests of the service user, really.