Article in The Guardian 25th February 2015

I am delighted to report that one of my blogs has been published today in The Guardian newspaper. The link is as follows;

http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/social-life-blog/2015/feb/25/child-protection-social-worker-known-social-services 

This blog came about when The Guardian invited people to write a piece relating to social work. I made my pitch, and was invited to write an 800-word piece for their social care section.

I chose to write about the abuse and dangers faced by social workers in their day-to-day lives on the job. This is a very real issue, and one, which is not isolated to social work. Work place aggression and violence affects many professionals, such as nurses, police officers, prison officers and many others who come into contact with people as part of their job.

Unfortunately, facing abuse on an almost daily level can take its toll. I know of many colleagues who have left social work due to this very reason. Many others have seen their health suffer. We are not in a role where appreciation from service users and clients is commonplace. On the contrary, given the nature of our job, we are far more likely to be met with hostility, than a warm welcome. While we might accept this as part of the career path we have chosen, and while thick skin is almost a prerequisite of the job, it does not make us immune to insult. 

So what is to be done? Unfortunately, the problem can never be fully eradicated, but we can make a stand against it. I know from my own experiences, that once a client has proved aggressive in their own home, office visits can offer a short-term solution. However, my colleagues will concur, this is not always practical or possible.  Visiting in pairs is also a safer option, but can be impractical due to staff shortages.  

It is important to try to "pick your battles" so to speak. While I am not suggesting that we ignore abusive behaviour, there is little value in getting upset with every person who presents as challenging or angry. Direct and clear communication is, in my opinion, essential. It is also vital to have an understanding of the very real fears, which people have, when faced with social services, perhaps for the first time. These fears must be openly acknowledged and appreciated.

There are many good tactics we can adopt in order to combat work place aggression, and it is our responsibility to be as prepared as we can be in order to effectively offer a service to the children we strive to protect. However, we must also have an understanding of when we are NOT in an immediate position to help. 

I can recall a visiting drama group when I was a University student. We were presented with this scenario;  

You are visiting a home to see a very young baby. The father is known to be violent and aggressive. When you arrive, he is abusive and agitated. You can see the mother and baby in a back room, but he is refusing to allow you to see them or speak to them. There is a large knife on the table in front of you. What is your course of action?

We were given five minutes to make a decision. The lecturer then went around the group asking what we would do. The answers ranged from, trying to talk to the father, to trying to get past him! When she got to me and asked what I would do, my answer was simple,

"I'd leave" was my unflinching response.

I heard a few sharp intakes of breath. Some of my fellow students were horrified to hear that I would leave and not try to help. The lecturer however smiled and said simply, "Yep, right answer".

To enlarge on my response; there would be no value in a lone female worker trying to negotiate with an agitated man who has access to a knife. That is a job for the police and in this scenario; I would of course have contacted them for assistance.

Know your limitations. Stay safe.

Freya