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Today is World Social Work day - but what image comes to mind when you think about social workers in Jersey, who provide essential support which can often have an effect for many years to come? Sometimes, it will dictate the whole path of a person's life.
Express invited Sean Pontin, social worker and CEO of our chosen charity for 2022, Enable Jersey, to talk about their significance.
"When you think of a social worker, what do you think of? Is it the lovely caring lady on the bike with the basket on the front from days gone by or perhaps the over zealous 'busy-body' that according to the TV, is never to be trusted for fear of them stealing your children? Of course, in Jersey we don’t perhaps have the greatest relationship with social work and its fair to say that the profession is struggling to move away from past questions and perceived failings.
"Social workers aren’t often the professionals you here the public cheering for or find leaders praising when it comes to the work they do, they aren't 'vote winners' in comparison to maybe teachers, nurses or the police - but that certainly doesn’t mean that the role they play in our community is in any way less essential.
"Tuesday 15th March is World Social Work Day and so perhaps it's time to celebrate what our social workers do for individuals, families and our community as a whole, rather than focus on the past.
"It might surprise you to read that we have 177 Social Workers in the island, all of whom are qualified, and have to be registered both here in Jersey and in the UK to be able to practice. They can be found working in a range of areas, working with people in need of support by virtue of their situation, disability or health needs.
"They are people of all ages, some of whom are in need of support or protection, but many more who just need help to live as part of our community. I say ‘just’ but it often isn’t nearly as straightforward as that, which is often the case when you are working with people.
"Most of our Social Workers in Jersey are employed by the Government, working with children & families, adults and older people in need of care and support and in mental health settings. You will also find some in other areas such as Probation and working for the NSPCC.
Pictured: Since 2019 Jersey has also had its very own Social Work Degree programme based at Highlands College, and delivered in partnership with the University of Sussex.
"This summer we will see our first cohort qualify and start their professional lives as qualified Social Workers. Most I would expect will find roles within Government services; but there are also a range of other opportunities across the community and voluntary sectors that are yet to be tapped, and where a social worker’s skills and experience would be well used.
"So, on World Social Work day let’s give our Social Workers the thanks and respect they deserve, but don’t often find. As we have seen over the last few years with the pandemic, and especially in the last few weeks with events in Ukraine, life is can be unpredictable and complicated, and you never know when you might just need a social worker’s support!"
These Social Work students are currenting studying the Social Work Degree at Highlands College...
Lennox
I grew up in the UK and had some contact with social workers as a child. I've also worked alongside social workers in my previous roles as a Support Worker for a couple of local charities. Some of my family members are Social Workers or work in health and social care, so it has been a path I have seen and wanted to follow for a while.
For me the main reason for becoming a Social Worker is that I like working WITH people, which is the most important word as there should be a focus on the person’s strength first and foremost.
Even though I knew about social work I was still surprised by the amount of thought which goes into every situation. These situations can be traumatic for everyone involved and no decision is taken easily, even though that is how it can be portrayed in the media.
Pictured: Enable Jersey seeks to empower and create an inclusive community for all.
I am currently on placement with the charity Enable and have enjoyed every moment of it, especially as it’s a service which seeks to empower and seek an inclusive community for all. Its been great to have been able to meet and learn from a range of other charities and organisations, promoting partnership work and improving the wellbeing of those that seek Enable’s support.
Caitlin
I always knew I wanted to work with children and my work with them over the past few years has given me an insight into the type of career I wished to pursue. I wanted to offer more than looking after children or teaching and after talking to people in the profession I decided to study social work.
Social work allows me to give that extra bit of intervention that individuals need in society today and highlights the real impact professionals can make on people's lives.
I am currently working with learning disabilities, on my first placement, which is an area I have not yet had the opportunity to work within. Working with the team at Les Amis has really opened my eyes and allowed me to understand life from a different perspective. It is great to interact with the service users and see them thrive with the support of professionals, like social workers.
Claudia
My journey into wanting to become a Social Worker is probably a very common one. Yet for me being able to get there feels like a magical calling.
Being a social work student is all about having a global perspective and having the time to ‘Stop, Think and Understand’ emotive social issues.
The concept of “It takes a village to look after a child” is a good one and one that we should all think about. Its not just professionals that make a difference but everyone has a role to play.
I am currently in placement with the NSPCC who support local children and families. They have made me realise the importance of healthy professional relationships and how this contributes to self-care. I have also met with other charities, and I noticed a common thread, the power of vulnerability. It’s okay not to be okay, but what is not okay is not to seek help when you need it because of social stigmas.
Felicia
I used to work as a support worker and found the role very rewarding. I often felt, however, the limitation of how much I could do to improve the lives of people from that role. I wanted to be able to achieve even more positive changes.
I also wished to gain further knowledge and skills, and use my existing ones to a greater extent in my work
Social work, therefore, was a natural career progression for me. Due to family commitments, however, I needed to wait until a Jersey based course was set up. As soon as it was available, I applied and became part of the first cohort due to qualify this summer.
Now I am doing my final year and I am on placement with the Adult Services. I enjoy this opportunity, especially that I have got the chance to work with a diverse group of people. I would like to work in a similar role in the future. I have special interests in complex needs, autism and learning disability, but I am equally happy to work with other service user groups.
Pictured: Felicia is on a placement with Adult Service. She has special interests in complex needs, autism and learning disability
Donovan
Before wanting to become a social worker, I actually wanted to be a clinical psychologist as I’ve always been interested in learning how and why people think. When I began working in various support/care roles however, it became clearer and clearer that mental health is just one aspect of their life and relationships and environments play a crucial role in a person’s life. I also wanted to work with people in more of a preventative way too, supporting them before any mental health issues arise.
Learning about people and in their environments is what I really love about social work and as I am not in a specialist social work team, I get to work with a whole variety of people and do different things. This could be from baking brownies with young people to legal work. I think my biggest take away from placement is how important relationships are, this is not just in the sense that building a good working relationship with people is crucial, but also understanding that there is a danger for professionals to work in an oppressive way with the people they are support.
Aside from gaining weight from all the baking I’ve been doing, in the future I see myself working for Children’s Social Care, hopefully as a senior social worker or manager.
