Olufunmilayo S.’s Post

I’ve written this short piece on the need for a renewal of generosity towards #socialwork, service users and social workers #WSWD2024 #WSWD https://lnkd.in/e5EcnHTd

Hello 😃 National SOCIAL WORKERS!! I just want to wish you all Happy Workers Day!! 🎉 What is Social Work all about?? If you’re just coming across the profession “Social work” or wondering what it is all about?..Here’s a brief on Social work According to IFSW General Meeting and the IASSW General Assembly in July 2014: “Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work.  Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledges, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing. Social Workers work in diverse settings like hospitals, clinics, schools, correctional centres, care homes and lots more to help individuals, families, groups and communities to solve their social problems and achieve optimum state of social functioning.. Social workers possess core skills like empathy, active listening, critical thinking, communication skills, writing skills, organizational skills, cultural competence et. cetera Follow me to learn more on #SocialWork 😃 I am pleased to be joining you all soon!! #Officially ☺️🤗 I am currently in my finals and I can’t wait! 🤭😁🤝 #soontobesocialworker #Profession #SocialWorkers #SocialWorkProfessional #Career #PassionateSocialWorker #DiligentSocialWorker #Changeagent I celebrate every Social Worker doing their job diligently ✨👏👏 you are doing great!! 🎉 #Workersday #helpingprofessionals #HappyNewMonth #May #linkedinfam Turn on your post notifications 🔔, I talk and write on #career #socialwork #socialchange #advocacy #childprotection #SDGs #volunteering #socialimpact #programmanagement #outreachcoordination #entrepreneurship and #nongovernmentalorganization

Amid calls for the new government to support social work, a timely reminder of a motion passed at BASW AGM 2022 calling on government to term-limit the Chief Social Worker posts and for post holders to be appointed in collaboration with the profession. It is in effect a persuasive argument from social workers as to why, after 12 far-from-successful years, it’s high time for the Tory-appointed, Gove-favoured Chief Social Worker for Children and Families to go. A new dawn for the country. A new dawn for social work.

Can you connect us to social workers? We are piloting our Local Authority Sandbox, a new approach to service innovation in local government, this time focused on challenges in Adult Social Care. And as part of this approach, we are seeking the expertise of social workers from health and social care in London to support us in this work. If you know or work with someone who might be interested, please get in touch in the comments section below! #socialcare #socialwork #adultsocialcare

AACA Joins Call to Change the Script on Social Work We're supporting Social Work England, the regulator in England, calling on the entertainment industry to Change the Script on social work. Change the Script aims to raise awareness of the consequences that negative depictions of social workers have on society. It urges TV and filmmakers to portray social work more accurately and share more about social workers' positive daily impact on people’s lives. The campaign follows the release of two new pieces of research by YouGov, on behalf of Social Work England, that explores the perceptions of social work in society. Media negativity, including misrepresentations of social workers, is a common theme throughout the findings. Social workers believe the all-to-often inaccurate and damaging storylines contribute to mounting recruitment and retention challenges in the profession. Social Work England’s Chief Executive, Colum Conway, said:  “Despite how social workers are often portrayed in popular culture, our research tells us that the vast majority are proud to tell others about their job. They are highly trained and regulated, ensuring high standards are maintained. But more than this, social workers are committed to making a positive change. Each year, they help millions of people improve their life chances." It’s time to Change the Script for social work. Find out more about social work and how you can support this campaign by visiting: https://lnkd.in/dFv7vQM #changethescriptonsocialwork #safeguarding #media #socialcare #socialwork

Refreshing to see a focus on why social workers stay in the role despite it's demands. Whenever I deliver training I start by asking social workers to tell their story about how they came to be in the role, their journey and why they made it. What follows is always incredible and over runs every single time - but is well worth it. People describe what's featured in this article - and more. A strong sense of social justice and desire to advocate for people without a voice, lived experience of services or of caring, curiosity and interest in people, and so much more. People choose social work because the values of our profession align with their personal values and they want and need to live by them at work as well as at home. It's not easy to walk away from that, however tough it gets. #socialwork #values #workforce #socialjustice

March is Social Worker month among other things. Social Worker is diverse in it's context and allows for engagement across domains. Are you interested in helping others? Making a difference? Working within various systems? Maybe social worker is something to consider. #socialwork #makeadifference

#SocialWorkWeek2024 is an important opportunity to celebrate social workers and the commitment they show every single day to making a difference in the lives of children and their families. Here’s what some social workers said is the best thing about social work. As social workers, what do you love most about the work you do?

This article touches on something very important. It goes some way to explaining the guilt we feel as statutory advocates challenging social care decisions despite knowing it’s not the social workers fault. I’m confident social workers envisioned a career of meaningful intervention, not a system that squeezes them into a performative box. Their days are filled with the illusion of decision-making but then their recommendations are routinely overruled by “Brokerage”. The true - faceless - decision maker. This bleeds into assessments. Social workers, scarred by repeated rejections, lean towards a more conservative approach, focusing on solutions with a higher chance of approval, even if they may not be the most optimal for the person or fail to meet legislative standards. Statutory advocates are well-versed in relevant legislation, my observations suggest that social worker training might not fully equip them with the same level of knowledge. This lack of legislative training could be unintentionally - or if we’re prone to cynicism, intentionally - limiting their ability to do real social work. I keep wondering: why is social work training so light on legislation? Statutory advocates spend 90% of their qualification on it. Legislation should empower both social workers and advocates, equipping them to combat power imbalances. But when we challenge social workers' decisions with the legislation, it creates friction. We're seen as adversaries, not allies trying to safeguard the very essence of social work – its ability to make a difference. Imagine social workers armed with a stronger foundation in the legislation that governs their practice. Empowered by this knowledge, and with statutory advocates by their side, we could bring some power back to the people at the heart of it all. The current dynamic between social workers and advocacy, I feel, stems from a shared sense of powerlessness. A symptom of a larger issue, an unbalanced system. By recognizing this, we can join forces to fix it. By empowering social workers with a deeper understanding of legislation, or failing that, equipping them to respect the expertise statutory advocates have in this area and the power of leveraging this for the benefit of the people we support, we could move beyond the current "computer says no" system. We could build a more empowering and effective process for us all by putting Social Workers back in their rightful place as the “original” advocates. It may even cultivate a renewed sense of validation and pride in social work. It could lead to reduced burnout, a stronger workforce, increased job satisfaction, staff retention. Ultimately attracting more individuals to this crucial field of work. Knowledge is power. Head to this amazing resource: https://lnkd.in/eJzFYHNy #advocacy #socialcare #adultsocialcare #legalrights #legalliteracy #cascaidr