What IF we enabled caring professionals to do good work? Join the conversation on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_more-than-once-redquadrant-has-sent-social-activity-7406599731298324480-wwv9
More than once, RedQuadrant has sent social work teams to clients to do complex case reviews — with adults who have multiple complex needs, ‘dependency’ on social care, whose care packages can run into six figures.
They do more reviews per day than in-house social workers, and by doing progressive person-centred social work with good community referral pathways — listening closely to the person and their carer / advocate, focusing on what they can do and want more than what they can’t do and need, and giving them ways to get what they want — they save up to £17,000 per person per year on average.
And the person and their advocate are happier with what they get!
This isn’t radical. It is relational public services. But it’s also just good social work.
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How do we do it?
First, context — a council to pay, and systems and processes for them. Those good ‘community referral pathways’ — social clubs, libraries, ‘VCSFE’ organisations who offer company, warmth, outings, whatever.
Then, social workers not broken by the system — trauma, moral injury, cost/need tradeoffs, compliance and legislation… and never-ending reorganisations and threat to jobs, voluntary redundancy of the most experienced, no time for supervision or CPD, erosion of role and pay etc. Often, it’s the recently qualified: more focused on what social work could and should be than what it is.
Third, protect them. They can do many appointments and achieve great results IF that is what they are focused on. They must NOT:
– deal with social work IT systems — an admin person does that.
– book appointments and travel — a project manager does that.
– manage the project.
Once, we thought it would be clever and efficient to hire a house for them to stay in instead of a local Travelodge. And there were moments when it became a bit of a Social Work Big Brother House — too intense, too much to process.
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This sprang to mind when my post asking medical professionals to think twice before referring to my dad simply as ‘dad’ when he’s not their dad and has a name came out in my feed.
It was surprisingly popular, and got thoughtful responses, which helped me to remember why stressed professionals might use simple shortcuts.
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It takes energy to be a good doctor or social worker — psychological space, enough resource to be capable, in the moment, of looking after yourself AND have some to spare to actually listen, adapt, actual care for another person. Another person who might, at the slightest provocation, be difficult, snotty, break down, push their anticipatory grief onto you, act out, respond to their projection of their problems with authority, or simply respond from a place of being in desperate fear of their life or their loved-one’s life.
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Maybe we should dream, occasionally.
What IF we doubled our hospital capacity and came with shouting distance of the West European average?
What IF we created the conditions for social workers to do the social work they were trained to do?
chosen path 