What great looks like

I’m not the first to note that social work is an art rather than a science. And that can make it hard when you have to give colleagues a clear idea of the standards they should aspire to.

Luckily in my work as an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) I see plenty of examples of inspiring practice. These come from the workers that rise to the challenges facing the young people that we work with and take pleasure from making an impact in spite of the obstacles. 

Today I was talking to one worker about her experience of doing social work in lock down. After the restrictions were imposed she went through her caseload and decided all but three of them could benefit from face to face visits. Then she used her ingenuity to find times and places and ways of travelling that allowed her to be with her clients in ways that were safe and appropriate.

She made sure that she provided the best service she could to her clients and she demonstrated that she was prepared to deal with the obstacles in her way. Hats off to her I say!

Doing great social work is rarely easy . There are lots of things that can go wrong but the workers who inspire me in my work are the ones who don’t give up and keep trying because they know that one day enough things will go right to make that all important difference.