Now ye're talking - to a social care worker

Boards.ie: Niamh

Hello everyone! We have a social care worker joining us today who has over 10 years experience. She has experience of high support residential services and day centre services for people with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities nd is here to answer your questions about her work in these areas.

Baggly

What is your favourite part of your current role?

What is your least favourite part of your current role?

How do you find working within the public sector?

madmaggie

Do you work exclusively with people with disabilities? I care for an elderly relative, not disabled. I was wondering what a social care worker does for the elderly. Thank you. Apologies if not on topic.

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

Pter wrote: »

What is your favourite part of your current role?

What is your least favourite part of your current role?

How do you find working within the public sector?

Hi, thanks for your question

This will sound cheesy but my favourite part is making a difference to somebodies life. The little things you or I do daily and take for granted can be a massive step or obstacle for a person with a disability and to be thanked and appreciated is priceless.

Least favourite part of the job. There are always a small number of people who just complain and moan no matter what you do for them. :rolleyes: There are people who are very angry about their situation, some who find it difficult to accept they have acquired a disability and can be very aggressive and channel their anger to you (verbally abusive/physically abusive). It took me some time to be able to step back and realise that it wasn't my fault and not to take it personally. You have to be able to put up a barrier, block it out and move on.

Abuse from the public can be tough to deal with too and also people's stories/situations can be emotionally hard to hear.

Then there are things within the community that are frustrating like accessibility, people taking disability parking spaces when they are not needed etc.


I don't really have anything to say about public/private sector. The public sector isn't as cushy as people think, not in this line of work anyway. Internal support for staff and job happiness is much more important in my opinion.

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

madmaggie wrote: »

Do you work exclusively with people with disabilities? I care for an elderly relative, not disabled. I was wondering what a social care worker does for the elderly. Thank you. Apologies if not on topic.

Social care is a very very broad career option. You can go down many routes and work with many groups e.g. young offenders, homeless people, people with addictions, disability, ethnic minorities, domestic violence victims etc. I chose the area of disability (accidentally). I initially wanted to work with children from disadvantaged areas but completed a college placement in a disability centre and loved it. They offered me a job at the end of the placement and by that stage my initial option of working with children was a distant memory.

I have never heard of any social care workers working with the elderly. It tends to be care assistants but perhaps there is something out there though, im just not overly familiar with that area.

Mrs OBumble

What qualifications did you have to get before getting the job? Or if none, what are you working on now?

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

What qualifications did you have to get before getting the job? Or if none, what are you working on now?

Hi, i have an honours degree (level 8) in Social Care.

Thanks for your question

GalwayGrrrrrl

Thanks for doing the AMA. How much training do social care workers get on managing medication? How do you feel about overseeing medication for the people you care for? Is there any particular area you would like more training on? (I’m a pharmacist who works with people with ID and acute mental illness).

frash

What's it like around the time you get inspectors in from HIQA?

Ever worked somewhere that got a damning report?

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

GalwayGrrrrrl wrote: »

Thanks for doing the AMA. How much training do social care workers get on managing medication? How do you feel about overseeing medication for the people you care for? Is there any particular area you would like more training on? (I’m a pharmacist who works with people with ID and acute mental illness).

Hi, any training i have received is 1-2 days. All medication now is blister packed (a lot easier and safer) so we just need to be able to read the cardex and check the medication against that. We contact the G.P/caredoc if any medical issues but thankfully there has never been anything major.

I have no concerns about looking after medication or administering it from a medical perspective. It is up to the G.P to prescribe the right medication and the pharmacy to dispense the medication. We just check you did it right :pac:

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

frash wrote: »

What's it like around the time you get inspectors in from HIQA?

Ever worked somewhere that got a damning report?

I have never worked in a place that has had a HIQA inspection while i was employed there. I do know of places that have been inspected and the reports can be shocking (they can be viewed online). There's always going to be a little worry when there is any sort of an audit or inspection but its too late to be worrying then. It’s kind of like that feeling you get as you approach a Garda checkpoint and wonder if everything is in order and if is there anything they can catch you on. Everything should be in order anyway.

I wouldn't work in a place that would potentially get a damning report or anything close to it. I set my standards high and treat people like i would like a family member to be treated.

I would like more random inspections. If people are doing things right then there isn’t anything to worry about.

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

Just want to add that most of my experience is working with people who have intellectual disabilities but right now I’m working with a variety of disabilities e.g blind, deaf, brain injuries, intellectual disability, physical disability, people who have had disabilities since birth and people who acquired their disability during their life (naturally or through an accident).

Thanks for all the questions so far

miamee

Where do you do most of your work? Do you visit people in their homes, do they come to you, are they in a care home?

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing people with a physical or intellectual disability these days?

Tell me how

On average, how many hours a week do you work?
What is the most difficult element of your job?
Do you think daycare centres are better than having someone always receive care in the home as there is a greater level of resources available as well as the social interaction element or do you think home care is best?

Gloomtastic!

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA wrote: »

I chose the area of disability (accidentally). I initially wanted to work with children from disadvantaged areas but completed a college placement in a disability centre and loved it. They offered me a job at the end of the placement and by that stage my initial option of working with children was a distant memory.

I think you dodged a bullet by avoiding TUSLA, they really are a bunch of headless chickens whose sole role is to tick boxes as opposed to offer care.

Do you get bogged down in paperwork?

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

miamee wrote: »

Where do you do most of your work? Do you visit people in their homes, do they come to you, are they in a care home?

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing people with a physical or intellectual disability these days?

Hi,

I am based at a centre but I am out and about a lot in the community too. People come to me if they want to achieve something new. For some it might be getting a job, learning to drive, getting their own home and for somebody else it might be learning how to make a curry, becoming familiar with using public transport so that they can travel independently etc. Its very individualized.

Some live with family, some live independently and some live in a nursing home with the elderly despite their age.

I will focus more on physical disability (a wheelchair user) to answer this part.

The biggest obstacles are: (and i hope it doesn't come across as moaning)

Accessibility.
e.g. Buildings! The entrances to restaurants and public buildings like banks, post offices etc. Some can have narrow doors and some can have steps. What we consider simple tasks can be impossible sometimes.

Look at footpaths, people parking and blocking footpaths, nowhere to get on/off a footpath, people parking in the limited disability parking spaces unnecessarily. (I always compare this to driving to the city on Christmas eve and wondering where you're going to park, going around and around and around until a space eventually free's up). I had to take somebody to a hospital appointment one day and despite being half an hour early driving into the carpark, we ended up being late by the time i found a disabled parking space that didn't have cars with hazard lights flashing. Its a lot of stress before you even get out of the car

Toilets: First of all finding a wheelchair accessible toilet. Wheelchair accessible toilets that are so small you can't close the door behind you and you are expected to go to the loo in view of the public. Wheelchair accessible toilets that are up a stairs seriously! I have seen all sorts!

I would really like to see some sort of a regulation whereby a building or facility cannot declare themselves as wheelchair accessible unless they meet a minimum requirement. At least then you could go to the place with confidence rather than praying that its okay.

Transport is another issue. Wheelchair accessible public buses non existent outside of the big cities. Sometimes only 1 wheelchair space on a train, god forbid two people might like to travel together. People being left on the train because nobody came to assist them off! The limited availability of wheelchair accessible taxis and then the cost of them. The cost of owning transport that is adapted.

That's just basic access!

The Public

The majority of the public are kind and very accommodating. There are some that are just abusive and horrible. I have been asked to leave a restaurant because a person with a disability who was eating their lunch like everyone else was "potentially upsetting for other customers". I have been told that "those people are disgusting and should not be seen in public" when enjoying a stroll around the shops at Christmas time. I have been in the company of a wheelchair user who was jeered and asked if she had a drivers licence for the wheelchair and to get the f**k* off the footpath. On one occasion, two men were so abusive that i thought we were in danger. Its really really sad. For many with disabilities, its such a task to get out and about without having to face that crap. Nobody is invincible. Anyone can have a child with a disability or have an accident that leaves you with a brain injury or in a wheelchair. I work with a lot of people who have had strokes, car crash victims, paralysed etc...it can happen to any of us.

Then just because of lack of interaction/experience with people who have disabilities, e.g. a waiter/waitress asking me what the person in the wheelchair wants to order despite them being fully capable of doing it themselves (they might just have no use of their legs). Their change being handed to the person in the queue behind because it is assumed the person was with them when in fact they are a total stranger.

I could go on and on

Then there are obstacles to employment and even romance!

There is a lot of mental health issues e.g. depression, addiction because of all of these unnecessary obstacles. Most just want to live a normal life, own a car, have their own house, be in love, have a job, go on holidays.

I will stop now, i get a bit passionate and go on and on and on :o

pmrc

How do you promote communicate inclusion?
Apart from going for coffee, lunch , cinema, shopping etc.,
In your opinion is community inclusion appropriate for all individuals with behaviours that challenge ,

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

Tell me how wrote: »

On average, how many hours a week do you work?
What is the most difficult element of your job?
Do you think daycare centres are better than having someone always receive care in the home as there is a greater level of resources available as well as the social interaction element or do you think home care is best?

I work 39 hours a week, mostly its a regular 9-5 but there can be unsocial hours too.

Dealing with the emotional side can be difficult. You might have somebody pleading with you to help them get out of a nursing home because they are only 40 years of age. Or even just hearing the tragic life stories that has brought a person to this part of their life e.g. car crash victims, single punch victims etc. It can be difficult to hear and move on from.

I'm not sure i understand your interpretation of a daycare centre. The centres i work in are a meeting point for people with disabilities where they can develop their skills, achieve things that they want to achieve, socialise etc. For some its all about social interaction and getting out of the house. For others it can be a break for a family. Everybody has their own agenda but the one i hear most is that its an opportunity to get out of their home and not be lonely.

In terms of living accomodation, everyone wants to be at home including me :pac: Resources can make it very very difficult though and for some a nursing home is their only option. There is a big reliance on care assistants going to peoples home's to help them with their tasks like personal care, dressing, cooking and cleaning. Without them, they simply would not be able to live in their own home even though all they might need is 1-2 hours support a day.

There is a serious gap in Ireland for people with physical disabilities who are not elderly and require full time care. A nursing home is not the environment for them. I absolutely adore the elderly but can you imagine being 40 and living in an environment targeted towards people who are possibly twice your age. :eek: its just wrong.

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

I think you dodged a bullet by avoiding TUSLA, they really are a bunch of headless chickens whose sole role is to tick boxes as opposed to offer care.

Do you get bogged down in paperwork?

Not much paperwork and if it is, its usually recording a person's progress and i like that :pac::pac:

But in my role anyway, i find that the paperwork keeps me focused on what direction i need to go in. A lot of it is forward planning and then just recording what was done and how it went.

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

pmrc wrote: »

How do you promote communicate inclusion?
Apart from going for coffee, lunch , cinema, shopping etc.,
In your opinion is community inclusion appropriate for all individuals with behaviours that challenge ,

The best way to promote social inclusion is to get out there and get stuck in so it is going to a cafe etc. That's the social aspect of it and the aim is to 'educate' the public on the fact that people with disabilities are not aliens and there is no need to be afraid. The more we do it, the easier it gets. Also including them into all sorts of community groups, courses etc. We also go to schools and give talks.


I don't really work with people who have challenging behaviour anymore but it was part of their social development. Again there are two elements to it, adapting their behaviour in public but also for the public to understand that its okay and there isn't any need to be afraid. I have never worked with anybody who would be a danger to anybody in the public. I think there is more unknown danger walking among us that we don't take any notice of because they blend in.

The worst case of challenging behaviour I have experienced is somebody screaming in a shopping centre but there are usually triggers and staff learn these and avoid them in future. Its a learning experience for all. Challenging behaviour would increase significantly if there wasn't any community access.... just be housebound for a few days due to a weather warning if you want to see how it can escalate :pac::pac:

Hope that answers your question

Tell me how

Do you think that we are moving in the right direction in Ireland.

Like, 50 years ago, I imagine that there was a similar proportion of the population who required such care but unfortunately I suspect that even fewer managed to receive the care and support which they required or maybe it was solely down to family members.

Or (perish the thought) are things actually getting worse as the cost to provide such care has increased and funding has been reduced?

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

Tell me how wrote: »

Do you think that we are moving in the right direction in Ireland.

Like, 50 years ago, I imagine that there was a similar proportion of the population who required such care but unfortunately I suspect that even fewer managed to receive the care and support which they required or maybe it was solely down to family members.

Or (perish the thought) are things actually getting worse as the cost to provide such care has increased and funding has been reduced?

Yes definitely moving in the right direction. 60 years ago there were no services for people with disabilities in Ireland. If you look up any of the main disability organisations, they were all founded in the 1960’s because families came together and formed their own support groups which developed into the big organisations you have today. People with intellectual disabilities were ‘locked away’ in institutions or some were fortunate to live at home but were generally wrapped in cotton wool. There was a one size fits all medical model in the institutions. Frightening!

Now the social model is used and it’s all based around the community and what each person wants. Thankfully institutional settings don’t exist any longer! The new approach is to live and participate in the community like any of us do.

60 years isn’t that long ago and the thought process of people not having potential still exists. It’s not going to be fixed next year or the year after but hopefully down the line it will be even better. It will only change if society becomes more disability friendly.

There is a big difference between a person who grew up in institutional care under the medical model and never had opportunities to be themselves versus a young person today growing up with the social model. The younger generation are much more streetwise, educated, ambitious. I never worked directly with young people under 18 but I had the pleasure of sharing a canteen with some teenagers with intellectual disabilities on their lunch break from school and they were just like every other teenager in this country i.e messing and joking, teenage conversations etc. It was lovely to watch the next generation.

Regarding funding. There have been cutbacks of course but I don’t think it’s getting worse. Within organisations, I don’t ever remember any services taking a direct hit but savings would have been made on staff expenses (e.g non essential training) etc instead. I never had the pleasure of meeting the Celtic tiger so I don’t really know any different tbh.

Hope that answers the question

penno

You explained so well the daily difficulties that people with disabilities face every day and it truly is so ignorant of some people.
Thankfully these are; I hope, a minority. Though we could all do more. I for one ( though, i would never be rude intentionally to anyone) will be more vigilant towards others with extra needs.
Your comments are an eye opener,and I am sure i am not alone in realizing we could all do our bit a little more a little bit more often. Like standing back and letting the person in the wheelchair board the bus first instead of always lurking in the background.

I'm a Social Care Worker, AMA

penno wrote: »

You explained so well the daily difficulties that people with disabilities face every day and it truly is so ignorant of some people.
Thankfully these are; I hope, a minority. Though we could all do more. I for one ( though, i would never be rude intentionally to anyone) will be more vigilant towards others with extra needs.
Your comments are an eye opener,and I am sure i am not alone in realizing we could all do our bit a little more a little bit more often. Like standing back and letting the person in the wheelchair board the bus first instead of always lurking in the background.

Hi, thanks for your comment.

Thankfully there are only a few negative people among all the supportive people.

To be fair, unless you have been in a wheelchair or pushed a wheelchair, chances are you will be completely oblivious to all these things.

There was a documentary on tv a few years ago where some rugby players travelled from the Aviva to Tholmond Park in a manual wheelchair. It’s on YouTube and called ‘Rugby’s Wheelchair challenge full show’ and shows all the challenges they faced along the way. Its only 25 minutes long but is a real eye opener and shows exactly the real life obstacles I’m talking about when getting out and about.

Next time you are in town just observe footpaths, getting on and off, wheelie bins and cars on footpaths, entrances to buildings. You will be surprised at how much we do actually take for granted.

Boards.ie: Niamh

Guys I am going to close this one up now, thanks to our guest for being here and for answering all of your questions so thoroughly. It's great to see someone so passionate about their job.

Thanks OP.