Reflective Essay On Health And Social Care

My understanding of social care is a wide profession which covers many different areas and groups, due to this it is not easy to sum up in a definition the term or correctness of the profession. that Client groups or service users are varied and include children and adolescents in residential care, young people in detention schools; people with intellectual or physical disabilities; people who are homeless; people with alcohol and drug dependency; families in the community; or older people (Lalar & Share, 2009, p7). Social care workers strive to support, protect, guide and advocate on behalf of clients. Social care work is based on interpersonal relationships which require empathy, strong communication skills, self awareness and an ability

to use critical reflection. Teamwork and interdisciplinary work are also important in social care practice’’ (Share & Lalor, 2009). Social care uses shared life space opportunities to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of clients. Social care work uses strengths based, needs led approaches to mediate clients presenting problems. Working with adults - supporting the elderly (in care homes or to help them to live independently. Social care also involves working with people who have substance abuse issues, the homeless and those who have been the victim of violence - particularly domestic abuse, as well as adults with mental health, learning, and physical disabilities. Working with children, young people and families - this might be in child protection, adoption or fostering, working with young offenders, working with youngsters and families who are homeless or unemployed, supporting care leavers and those who have learning and physical disabilities. The range of work settings includes the community, hospitals, health centers, education and advice centers, and people’s homes (Qadir, 2011). A social care practitioner will typically work in a direct person-to-person capacity with clients. The social care worker will seek to provide a caring, stable environment in which various social, educational and relationship interventions can take place in the day-to-day living space of the client (Socialcareireland, 2014). The social worker’s role, on the other hand is to manage the case, for example by arranging the residential child care placement in which a child is placed, coordinating case review meetings, negotiating the termination of a placement and responding to child protection concerns in a given area (Share & Lawer, 2009).

Task 4: Discuss the qualities required to work in social care

In working in the social care sector there are many qualities and skills that are required for the job such as:
Problem solving and creative thinking is an important skill and quality in social care, it is that you are able to identify what the crisis is and address it. Problem solving is much like care planning only in the short term. It is about identifying the problem, breaking it down into manageable tasks. In Social care you need to “think on your feet” you need to be able to think through problems quite quickly, sometimes coming up with bridging responses until you are in a place to deal with the issue in totality. You need to be able to address minor issues quickly so it does not overwhelm the longer piece of work that you may need to undertake with a client. Creative thinking - the ability to think outside the box, use imagination in your dealings with your clients, i.e. in coming up with a way to persuade someone that they really do need to have a shower every day (Skillsyouneed, 2011).
Sense of humor- a lot of our clients respond to humor more readily then they'll respond to logical debate or criticism.

Also humor is a great way in helping you manage the dynamics of a large staff team or the multi-disciplinary team. Humor can be useful when jollying a joyless colleague out of their slum. Likewise, it can help social workers engage and break down barriers with steely clients. And it can also be beneficial for the individual in helping them cope with stress or anxiety; also it can be useful in diffusing conflict, with a well-placed joke or some light-hearted banter. (Communitycare, 2011).
Empathy is the ability to identify with or vicariously experience another person’s situation ‘putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Empathizing is both an intellectual and emotional process that makes it far easier to understand and help others solve their problems. Finally empathy is a quality and a skill that all social care works must have (USC, 2012).
Caring qualities - to be a good listener, to be able to read body language and pick up moods or different stresses which a client might be feeling, especially if they aren't able to communicate them (Ibid, 2012).
Positivism and energy - to be able to motivate people and get things done! Not to be put off by negativity but being able to work with people and deal with obstacles and make things happen on behalf of your client (Ibid,

2012).
Social Perceptiveness In addition to receiving and processing verbal information, a social worker must be sensitive to body language, social cues, implications and cultural patterns of behavior. While some clients may clearly state their needs and work toward solutions in a focused manner, many others will find it more challenging to express themselves verbally, requiring a perceptive social worker to “read between the lines” in order to interpret the thoughts and feelings being held within (USC, 2012).

Bibliography

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