“It’s a brave professional who talks about love and social care in the same sentence…”Alex Fox [1] We don’t talk much about love in social care. We focus instead on the shadows. Safeguarding. Abuse. Neglect. Risk. Threat. Danger. And while we talk an awful lot about needs, love is rarely on the list. While Rob … Continue reading Love
Author: Bryony Shannon
Hope
The days between Christmas and the new year offer time for reflection, for looking back at the year drawing to a close. And space for looking forward too – to a new year, and indeed a new decade. 2020 – ‘the future’. It’s a time for resolutions. Aspirations. Anticipation. Hope. We know that hope is … Continue reading Hope
Labels
Let’s talk labels. At this time of year, there are lots around. Labels glued to boxes containing purchases made online. Labels taped to packages and sent off in the post. Labels tied to presents underneath the tree. Labels attached to jars of mincemeat and chutneys and jams. Labels fixed to suitcases as people travel home, … Continue reading Labels
Words that make me go hmmm: Service user
Of all the words and phrases that make me go hmmm, ‘service user’ is right up there. I actually cringe every time I hear anyone use it to define and describe other people. And I hear it a lot. And read it a lot too. So if it’s such a common term in adult social … Continue reading Words that make me go hmmm: Service user
Words that make me go hmmm: Case
In the statutory social care world, we talk about cases all the time. We screen, allocate, assess, manage, transfer and close cases. We carry caseloads. We have active cases and passive cases. We deal with complex/challenging/difficult cases. We record case notes and maintain case records in our case management systems. We hold case conferences and … Continue reading Words that make me go hmmm: Case
Words that make me go hmmm: Customer
I suggested at work recently that ‘customers’ wasn’t the right word to use to describe people we support in adult social care. The colleagues I was with had a different view - extolling the virtues of the customer experience, customer service and the benefits of viewing colleagues as internal customers, and the conversation moved on. … Continue reading Words that make me go hmmm: Customer
Words that make me go hmmm: Assessment
“where it appears to a local authority that an adult may have needs for care and support, the authority must assess (a) whether the adult does have needs for care and support, and (b) if the adult does, what those needs are.” Care Act 2014 [1] The Care Act guidance describes the assessment ‘process’ as … Continue reading Words that make me go hmmm: Assessment
‘Fixing’ social care? Why Boris Johnson’s words make me go hmmm…
“My job is to protect you or your parents or grandparents from the fear of having to sell your home to pay for the costs of care and so I am announcing now – on the steps of Downing Street – that we will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with … Continue reading ‘Fixing’ social care? Why Boris Johnson’s words make me go hmmm…
Why language matters
“Language is the most powerful tool we have. Let’s use it well.”Surviving Safeguarding [1] Anyone who works with me knows that I care a lot about the words and phrases we use in social care. I firmly believe that our language reflects our values and our feelings, and in turn the way we think and … Continue reading Why language matters
Words that make you go hmmm…
“If you really want to change practice then you have to adopt a new language”Sam Newman, Partners4Change (1) Our Conversations Count approach is based on The Three Conversations®. Partners4Change have a list of words that are banned in their approach. Many of these words describe what we currently do, including ‘assessment’, ‘review’, ‘allocation’, ‘hand-off’, ‘referral’, … Continue reading Words that make you go hmmm…
