“Love is a central feature of family life and yet remains invisible in health and social care services, practice and research. Where is the love? And why is this word erased in the professional arena?” Sara Ryan [1] “It was love’s absence that let me know how much love mattered.” bell hooks [2] Last Friday … Continue reading Love shows up: past, present, future
Tag: labels
Just words
"Reading my SW files a few years ago and seeing me described as manipulative by a teacher I'd trusted shattered me. That teacher has since passed (while I was still at the school) and I'd grieved her for years. Was tough to take and people think it's just words. It's not. I was 14”@Careleaver123 [1] … Continue reading Just words
Beyond blame
As I discussed in my previous blog post, the language of social care is filled with words that blame people seeking and drawing on support. ‘Hard to reach’. ‘Refuses to engage’. ‘Frequent flyers’. ‘Carer breakdown’. ‘Bed blockers’. ‘Challenging behaviour’. ‘Non-compliant’. ‘Complex’. ‘Difficult’. ‘Vulnerable’. And many more. These terms don’t just feature in our conversations and … Continue reading Beyond blame
Words that blame
The language of social care is filled with words that blame people seeking and drawing on support. Our so called ‘strengths-based’ practice drips with deficit-based terms that stigmatise people as problems. Our ‘person-centred’ approaches are infused with phrases that marginalise. In this blog post I’ll explore ten widely used blaming words and phrases, then in … Continue reading Words that blame
Words that make me go hmmm: Vulnerable
A series of blogs about words that make me go hmmm would not be complete (and it is far from complete!) without a post focusing on ‘the v word’. While it’s by no means a new term in the world of social work and social care, during the COVID-19 pandemic the word ‘vulnerable’ has been … Continue reading Words that make me go hmmm: Vulnerable
Identity
The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures introduced to control the spread of the virus have challenged our identities. We’ve gained labels that change the way we are seen, and the way we see ourselves. Vulnerable. Shielding. Furloughed. Key worker. Carer. Hero. Isolating. Isolated. We’ve lost loved ones. Livelihoods. Connections to the people and places that … Continue reading Identity
Rewriting social care
I don’t think anyone would dispute that adult social care needs to change. From the perspective of the Government, much of the media, and many think tanks and campaigning organisations, social care reform means people won’t be forced to sell their home to pay for the costs of care. It means free personal care. Better … Continue reading Rewriting social care
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
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
Rewriting social care 