Honestly, my job is a lot like my job with Family Preservation in Austin, but way more chaotic from a management perspective and goals of the team. The team I am part of is called the Crisis Intervention and Support Team. We are basically a part of Social Care (Social Services) and get referrals from other social workers dealing with CPS or just children in need. Within my team there is an educational psych, clinical psych, 2 social workers (including me), a youth worker, and social worker assistants (don't have a degree and do more practical/hands on work with families). We also just got some new family therapists. We work with young people 12-16 and their families who are on the verge of a family break-down or just having major problems. A lot of the kids are also being rehabilitated back home after being in a foster placement due to a CP concern.
Social workers here in the UK definitely have the stigma that I think they did in the USA in the 70's. "Don't really do much and take kids away." I have to keep reminding people that I have clinical training and was previously doing therapy. I have to give myself little ego boosts every now and again...haha. There is definitely more of a hierarchy here than I am used to. Within my team though we have an Australian, South African, Venezuelan, 3 Black Caribbean-Brits, Indian, and two white-Brits. I work in the borough of Brent, which is the most multi-cultural area in all of Europe! White Brits are the minority here. I have had clients from Pakistan, India, Ireland, Jamaica, and Morocco! It is just amazing. I love being a part of such a diverse area. I have learned so much and it is such an experience to be welcomed in to these people's home and get a glimpse of how they live!
The thing that I am not loving are the fact that I have to take public transport every where. I mean there is not another option. It is fine at times, but I am always late and by the time you get to someone's home you are a bit frazzled and tired. It also gets dark here at like 330 so I don't like wondering around with my little street maps in areas that I am not familiar with. I really don't get much here in regards to guidance. In supervision I am not supposed to discuss cases! My supervisor has a very rigid, structured way of doing them. We talk about any issues I am having with the team and or about trainings. I am supposed to schedule case discussions with her, but she is never available. And to be honest, I don't get helpful feedback from her. Kinda annoying. I have become very close though with the other social workers and we process cases every now and then. I guess I am just confused with what my role is exactly. I will be hard to type, but I am not supposed to be doing "therapy" and don't have case responsibility. I am trying to balance that. I have began to establish good rapport with several clients and then to find out that their case will be transferred to a family therapist in a different dept. These kids have attachment issues anyways, do I find this very damaging and confusing. I don't know if that made sense, but I just fine things very chaotic and not defined well.
I have been doing a lot of individual learning and feel like I am getting such a rich cultural experience. A lot of my kids ask about The States a lot and gangs. It is so humorous and precious at times. I have a little 11 year old who said that he was a Crip. I asked how long he has been one and he said since they started a year ago! ahah, super cute. I think I am going to start a group with my good friend and fellow social worker, Joanna, in 08 for teens that have parents that were born in countries other than the UK, but they themselves were born here. I have found that the confusion that they experience is a common theme. They identify as British, but their parents are still living as they would in their native countries and expect their kids to as well. Lots of my families are struggling with this concept. I think that would be a fascinating group and hope I can pull it together. I will also be supervising a university student next year. They will be doing a semester at our office and I will supervise them. Don't know if I am ready for that, but hey I am excited!
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