A special day dedicated to those working in adult social care takes place this Thursday (17th March)
A special day dedicated to those working in adult social care takes place this Thursday (17th March) and Warwickshire residents, social care services and the voluntary sector are being encouraged to take part as Warwickshire County Council highlights the fantastic work of social care staff.
Social Care Day of Remembrance and Reflection is being co-ordinated nationally by Skills for Care in collaboration with partners from across the social care sector, and is being supported by The Warwickshire Registered Managers Network which includes Warwickshire County Council, and Coventry City Council.
The day will give individuals a space to remember the people working in social care we have sadly lost during pandemic and offer much needed time to recognise the vital work that social care staff have done to keep people safe and well.
Social care staff such as Warwickshire County Council (WCC)’s Operations Manager for Hospital Social Care, Dawn Johnson, who has worked for the Council for over 30 years.
Many people who are discharged from hospitals across Warwickshire have various social care and support needs and WCC’s Hospital Social Care Team are there to ensure those residents have a safe return home or into a residential care setting.
Dawn Johnson and her team at WCC make a big difference to the lives of these residents across Warwickshire by supporting them to live as independently as possible and this was highlighted more so throughout the pandemic.
Dawn says: “Covid had a massive impact on everyone in the hospital social care team, the roles we were carrying out do day-to-day changed very quickly. We used to conduct all assessments in person on the ward, however this completely changed when Covid hit and staff could no longer visit the wards.
“We still had to get people out of hospital as quickly as possible and carry out assessments over the phone with the customer, liaise with the ward and speak with family members to try and gain an understanding of the customers' needs and wishes.”
The team had to change the way they worked at a rapid pace whilst also dealing with a large surge in referrals. Dawn adds: “The team are brilliant and so resilient. Every single one of us always keeps the customer at our heart, making sure people are discharged from hospital as quickly as possible and more importantly, that they are safe and supported.
“Our team members worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic. We changed our ways of working overnight, moving to working from home and getting used to the new virtual world. We streamlined our processes and turned every part of our working practise around to meet the ever-changing world.”
Another member of WCC social care staff who made a difference during the pandemic was Peta Jones, Social Care Practitioner for Older People, who specialises in supporting older people to lead safe, healthy and independent lives for as long as possible.
Social Care Practitioners across Warwickshire have had to adapt since the Coronavirus pandemic.
Peta says: “Our roles have changed a lot since the pandemic, which was difficult to start with, but we knew we had to continue to do our best to support vulnerable residents.
“Since the pandemic we’ve also seen a big increase in isolation. A lot of the time when you’re speaking to residents over the phone you might be the only person they’ve spoken to all week. So, it’s really important to be empathetic and take the time to chat to them. It doesn’t always have to be focussed around the care they need - you also play a part in simply making them smile and improving their day.”
Care providers, care workers, individuals and families in Warwickshire are being encouraged to take part in Social Care Day of Remembrance and Reflection by displaying a poster of the county flower, the honeysuckle, and dedicating it either to someone working in social care that has sadly been lost or to somebody that has made and continues to make huge sacrifices to provide high quality care to people.
Warwickshire County Council will be supporting Skills for Care and The Care Workers’ Charity on Thursday by publishing links on their social media accounts to an online Memorial Wall and Tribute Wall where the Care Workers’ Charity will be gathering people's stories and tributes that show the commitment and sacrifices the social care workforce has made.
Councillor Margaret Bell, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health, said:
“I encourage Warwickshire care providers, care workers and everyone who wants to show their support for the social care sector to get involved in this year’s Social Care Day of Remembrance and Reflection.
“The past year has been a difficult time for the entire adult social care workforce. Despite the huge pressures during the pandemic, everyone working across social care continued to show incredible skill and tenacity in supporting those who draw on social care across Warwickshire.
“We will use this day to remember the great dedication, bravery, and compassion our wonderful social care workers have shown in their roles supporting people at the frontline of the pandemic and to recognise the vital work the social care sector continues to do to keep people safe and well.”