The heading for this post is taken from a recent publication in the British Journal of Social Work (Truter, Fouché & Theron, 2016), where the authors investigated the risk and resilience of Child Protection Social Workers through a meta-analysis study.
Truter, Fouché & Theron suggest that there is a poor understanding of the resilience of Child Protection Social Workers (CPSW) worldwide. They also suggest however that there is a greater understanding of the constant risk within which these Social Workers work where this is not just physical risk, but risk to emotional wellbeing.
Risks are recognised as being:
"excessive workload and staff shortages, exposure to violence and aggression, lack of time, a corrective culture in organisations, inadequate support, authority and autonomy being undermined, high levels of stress, burnout, the pressure of making right decisions [&] the stressful nature of CPSW" (p7-8).
I am sure that this list sounds more than familiar to many of you and I am also sure the list does not end here! In reality only those that have stood in the frontline of Child Protection Social Work can truly understand the levels of stress often reached through attempting to safeguard and protect children.
In going on to explore the theme of resilience in CPSW's, the authors refer to a study completed with three newly qualifed social workers in Great Britain (Kearns & McArdle, 2012).
It was considered that these workers evidenced resilience which was nurtured by the presence of the following factors: Supportive management, a sense of belonging, experiences of mastery which empowered self efficacy and optimism, continuous professional development and the workers abilities to "choose" to see challenges as opportunities.
Certainly I believe that resilience in social workers and all staff working within the social care arena can arguably be nurtured in similar ways and the above list could apply to all. Indeed core elements that are suggested here are the need to be supported and understood, the need to know your own strengths and have these nurtured, and the need to be able to frame situations with a mind set of optimism that encourages growth and development. Coaching with Wings For Success Coaching and Consultancy is the ideal way to learn about these core elements and how you can promote them in your life.
Truter, Fouché & Theron talk about the urgent need to identify interventions to nurture resilience in CPSW's. The exciting thing about Wings For Success Coaching and Consultancy is that it provides exactly the type of intervention that will ensure that you boost your resilience to live well both at work and in your personal life and in doing so you provide a better service to your clients.
Wings For Success Coaching and Consultancy, coaching for Social Workers, Residential Child Care Workers, Foster Carers, Adoptive Parents, Student Social Workers and Managers...
Finding your strengths and balancing your wellbeing, because those that care need cared for...
Find out more at: www.wings4success.com