Introducing Georgia
Georgia joined the council in the summer of 2020. She works in the Looked After Children service in the council to help the children have good outcomes. She has helped some looked after children to go back to their parents and by giving a lot of support to parents or family carers, also helps some of the children to stay at home and be brought up within their family and culture.
In this interview, she talks about what inspired her to get into the social work field, how she manages her workday, and what advice she would give to aspiring social workers.
What inspired you to get into your job?
I studied sociology and social policy at university. This made me more alert to inequality in society in general (I was not born in this country), as well as issues about class. While I found the course very interesting, it was very theoretical. I studied how social policies are created and the impact they have on society overall, and in particular the experiences of those who are less privileged. From that, I developed an interest to work in a job that would allow me more front-line approach with people I work with. I didn't just want to work with data and theory but preferred to work directly with people. I could not see myself working in a traditional office role. This job is more dynamic and allows for a more creative approach to work. Following a couple of jobs in charity sector, I went on to complete an MA in Social Work at Middlesex University. The reason I signed up to that course was its length. This was a fast-track course which seemed more compatible with my family commitments. Whilst completing the MA, I decided early on to focus on children’s services and as a result completed a couple of placements in different children’s settings, primary school and in a youth offending team. Having those experiences helped me to decide where I wanted to work once I graduate and so following the completion of my degree I applied for a job in a looked after children’s team. What inspired me to work with this group was their status as most vulnerable children’s group whose numbers were on the increase. For example, the number of children looked after by local authorities in England in 2023, rose to 83,840 – up 2% from previous year. So, I saw a great need there.
How does a typical workday morning start for you?
Good question, for me there isn’t a typical day or morning. Normally, I start thinking at least a day before where and how I need to start the following day. Depending on what is scheduled in my calendar I could start a day in the office if I am on duty or go to a school for a meeting or visit a child at home. We also spend a considerable amount of our time in court settings, either attending court hearings or preparing statements and evidence for the courts. If there are no visits or meetings scheduled, then I focus on catching up on admin tasks and responding to a constant stream of emails. Working in this setting means working closely with different services such as health, education, immigration services, legal services, the police and fostering teams. The wide range of teams all contribute to make this job quite dynamic and interesting. This morning for example, I had an urgent matter crop up which required me to meet with a child in school and liaise with the police to resolve the matter in relation to child sexual abuse allegation. This was not planned, and I had to rush from another visit to attend to this matter. This is testament to the unpredictable nature of the role we are in.
What advice would you have liked to have had about your profession if you were just starting out now?
One piece of advice that might be worth considering would be to make sure that you have the ability and desire to stay committed to children and families we work with before applying for and considering this job. On the one hand I do not believe that it is possible to take advice about the role until you actually experience the work. Working with children and their families, foster carers or residential homes can be very rewarding but it can also be very challenging, especially in the current climate of dwindling resources and that requires a big commitment from all of us.
What is the highlight of your role so far and what is has been your biggest learn to date?
Working with children is the most rewarding and enjoyable aspect of my job. They impress me with their strength and bravery. They inspire me to keep improving, developing, and doing better.
Looked After Children in care are society's most vulnerable members and they deserve more attention as they face difficult challenges, that are largely neglected unless at the point of crisis.
Looked after children come from a different background and have varied experiences of care system. In addition, each child has their own specific sets of needs. However, we know from research that children’s experiences before coming into care and during care makes them a particularly vulnerable group of young people.
Children enter care for different reasons. Nevertheless, many enter because they have been abused or neglected. As a result, they are left with complex emotional and mental health needs, which in turn can increase their vulnerability to abuse. Furthermore, it is often the case that children move repeatedly between placements. This too can have significant impact on a child's emotional wellbeing and mental health. It can also prevent them forming trusting relationships with adults who could help protect them.
It is also the case that many children we work with have experienced violence, abuse or neglect before coming into care. This can lead to them displaying challenging behaviours and having problems forming secure attachment to their caregivers. Some also find it hard to develop positive relationships with other children their age. Challenging and overcoming these problems is very difficult and the system often struggles to help children in such situations. In terms of vulnerabilities of looked after children the list goes on.
Despite such challenges, the children I work with are by far the best part of my job. They amaze me with their resilience and courage. They motivate me to keep learning, growing, and doing better to make our work more meaningful and helpful. Like I said, the job can be challenging but it's extremely rewarding and fulfilling.
What are your future professional aspirations?
In my team, our goal is to make sure that children and young people are safe, happy and healthy. We want them to grow up with a sense of optimism about the future, positive sense of self and belief that they can positively contribute to society. My personal aspirations are to never stop learning and improving as a social worker. I tend to focus on the present and not look too far ahead. I hope to have a positive impact on all the children and their families I work with and to continue to positively contribute to my team.