SHADOWING OF A QUALIFIED SOCIAL WORKER

Shadowing Of A Qualified Social Worker

Shadowing Of A Qualified Social Worker

My report is about a day's shadowing experience with a qualified social worker (SW) with the Barnet Adult Learning Disability Review Team. I will evaluate and explore the role of the social worker in the team, the kind of work the team undertakes, their aims and objective and how these are achieved. In addition, I will look at the nature of the problems faced by their clientele and the range of service provision available to help ameliorate these problems. I will also explore and comment on the various legislation and good practice models they use in supporting their work including reflective practice, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. This report will discuss the various ways information was gathered on the team and their services.

Shadowing is currently one of the requirements of my course. This requirement is stated in the Department of Health document for training institutions of higher education providing BA Social Work degrees (Department of Health, 2002).

I had the opportunity of shadowing a qualified practitioner with Adult Learning Disability Team in Barnet for a day. It provided me with the opportunity to observe the social worker in her role on a typical day at work and to learn from the experience of being in the observer role. Observational learning is therefore the main thrust of this shadowing experience (Le Riche, 2006). Prior to the day of the shadowing I was a bit apprehensive although I knew it was a practice learning opportunity for me, the thought of shadowing an experienced practitioner and at the same time be an active participant and learner put a lot of responsibility on me for my own learning.

The information used in this report consists of what was obtained by questioning the SW, doing an internet search on the team (www.barnet.gov.uk/learning-disabilities), various publication documents, 'The Peoples Voice', which is their service user's quarterly newsletter, leaflets, clients satisfaction league table of performance and government publications. Some of the publications include, 'Valuing People Now' which sets out their 3 year strategy to improve the lives of clients, 'Housing and Support Strategy', ' Eligibility Criteria Matrix' for assessment, 'Protection of Vulnerable Adults' and various publications on the voluntary services available.

The Adult learning disability team is a multi-agency team consisting of consultant psychologist and psychiatrist, social workers, community nurses, mental health nurses, occupational and physiotherapist, that works with client group from 18 years upwards with various forms of learning disability. This includes clients with mental health problem, Down syndrome patients, and Autistic spectrum disorder, which two of the clients we visited had (www.barnet.gov.uk/learning-disabilities).

The aims and objectives of the team are, to promote independent living in the community; to protect vulnerable adults; to promote needs led and person-centred planning based on inclusion; to promote choice and rights and balancing risk and protection.

The method they use to achieve their objectives is the Person Centred Approach. Previously the provision of services and support was resource ...