What is Social Work? Meet some real Social Workers

Jo Neale, Social Worker - Family Centre

"While I was at school I had done some voluntary work with young people, and decided I'd like to become a social worker. I did a social care course after leaving school and worked in a children's residential home before joining the social work course which included practical placements.

I've been in various sectors of social work, and really enjoy what I'm doing now. I help run a Family Centre for parents and children. We make assessments of the support they need, and work in partnership with them to move things forward. We can help parents improve their parenting skills, give them practical guidance in organising their lives, and provide a fun environment for kids to play in - away from the pressures that might exist at home. Users are referred to us from various sources, but we also have a drop-in service. It's a job with real responsibility in terms of enabling children and parents to lead more fulfilling lives. It's the direct contact with families that I enjoy, and helping give them the opportunity to change."

A Case from Jo's File

Ann came to our attention as a very young single parent. There were concerns about the safety of her baby, and obviously we had a responsibility to protect the child as well as to support the mother. Ann was a resistant client who had had a difficult childhood herself, with a background of domestic violence in her family. She attended our Family Centre reluctantly, expecting criticism from people she regarded as being in authority. Our approach was to be non-judgmental and build on her strengths.

Persistence paid off. As Ann attended the Centre and we visited her at home, we established a level of trust. I could show her techniques for handling difficult behaviour in her child and increasing her confidence as a parent. Now she has a second child who is meeting all the milestones for development and the family is doing really well. We still see Ann occasionally as she keeps in touch, but I like to think we have broken a pattern of negative family behaviour that was being passed on from one generation to another.