Covid, coffee, and keeping families connected…
Written by Suzie Hawkins, Senior Social Worker & Assistant Service Manager, Bottisham Children’s Centre, Cambridge
Back in March 2020 when the country ground to a halt and I set up my HQ at the kitchen table with a coffee and the cat for company, I contemplated how my staff in the Reunification, Placement Stability, and Supervised Contact Service would continue to support our families across the county.
Little did I know that behind the scenes everyone was busily thinking of ways to ensure our most vulnerable children stayed connected with their families, return young people home to birth families and enable carers to continue caring through what has proved to be one of the toughest times for those working in children’s services. The pandemic has squeezed into every part of our work, home, and social life and necessitated us to re-evaluate how we work and live our lives; personal and professional have collided and required us to dig deep to recognise our own fears whilst supporting others to manage theirs.
When I finally got to grips with Microsoft Teams, I started to hear about my workers putting together books, videos, and pictures to help manage children’s anxieties during the pandemic and the ongoing transitions which were taking place in their lives. Pictures of teddy bears (Bert the teddy bear below) popped up and taken in workers’ cars, new homes, and with carers to support with placement moves. Family pets outshone workers in pictures taken of staff to introduce themselves when face-to-face visits were restricted.
When a call was made to support our young people at a local activity centre off went three adventurous souls squeezing into wetsuits and enduring gruelling bike rides in the blistering summer heat. Whether on zip wires or Zooms, these guys just did not stop! Workers continued to travel up and down the country to Bradford, Carlisle, and beyond, supporting young people and their families. Local restrictions and tier levels navigated and pushing their own worries aside, compassion and care continued in resourceful, flexible, and creative ways.
The introduction of virtual contact between families saw hastily bought toys and books so that families in various locations could partake in the same activity as their children, whilst supported by their foster carers. A sparkly new bike bought to a virtual contact by a parent who mistakenly thought she was seeing her young son was a cruel reminder of how this pandemic has prohibited the simplest of acts. The bike – tantalizingly close but untouchable – was swiftly collected by the boy’s carer so he could enjoy his special gift. A joy that Covid-19 could not take away and a reminder that we are all human and all striving for the best possible outcomes for our children and young people.
Team meetings have proved essential to debate modern social work theory, team targets, and hold action learning sets but what also became vital was sharing tips on mindfulness, hairstyles, and how to keep up with The Body Coach, Joe Wick’s increasingly energetic workouts!
I can foresee a highly skilled team of workers keeping safe, keeping stable, and keeping our families connected in imaginative ways over the coming weeks. This time round I don’t need to contemplate how they will continue to support our families I know what they will do; they will keep calm and carry on!
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