Reflective Essay On Service Users And Community
Engaging Communities and Service Users: Reflective Essay
Section 1: Outline and discuss a model, or example of your practice with reference to what you have learned about engaging with service users and communities.
During this essay I will relate concepts, methods, theories and legislation to service user engagement and communities to the organisation I work for giving examples from my day to day practice. My role is a community support worker within a service that supports adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. I assist individuals with engaging activities (one-to-one or in groups) at our centre and out in the community.
At this stage I will clarify the terms I shall use in this essay, understanding that they have differing …show more content…
At the outset, we meet individuals and their carers to get to know them, understand their history and circumstances and initiating the participatory process of building our service around the user. This supports the democratic principles of personalisation applied by the Social Care Institute for Excellence defined in a Fair Access to Care Services (SCIE, 2013). In my practice it is essential to read service users support plans before beginning a service. With this vital information it is also imperative that I get to know each service user and build up familiarity. I am aware that this can only happen with time, but by knowing a service user I find it easier to assess when they are uncomfortable entering a situation or showing signs of anxiety. One of the best ways I have found to approach involvement is by fully informing individuals of their choices and the possible outcomes. From here my service user can choose whether or not to consent to these actions and if necessary adaptations can be made. My organisation desensitises stressful situations for service users, for example attending core group meetings, by selecting a suitable, relaxed setting and format. In this case, these were modified to assembling for ‘bacon butty mornings’. Situations such as these can be described as the ‘common third’, by creating …show more content…
(2008) ‘Do I know you from somewhere?’ Community Care Available from: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2008/08/11/social-workers-who-live-and-work-in-the-same-area/#.U0qct_ldXp5 [Available from: Last Accessed 12 April 2014]
Needham, C. (2014) Personalization: From day centres to community hubs? Critical Social Policy, 34(1): 90-108.
NHS (2005) National Statistics: Adults with Learning Difficulties in England. London: Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Oliver, B. and Pitt, B. (2013) Engaging Communities and Service Users: Concepts Themes and Methods. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Oliver, M. (2004) ‘If I Had A Hammer: The Social Model in Action’. In: Barnes, C. and Mercer, G. (eds) Implementing the Social Model of Disability: Theory and Research. Leeds: The Disability Press, pp.18-31.
Packham, C. (2008) Active Citizenship and Community Learning. Exeter: Learning Matters.
Perske, R. (1972) The Dignity of Risk, In: Wolfensburger, W. (eds) The Principle of Normalisation in Human Services. Toronto: National Institute on Mental Retardation
Petrie, P. (2009). Interpersonal communication: the medium for social pedagogic practice. In: Cameron, C. and Moss, P. (eds) Social Pedagogy and Working with Children and Young People: Where Care and Education Meet. London: Jessica
Section 1: Outline and discuss a model, or example of your practice with reference to what you have learned about engaging with service users and communities.
During this essay I will relate concepts, methods, theories and legislation to service user engagement and communities to the organisation I work for giving examples from my day to day practice. My role is a community support worker within a service that supports adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. I assist individuals with engaging activities (one-to-one or in groups) at our centre and out in the community.
At this stage I will clarify the terms I shall use in this essay, understanding that they have differing …show more content…
At the outset, we meet individuals and their carers to get to know them, understand their history and circumstances and initiating the participatory process of building our service around the user. This supports the democratic principles of personalisation applied by the Social Care Institute for Excellence defined in a Fair Access to Care Services (SCIE, 2013). In my practice it is essential to read service users support plans before beginning a service. With this vital information it is also imperative that I get to know each service user and build up familiarity. I am aware that this can only happen with time, but by knowing a service user I find it easier to assess when they are uncomfortable entering a situation or showing signs of anxiety. One of the best ways I have found to approach involvement is by fully informing individuals of their choices and the possible outcomes. From here my service user can choose whether or not to consent to these actions and if necessary adaptations can be made. My organisation desensitises stressful situations for service users, for example attending core group meetings, by selecting a suitable, relaxed setting and format. In this case, these were modified to assembling for ‘bacon butty mornings’. Situations such as these can be described as the ‘common third’, by creating …show more content…
(2008) ‘Do I know you from somewhere?’ Community Care Available from: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2008/08/11/social-workers-who-live-and-work-in-the-same-area/#.U0qct_ldXp5 [Available from: Last Accessed 12 April 2014]
Needham, C. (2014) Personalization: From day centres to community hubs? Critical Social Policy, 34(1): 90-108.
NHS (2005) National Statistics: Adults with Learning Difficulties in England. London: Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Oliver, B. and Pitt, B. (2013) Engaging Communities and Service Users: Concepts Themes and Methods. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Oliver, M. (2004) ‘If I Had A Hammer: The Social Model in Action’. In: Barnes, C. and Mercer, G. (eds) Implementing the Social Model of Disability: Theory and Research. Leeds: The Disability Press, pp.18-31.
Packham, C. (2008) Active Citizenship and Community Learning. Exeter: Learning Matters.
Perske, R. (1972) The Dignity of Risk, In: Wolfensburger, W. (eds) The Principle of Normalisation in Human Services. Toronto: National Institute on Mental Retardation
Petrie, P. (2009). Interpersonal communication: the medium for social pedagogic practice. In: Cameron, C. and Moss, P. (eds) Social Pedagogy and Working with Children and Young People: Where Care and Education Meet. London: Jessica