Social care

Adult social care is something I have had very little to do with, until very recently. It has been a steep learning curve, everything has been new and there have been many twists and turns. 

Whilst the subject has been new, the experience has not. I have been very much reminded of my time at work, especially when things had gone wrong with the IT systems. A phone call leads to a sinking feeling of panic. What is the problem and, more importantly, what can I do about it? The feeling of frustration over the lack of knowledge and the inability to control a situation which is outside your immediate  sphere of influence. You question everyone in an attempt to get to grips with what is going on.

After a while, the feeling of being all at sea gives way to calmer waters as you start to begin to understand what solutions lie before you, if any. A plan is worked up and you can begin contacting the people you need to help you, as well as the people who need to be kept informed. In my former life it was directors, senior managers, councillors and the general user base. In this case it is family, friends, carers and medics. Pieces start to fall into place, people turn up, medical support is offered and calm is restored.

In IT our aim was to restore things to the way that they were. With adult social care the aim is perhaps to restore things to a new level in the path of decline. At this point there is a brief, if no status quo. A single incident can change everything. That feeling of panic and being out of control only leaves you temporarily, until the next time.

The experience may be new to me though many go through it all the time. I am relying heavily upon a team of people who are there to support. It has been a time of rekindled memories, not all good but it will come to pass.