Kudos to the United Kingdom’s fascinating campaign: STAND UP FOR SOCIAL WORK, which states:
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/stand-social-work-2015/
“Community Care is re-launching its popular Stand up for Social Work campaign to raise the profile of social work … (in the UK) … in the face of budget cuts combined with huge demand.
We need to showcase the inspiring work that is being done every day by social workers but we also need greater transparency about the impact of budget cuts and the huge increases in demand seen over the last few years. The toll this is taking on dedicated and skilled professionals cannot be ignored if service users are to stay safe.
We believe that standing up for social work means three things:
Taking pride in the great work you do and talking about it to inspire others
Being honest about the challenges you face
Giving you the support you need to protect vulnerable people”
One section of the site provides a comprehensive list of 100 ways to support social work, which involve systemic changes, political outreach, and personal/ group self-care. Here are a few examples from their site:
“As a social worker
Find one positive thing you have achieved each day and tell somebody about it – a spouse, friend, family member or colleague. It will create a ripple effect of positive stories…
Tell Community Care about an example of where you have changed somebody’s life or made a difference by emailing us at CommunityCare@rbi.co.uk.
Use our letter templates on this site to send letters urging your local newspaper, MP and/or councillors to stand up for social work.. .
Take a course in mindfulness as a means of preventing stress or monitoring the effects of stress on your own body…
Monitor your own emotional responses to situations. Write it down if needed but even if it’s just in your head, ensure that you’re aware that you have a knot in your stomach and
what the knot might mean – are you anxious, nervous, excited, scared? Think through why your body is reacting this way. How could you change this or how could you better cope with it?
Don’t accept violence or intimidation – report incidents where you feel unsafe at work. This puts your organisation under an obligation to protect staff…”