I am the manager of a social work team working with adults who have a learning disability or autism.
It has become clear to me that many people – including my family! – don’t really understand what I do. So, I wanted to share a typical day in my role, setting out some of my tasks and also the challenges and rewards of managing a social work team (because there are rewards, I promise!).
I hope this gives some insight to anyone wondering what we do all day or considering a similar role.
Tackling emails and unexpected meetings
8am: Our team works in a hybrid way so I have chosen to work from home today. With an open plan office and a limited number of private rooms, days packed with online meetings are easier at home.
I log on to see around 60 emails, including leave requests, council updates, requests for case advice and directions for legal, meeting invites and funding complaints. I tend to start my day by working through my emails, as things get very busy from 9am onwards.
9am: I am supposed to be doing a supervision session now with a social worker in their assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE). However, another practitioner messages me to ask for advice.
A client’s behaviour has escalated overnight, support workers have been hurt and emergency services have been involved. The care agency is threatening to pull out their support and the family are extremely distressed. The social worker is feeling panicked.
I really dislike having to alter plans as it makes me feel that I am letting people down, but I need to prioritise crisis situations. So I call the ASYE social worker and ask to move our meeting to the afternoon.
Supporting social workers through crises
9.15am: I have a case discussion with the social worker leading the crisis case. They are very worried about the client, who has a severe learning disability. They have been screaming, hitting out at staff and banging their head against the wall.
We talk through the events and potential triggers that led to the client’s reaction and discuss appropriate next step actions. The social worker seems to progressively relax throughout our meeting. I am happy I can help as I often worry that practitioners take on so much responsibility that they burn out due to stress.
I ask them to organise an urgent MDT (multi-disciplinary meeting) for 10.30am and end the call with reassurance.
Managing urgent multi-disciplinary meetings
10.30am: We join the MDT meeting with various health professionals, including a psychiatrist, a behaviour nurse, a psychologist, an occupational therapist and the management from the care agency.
Unfortunately, things quickly escalate as the care agency and other professionals are adamant that the client needs to be moved to a specialist placement. I remind them of our responsibility to find the least restrictive care, which right now involves finding out what the client is trying to communicate to us.
Even though the client hasn’t been given any pain relief (to rule out pain as a trigger), seen a GP or had their urine tested, the other professionals maintain that the behaviour is environmental in nature and a move is required.
The call is incredibly frustrating - it feels as though we are going in circles. As the conversation progresses, I realise that I have taken over the chairing of the meeting from my social worker and worry that they will feel disempowered. However, this needs to be resolved urgently, so I continue to lead the conversation but make a point of asking if they are happy with my recommendations.
We finally come to an agreement that a physical health investigation should take place first, and decide to reconvene in the afternoon.
Keeping the service user at the focus
11.30am: I have a debrief call with the social worker to reflect on the meeting.
They assure me that they were relieved I was there, as they had felt they were being ‘attacked’ by everyone in the meeting before I stepped in.
We have a reflection about the MDT, the contrasting views and agendas within the meeting, and how frustrating this can feel. I remind them that we need to remain calm and professional regardless and keep the client at the centre of discussions. The social worker agrees to update the family.
Celebrate those who've inspired you
Do you have a colleague, mentor, or social work figure you can't help but gush about?
Our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.
Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by filling in our nominations form with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.
*Please note that, despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry*
If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com
12noon: I join the supervision meeting with the ASYE social worker that was moved from this morning.
We discuss their wellbeing, ASYE journey and the training they are undertaking. We have a good chat about progression and their personal development plan.
Seeing individuals in the team grow and develop in their career can feel so rewarding. One of the positives of this job is celebrating their achievements with them and watching them gain a sense of accomplishment and pride.
It's never just two minutes!
1.30pm: I am just about to grab lunch when another member of the team asks for ‘two minutes’ to discuss a case.
Knowing it is never ‘two minutes’, I grab a sandwich and give them a call. They have assessed a client’s eligibility and discussed care options, but the parents are not happy. They have been verbally abusive and intimidating towards the practitioner.
We reflect on their feelings of worry as well as the family’s apprehension. I remind them that the family believes they are fighting for their child’s rights, their parental instinct leading them to focus on safety over independence.
When we touch on responding to abusive behaviour, I advise the social worker that the best course of action is to record accurately and communicate that the meeting will end if such behaviour continues. We also discuss the role of open communication and empathy when explaining our role and the options we can provide.
I find it difficult when the team is treated unfairly. As a team manager, my instinct is to protect them, but I need to remind myself that their development relies on these encounters.
2pm: I join the second MDT for the client who is in crisis. The mood is calmer this time.
The tests showed that the client has a temperature and is positive for a urinary tract infection. Antibiotics and pain killers have been prescribed, and the client has finally settled.
Closing the meeting, we have a brief discussion about the plans for the next couple of days. We need to update care plans/behaviour support plans to include communication. We agree to meet again tomorrow for an update.
The admin side of management
2.30pm: I have a quick debrief with the social worker, and then I turn my attention to the emails and instant messages that have built up during the day.
I have 12 instant messages about general queries and case advice, and another 40 emails to work through - several from one trail regarding a client’s struggle to find housing, others regarding a hospital discharge and more leave requests and council updates. I answer these as quickly as possible and then move on to authorising the team’s work.
It can be difficult to keep up with the admin side of management. However, the team cannot progress their work if this isn’t done, so I need to prioritise it.
4pm: I finish the day with another supervision meeting – this time with a care co-ordinator. They are very experienced in the role and require little case discussion, though we do have a long chat about their physical health and hospital appointments, and how this relates to the HR policies.
We go through some of this, make an occupational health referral and discuss ways to adjust their work.
The moments that make it worthwhile
5.30pm: Time to log off.
Being in a management role often means you're expected to all have the answers. You need to make decisions quickly and be there to support others - even when you're drained and feeling stretched thin.
However, those moments when you see your team shine or a client of theirs achieve their goals make it all worthwhile.
