Social Care: An Important lesson from the pandemic
By Richard Mills
In her thought-provoking article ‘How can the Social Care sector learn from the last 12 months as we move into a post-COVID-19 world?’ Sarah Knapp discussed the lessons learned from working through the pandemic. Social care organisations faced many unprecedented challenges, and Sarah recognised that this enabled care workers to reconnect with the soul of their work and build even stronger relationships with the individuals receiving care.
A key motivation for those who choose a career in social care is relationships and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the individuals they support.
Learning from times of crisis
One of the main lessons from the pandemic is how important it is to work together – all of us, not just those who work in social care. Any critical situation like a natural disaster or a pandemic seems to bring out different qualities and strengths in many people who behave selflessly, responding to the bigger picture and helping others in need. There is something innate in many of us that give us the willingness to set aside ourselves to be there for others.
Will we look back on this historical period in time and reflect on the selflessness of the people who put their own lives at risk to support others?
A new normal
Many people who demonstrated this kind of selflessness are those who work in health and social care, the front-line workers in the fight against COVID-19. Many others regularly showed appreciation for these individuals, and we must continue to show how valued and appreciated our health and social care staff are.
Most of us will need the support of the social care system at some point in our lives. And perhaps there is something even more important that we can do in the wake of the pandemic to continue working together, supporting one another, and setting aside our differences. The ability to come together in such a unified way when there is a need reflects the potential we have to continue in this way as we navigate a new normal.
Everyday Love and Kindness
It could be said that the soul of social care is in our everyday acts of love and kindness for each other and that social care organisations have established a professional basis for this very natural behaviour.
Projections suggest the demand for health and social care services will increase dramatically over the next ten to fifteen years due to people living longer, people living with multi-morbidities, and an ageing population. We could be facing an even greater crisis in social care than we currently are.
At Grey Matter Learning, we love to appreciate the great work taking place in social care settings. We work extremely hard to do our part in supporting the sector by providing high-quality and cost-effective learning and development solutions. We have supported thousands in the sector to gain the knowledge to make a real difference in the lives of others.
We are equipped with the skills, tools, and knowledge to support the workforce of tomorrow.
Discover more about our eLearning programmes here.
