Reflections on Social Care Challenges

Reflection 1

The reflection regarding the video of disabled children and young people is being presented by using the York Model for reflection where it represents the issues experienced in the society by the children with disabilities during short breaks and opportunities to improve it. I felt surprised at the wide nature of isolation and discrimination being faced by the children and young people with disabilities during short breaks from schools compared to their normal peers. This is because while working as a social worker in my locality I always spent increased amount of time in providing required services to the disabled children all the time. It is to ensure they do not feel discriminated or develop low self-esteem out of lack of support to develop skills similar to their normal peers. However, the reflection revealed that I have limited view regarding the efficiency of social service reach to the disabled children in different localities within the UK.

In watching the video, I was satisfied with the content discussed. This is because I was able to identify the legal and social policies and support existing for the disabled children that could be used in promoting better care. I liked the topic covered in the video as it led me to understand the scope present to overcome issues faced by disabled children out of hindered care during the short breaks and vacation period from school. The other satisfaction from the video was that I was certain of the steps to be taken in creating positive impact on the lives of the disabled children during short breaks and vacation from their schools.

The dissatisfaction with the video was that there was lack of effective reasons highlighted for hindered implication of social policies and legislation such as Children Act 1989 and others in supporting disabled children from being discriminated in the society. Moreover, I was dissatisfied to know about the different barriers faced by disabled children during their short breaks such as lack of appropriate supportive resources, stigmatisation in the society, risk of abuse and others irrespective of social services being available for them. I was also dissatisfied with the way obligation in delivering care to the disabled service users are not maintained. This led me to understand that there are gaps existing in delivering care to the disabled children during their short breaks from schools and it is responsibility of the social workers to implement effective strategies in resolving the gaps.

The overall learning from the video was that though enough social care services and policies are available to support disabled children, but they are not effectively structured to ensure continuous care to the disabled children during their short breaks from school and vacation. The video also reminded me of the responsibility and impact I could create by being an effective social worker in delivering continuous care to disabled children. I also learnt that active strategies are to be framed to ensure successful implementation of social policies for providing obligatory care to disabled children during short breaks to enhance the quality of their life.

Reflection 2

The use of the York Model for reflection is made to reflect on the knowledge and skills gained through analysing the video regarding mental health and elderly individuals and the children of prisoners. In the video regarding mental health and older people, I was surprised and concerned to know about the way elderly population is growing at an exponential rate. This is because it would create increased prevalence of presence of mental health issue among elderly to be one of the main health complications to be focussed in the current situation. I was also surprised to know the way black minority ethnic elders who are in small percentage would grow in the coming future to make the population more multi-cultural and diverse. This is a key concern as they are one of the social groups identified to have intense mental health condition. Therefore, their rise in number would contribute to create increased need for mental health services for the elderly. In the video of children of prisoners, I was surprised to know about the negative impact on the children caused by the presence of their parents in the prison. This is because I have always overlooked the effect children have on their social and mental condition while their parents are away in prison.

I was satisfied regarding the video of mental health and elderly people because it led me to understand the way effective communication could be established with the elderly in identifying their needs and resolving their mental health issues. This is evident as the video mentioned use of jargons to be effective in managing communication with elderly to understand their needs regarding mental health and accordingly provide support. In the video regarding children of prisoners, I was satisfied to know about the issues faced by children in social life due to the presence of their parents in prison. This is because it led me to identify the key factors that are to be focussed in caring for the children for supporting their better quality of life and living.

I was dissatisfied to know that I have limited understanding of communication nature in social care services for the elderly. This is evident as after the e-learning I was only able to know that communication with the mentally-ill elderly from different ethnic groups is more than a two-way process of communication. Moreover, social workers require having wide knowledge of different languages in the area to deliver effective care. I was dissatisfied in the video for children of prisoners by learning the fact that I have till now overlooked the way boys are more negatively affected in leading their social life with parents being at prison. I also felt miserable in learning how parents being at prison ruin the mental health of the children.

The overall learning from the first video was that effective communication and wide knowledge of language is required by social workers to manage elderly people suffering from mental health issues. The second video led me to learn that effective social practices and services are required to be immediately provided to children of prisoners in enhancing the quality of their social life and mental health.

Reflection 3

In order to reflect on the practice guidance regarding female genital mutilation (FGM), the York Model of Community Care is to be used. The content regarding FGM surprised me because I found that there are still supporting points available in approving the ethical context of the heinous act. It is evident as perspectives from the historian Herodotus was presented where it is mentioned that cremation of the dead among Greeks and devouring of flesh of the dead in Callatians are both considered to be normal within their culture. However, when the two cultures know about each other practices of death, both of them were petrified considering it to be heinous. This means that while FGM may seem to others as heinous act yet it is supported in specific culture as it upheld their customs. I was also surprised to know how blunt instruments, glass fragments, penknives and other harmful, as well as medically inappropriate objects, are used in performing FGM that create dehumanising impact on the lives of the women.

I was satisfied to know that the United Nations have taken effective socio-administrative actions towards abolishing FGM. I was also satisfied to know that legal policies such as Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 are developed to prohibit execution of FGM. This is because I feel that legal policies have the ability to direct people in enhanced manner to stop executing inappropriate activities through implication of law. I was also happy to know that the British Association for Social Work (BASW) have mentioned code of ethics to be followed by social workers to act effectively in prohibiting execution of FGM. One thing which was helpful in the content for FGM was that adequate ethical theories are highlighted that provide justified discussion regarding the need for prohibiting FGM to ensure quality of life for women. I was surprised to know the way the fundamental rights of women are violated to force them to involve in FGM.

In the content for FGM, it was difficult to understand what factors actually lead to promote execution of FGM in certain communities. For example, the content lacks information regarding the way the socio-cultural condition is effective in making FGM be a normal act irrespective of the pain and discomfort created through the act. I was disappointed in knowing that ethical theories such as Deontological Theory are present to support the ethical context of FGM irrespective of its hindered impact on the health of individuals. I was also disappointed that the content fails to highlight regarding the social services present to take proactive actions in avoiding execution of FGM among communities.

The discussion led me to learn that use of appropriate legal policies could be effective in prohibiting female genital mutilation (FGM). Moreover, I understand that fundamental rights for women are required to be strengthened and effectively established in society so that victimisation to FGM can be avoided. One of the learning points in the study was that assistance from the United Nations could be used in effectively prohibiting FGM among various communities. Moreover, I learned that better education regarding FGM is to be provided to people to prohibit its execution as it would make them understand the hindered consequence of the activity.