Do You Know Your Value?

Everyone wants to see themselves as valuable, as having something useful to contribute, and to feel respected and appreciated.

This is, as Maslow states, a basic human need. We all need and want to have a healthy self esteem and a sense of pride in our accomplishments.

But what do you base your sense of self worth on? Or what are the factors that determine your estimation of your value?

Have you ever asked yourself that question?

If you haven’t now is as good a time as ever to do so!

It is a relevant question to ask yourself with regard to all areas of your life, but for the purposes of this article let’s focus on your work, and in particular on giving evidence at court.

You may disagree with me, but I think that for most social workers and professionals unless you have the status of a psychiatrist or psychologist, for example, there is a tendency not to see your role and evidence as vitally important...at least not when compared with that of a doctor.

Now obviously I am generalising, but the point I wish to make is that doctor’s are viewed in a certain way and their opinions valued and respected by the court.

For the most part social workers have a very different experience of treatment when compared to doctors or even Children’s Guardians.

This shows itself in a number of ways.

Social workers often have to wait for hours to get into court and this frequently seems taken for granted and expected.

Doctors on the other hand, will be apologised to if they have to wait for long hours. Since judges are loathe to keep doctors waiting, because there is a perception that their time, who they are and the work they do is important.

Doctor’s views in addition are respected and treated with reverence.

Now let me be clear, I am not saying that a doctors time, work and evidence are not important. Of course it is.

Nor am I making a stating that a doctor or an expert’s time should not be seen as highly valuable.

But the perception I think for most social worker’s is that their work and time is not. That the court’s and society do not really value them. ?This impacts on the way they see themselves and the work they do.

However what I want you to consider is this, your evidence is crucial.

?After all, who sees the child most and knows them best, you, a doctor, or a Children’s Guardian?

I think you know the answer to that question!

No doubt it is far more easily said than done, but if you allow your estimation of your self worth to be determined by comparisons with doctors, then you’re never likely to think very highly of yourself.

To think highly of yourself you have to recognise the gifts you possess as an individual, that set you apart as unique from everyone else.

We all have gifts that make us unique, although we may not be used to recognising this.

What it is also vital to bear in mind is that there are few people who can do the job you do!

And what is the cost or price of what you do?

When you make the extremely difficult decision to remove a child from their parent, you could be saving their life or providing them with a much better quality of life. When you find adoptive carers for children whose parents sadly are unable to offer them the parenting they desperately need.

Or when you take the decision that a parent just needs more consistent support, and relevant services in order to provide ‘good enough’ care to their child; in keeping that family together you may have offered them a most precious opportunity or gift.

Let me ask you a pertinent question, can you put a price on the work that you do?

...The answer to that question is, probably not, because it is infinite...and that believe it or not, is your real value!?