SWCHaroo

Step into the SWCHaroo sanctuary — your go-to hub for upliftment, enlightenment, and a dash of quirky brilliance. Consider it your playground for developing a mindset that's as vibrant and unique as you are. I believe that life's too short to be ordinary. So, buckle up, fellow social work adventurers — SWCHaroo is about to take you on a ride that's equal parts playful and purposeful!

??Dear Social Worker Podcast Episode this Week

Title: Trauma-Informed Self-Care for Social Workers. Listen here

We delve into the 4 main trauma responses within the human body. As a social worker, trauma exposure is inevitable. Raising your awareness of your responses as a practitioner is key to effective trauma stewardship. This episode will help you identify your primary response to trauma exposure. Listen to the latest podcast episode here.

??Motivation for the Week:

• I'm so proud of you for doing your best to be okay. I'm so proud of you for waking up everyday and trying. I'm so proud of you for being here today because I know some of your yesterdays were really hard. I don't know what you're going through but you are going to get through it. You are going to get through whatever you're going through. I hope you fight for yourself when no one else does and I hope you know you are worthy of your wildest dreams. You are someone worth fighting for. Keep going! ??By Jacequline Whitney

??Coaching Corner: Insights from Sessions: How to Stop being a Saviour!

In the realm of social work, the desire to help others is a noble and essential calling. However, there's a fine line between genuine compassion and falling into the trap of a Saviour Complex. This article explores the complexities surrounding the Saviour Complex and provides social workers with four tips to navigate these waters more effectively.

Understanding the Savior Complex:

The Saviour Complex is a psychological pattern where individuals feel an overwhelming need to rescue others, often at the expense of their well-being. In the context of social work, it can manifest as an excessive desire to fix, control, or save clients, sometimes leading to burnout, boundary violations, and an unhealthy power dynamic.

Tips to Navigate the Saviour Complex:

1. Embrace Humility and Boundaries:

One of the first steps to combat the Savior Complex is acknowledging the limits of your role. Understand that you are a facilitator, not a fixer. Embrace humility by recognising that each client possesses their own strengths, resilience, and agency. Establish and maintain clear professional boundaries to prevent burnout and maintain a healthy therapeutic relationship.

2. Promote Empowerment Instead of Dependency:

Shift the focus from saving to empowering. Instead of fostering dependency, work towards equipping clients with the tools and resources they need to navigate challenges independently. Encourage self-advocacy and decision-making, fostering a sense of agency that lasts beyond the immediate intervention.

3. Reflect on Motivations:

Regularly reflect on your motivations for choosing social work. Are you motivated by a genuine desire to make a positive impact, or is there an underlying need for validation and recognition? Understanding your own motivations can help you recalibrate your approach and ensure that your actions align with the ethical principles of social work.

4. Cultivate a Support System:

Social work can be emotionally taxing, and the temptation to become a saviour may intensify during challenging moments. Cultivate a strong support system within your professional and personal life. Seek supervision, engage in peer discussions, seek SWCH coaching and participate in ongoing professional development to strengthen your resilience and maintain a healthy perspective.

Conclusion:

In the world of social work, recognising and addressing the Saviour Complex is crucial for maintaining ethical practice and ensuring the well-being of both you and your families. Remember, the goal is not to save, but to empower and uplift!

Social Work Coaching Hub (SWCH) offers coaching to you social workers to help strengthen leadership skills, prioritise wellbeing and build resilience. The aim is to empower you with the right tools to successfully navigate the challenges of the social work role and continue your personal growth. And, yes, I'm an 2x Award Winning Coach :-)

Who is SWCH for?

1. Students Social Workers, Social Workers and Managers
2. Local Authorities
3. Social Work organisations

SWCH offers 121 leadership and mindset coaching, workshops, public speaking and resources. If you want to access the hub as an individual, or an organisation before the year is over, click here to apply.

Coaching Session Spotlight:

I am proud to be the Coach for Children's Social Worker of the Year, Omaid Badar ! A big congratulations for his dedication to social work. This is a great and well deserved achievement. I'm looking forward to more coaching sessions with him!

?????SWCHa...rant

Dear social worker, learn to Say No!

Understand your limits and don't be afraid to decline additional tasks if your plate is already full. Saying no is going to help you.

The Inner Struggle: The reluctance to say "no" to oneself is rooted in the primal instinct for instant gratification. The brain's reward system often encourages immediate pleasures, making delayed gratification a strenuous mental feat. This struggle intensifies when faced with internal conflicts, where short-term comfort clashes with long-term aspirations. The difficulty arises from the intricate interplay between emotions, desires, and cognitive processes.

Yes, we're talking about you, let's take a second to link this to your practice, consider...........How might the understanding of the inner struggle related to saying "no" to oneself, inform your approach when working with parents and families?

HOT TIP: Mindful Awareness:

A top tip for mastering the art of saying "no" to oneself lies in cultivating mindful awareness. By developing an acute awareness of one's thoughts and impulses, individuals can create a mental space for deliberate decision-making. This heightened awareness can empower you to pause, evaluate the consequences of your choices, and align your actions with what is in your best interest. Mindfulness becomes a powerful tool in breaking the automatic response to instant gratification, fostering the strength to say "no" with intention and purpose.

????Jest Junction

Most of you won't know this, but I love to laugh. I watch comedies and go to comedy shows. I even write comedy-adventure novels for children! So it would be remiss of me not to have a Jest Junction.

Laughter is good for the soul, even if the joke is not that funny. Somehow, that's funny in itself. Dear social worker, try not to be too sceptical about this, you never know....ready?

Why did the social worker bring a pencil to the group therapy session? To draw out the feelings, of course! And because pencils have excellent coping mechanisms. (Snap!)

You either reacted like:

1. this ?? (really?)
2. or this ?? (the are you serious? look)

or this ?? (Oh! Bless her)

Be honest, which one was it? Mine was ??

??Resource Roundup:

• Self-Care Journal for Social Workers
• Practice and Wellbeing Planner for Social Workers
• Exploring Your Attachment Style short course (small fee)
• FREE download: Self-Care vs Self-Abandonment
• My children's book Halo Hattie and the Galaxiers Discovery
• I've heard good things about this direct work resource

Community Corner:

Here's the space where we get to connect and engage in a discussion about this week's newsletter. Here's a few questions to consider and if there's any other comments or questions you'd like to make, do a SWCHaroo and ask!

• Practice Reflection

How have you observed the inner struggle related to instant gratification impacting the families you work with and what potential strategies may be useful to empower parents to create a healthy relationship with themselves?

If you identify with the Saviour Complex, consider what is the impact of this on your families and which tips in this newsletter could help you transition to a more empowering approach?

• Personal Reflection:

As a result of reading SWCHaroo, what are you going to:

1. Start doing?
2. Stop doing and
3. Do more of...?

Share your reflections in the comments.

QUESTION

What motivational/mindset topics do you want me to cover in future SWCHaroo newsletters, message me or leave a comment.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities:

• Want to be a Dear Social Worker podcast guest, apply here
• Want to find out more about the Social Work Coaching Hub's coaching offer, click here
• SWCH offers Trauma-Informed Self-Care Workshops for your organisation, find out more here
• ??SWCH Awards 2024 ?? will be launching to celebrate social work coaches and social work content creators. Information coming soon! Email all queries to [email protected]
• Have you got your tickets for Compass Jobs Fair London? On 19th November 2023 I'll be hosting:?? A wellbeing workshop entitled Trauma-Informed Self-Care for Social Workers.?? A live Dear Social Worker podcast recording. Topic is: 'How to Stop Social Workers Leaving the Profession.' Join us at the Compass Jobs Fair , London. Secure your tickets!

Hey you, superhero of the social work realm! Just a gentle reminder that even caped crusaders need a breather. It's like they say, "You can't save the world on an empty cup of coffee." So, keep slaying those social work dragons, but don't forget to sip some sanity along the way.

Take breaks, book that annual leave like it's the hottest concert ticket, and remember: self-care isn't selfish; it's survival. You're not alone - we're all in the same social work spaceship, just navigating different galaxies.

Until the next SWCHaroo....

Keep going... and may your coffee be strong

your Wi-Fi stable

and your caseload slightly less chaotic.

We've got this! Have a Blessed rest of the week????

Le'Siran (pronounced Lisa-Ann)

Founder of SWCH ??