Reflections on Blue Light Camp #blcamp

Thoughts from an unconference

Last weekend, I found myself in Manchester to attend Blue Light Camp. I went to my first ‘unconference’  GovCamp 2012 earlier this year and was both thrilled and compelled to attend another and booked myself up to go to BlueLight Camp at that point.

The purpose of Blue Light Camp was focused particularly on the use of social media/technology solutions and problems faced by first response services – particularly police, fire, ambulance but including social care and auxiliary services which have attached involvement.

The power of the ‘unconference’ is to (as was said yesterday) to capture more of the networking that happens around more traditional conferences and growing some of the more interesting conversations that develop and pushing them to the centre rather than keeping them at the periphery.

After large scale introductions, the pitches for the sessions started and I could see some of the difficulties in making decisions about where to go.

I started at a session based around ideas in the ‘Art of Deception’ and took part in a fascinating and wide ranging series of conversations about some of the darker forces and concerns about the use of social media as well as drawing and sharing experiences of the benefits.

It’s easy to be swayed and entranced by the power of the digital and new waves of communication but there are still rules and patterns of behaviour to be learnt. Some ‘mistakes’ are made through the spread of misinformation unintentionally but there can also be mischief-makers and worse who can see different ways of spreading and using the power of the tool in malicious ways.

We can (and often do) make mistakes in our uses of social media. Sometimes the best thing to do is to apologise and move on. We should treat our ‘users’, ‘customers’, ‘the general public’ as adults (if they are!) and we will gain more respect through honesty and reliability as a result – but there’s a lot of latent fear of ‘bad use’.

It was a conversation that I continued over lunch with some of the other attendees and one that made me realise how near we are to the beginning of our learning cycles about both potential perils and opportunities afforded to us by our use of networks of communication and that today’s Twitter will be tomorrow’s MySpace. Platforms change,  but ways of communicating change more slowly.

Immediately after lunch, I attended a session on co-production. This is an area possibly where social care are slightly ahead of the game with the push for more user involvement/engagement. What followed was an interesting discussion on how to use the ‘general public’ to have a stake in the services we need and use – even if we are not aware of it – like the fire service. There was a lot we can learn in social care as a whole though from the suggestions shared – such as encouraging engagement and responses through the use of Bubblino.  How do we encourage ‘micro feedback’ and use it in our services as some of the traditional feedback mechanisms (long PDF documents and filling in ‘response’ forms) can be dry and encourage the same people who are time-rich to have the louder voices. It is an area that definitely needs more creative thought and it was useful to share information across different services rather than – to put it bluntly – to reinvent the wheel in an infinite amount of ways.

I  then attended a session of brainstorming about a new potential platform/web site/forum/online space for First Responders to collate and share information outside the silos that are currently in place. It’s an area that interests me particularly as I think we naturally allay into our ‘work based’ personae in order to build protective silos and can easily forget the sometime crucial element of who we are ‘working for’ ultimately.

It’s often seen between and within health and social care. My simplistic solution to some of these problems in the past where they have existed locally is to co-locate training or even visits so that we can meet and understand the ‘people behind the telephone’. Grumbling about ‘district nurses’ is easy but when you know Amy who was very friendly and made you a cup of tea, it’s more difficult to grumble and then, when you have an immediate issue, you make a point of calling Amy because she’s ‘easier to talk to’ than ‘some of the others’ then you can see the differences breaking down.

When Joe from the local police station visited and you had a laugh with him, you’ll feel less intimidated or concerned about calling him over what you might think is a minor issue or question. It doesn’t always work like that of course, but knowing people makes it easier to speak to them about the little things that come up. So that’s how it is face-to-face – can these relationships grow in parallel ways online? I have no doubt. There are some people who I have built up relationships with online and would seek to enter conversations with them to ask questions/support in a more private forum (email/DM) and I can see that happening more frequently. Again, it’s all about trust.

The final session I attended was a fascinating breakdown of information about how twitter in particular  was used during the riots last summer.  Farida Vis, a communications academic who has been researching the use of social media as a part of the Reading the Riots research gave a presentation/initiated a conversation about the way the social media was used in a civil emergency situation. She has written a blog post here which I highly recommend as she explains the premise and results of her research directly.  The slides she spoke from were also shared here. Particularly interesting is the visualisation which she represents about the spread of rumours and the ways the rumours were quelled.

I may well return to a more extensive post about the use of social media during the riots so I won’t feedback more extensively now except to recommend you read the links I shared above.

So after some initial anxiety about attending, I found Blue Light Camp both invigorating and compelling. I have more ideas, more contacts and more incentive to return to work and ‘make a difference’ – what I am struck by is how many motivated, interested and exciting people there are in this sector and how  much we can do when we ignore some of the barriers which are often used to divide us into different sectors.

And I got a blue pig.

So thanks to the incredible organisation team and sponsors. Thanks to all the attendees and thanks for the kindness, friendliness and openness.  It was a compelling and thought-provoking Sunday in Manchester. I hope to be back.

Top photo from Metropolitan Police/Flickr

Should social work be more social? a simple answer yes! #12thMW

On 13th March 2012 I am contributing to the 12th Maudsley workshop at the Institute of Psychiatry which is bringing together social work academics, practitioners and social media thought leaders to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of using social media as a means of continuing professional development in social work in social work.

A helpful statement from the College of Social Work @CollegeofSW about using social media to engage practitioners in discussions about their work.

A ten minutes presentation is not very long to provide an overview about social media and as an experiment I am sharing my thoughts in advance online and welcome feedback and thoughts. You can engage with the live discussions on Twitter tomorrow through #12thMW

Social media has revolutionised the way in which people communicate and share information – at local, national and international levels. Social media can help individuals and organisations to better understand, engage with and respond to people on the social web.

The public sector is under pressure to make savings, whilst maintaining vital frontline services. Social networking is a fast moving and constantly evolving environment which presents both opportunities and challenges for social work.

I am often asked how I use social media and the value for me is about   networking with a wide range of people in different disciplines and across the world, disseminating information, discussions and debate,  learning and support.

Why social media is important for social work

The best and most cost-effective outcomes for people who use services are achieved when professionals work and learn together, develop a common language and understanding and share knowledge and wisdom. The use of social technology and social networking enables people to collaborate, build relationships and share information and resources.

Professional Issues

How to make sure your online presence is professionally appropriate, while remaining alive to the potential benefits of social media for service users. Social media is a new way to applying the communication skills which are an essential skill for all social workers.

The Scottish Social Services Council have provided guidance on using social media for social service workers and employers.

• To friend or not to friend?
• No comment
• Is private really that private?
• Google your digital footprint – we all have one!

What is social media?

The terms “social media” and “social networking” are often used interchangeably to refer to web-based tools and technologies that support online communication and information sharing. They turn communication into interactive dialogue (Wikipedia). The term social media encompasses various tools and services, including:

• blogs
• microblogs (e.g. Twitter)
• wikis
• podcasts and audioboos
• content sharing services (e.g. flickr, Youtube, Vimeo),
• social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning)
• social bookmarking (e.g. Delicious)
• location based services (e.g Foursquare)

“Young people don’t see the risk of social media but older people don’t see the power” shared by @nickkeane speaking at #cepolsmap the European Conference on Social Media and Policing Lisbon

“it is not a question now about whether you should be involved in social media but how well you do it” @equalman Erik Qualman author of Socialnomics

Social Web statistics

• 37.4 million UK adults use Facebook regularly
• Twitter has 100 million active users worldwide and an estimated 15.5 million in the UK
•  There are 7.9 million UK adults on LinkedIn
• 6.7 million UK adults use Flickr
• YouTube is the second biggest search engine on the internet. 32.1 million UK adults use YouTube regularly

61% of online adults use social networking sites

71% of online adults now use video-sharing sites such as YouTube and Vimeo

The Pew Internet & American Life Project

Digital engagement

Twitter chats are booming for social care (and I need to update this to include #dpulo and #SWChat)

Social work and Social Care LinkedIn Groups:

• Advanced Social Work Practice Network
• Network for professionals working with vulnerable children and adults
• The Personalisation Group to integrate Social Care, Health and Housing
• BASW
• Community Care

Good examples of how the public sector is using social media

Monmouthshire County Council @monmouthshirecc  engages with residents, community groups and partners using blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn to get involved in local conversations. All staff have access to, and are encouraged, to use social media.  

@PaulMatthews67 Chief Executive and @MCCSimonBurch Director of Social Services are both on Twitter.

Rewind story: fostering communication using Yammer.

Opening up social media access for all staff @helreynolds

Why the police have embraced the digital world

 ’The future for personalisation? service users, carers & digital engagement’ @irissorg

Interesting Research but a continuing debate about how we define “older people”

Ageing and the use of the Internet – excellent report from the Nominet Trust which explores how the internet can be used to support the challenges faced by the older population.

Older People and Digital Inclusion – A report from AgeUK which shows that internet access continues to grow, with 55% of people aged 64 to 74 and 26% of those aged 75 plus having home internet access. The main barriers for older people are a lack of understanding and confidence.

And finally some wise words from Gordon Scobbie UK Police lead for Social Media: @DCCTayside “Be a role model, leader, give permission, forgive honest mistakes, provide clear guidance and support. Your people will do the rest.”

 

Opensourcing Professional Social Media Principles for Social Work

I’ve been thinking a lot about the development of principles around use of social media for social workers and social care workers in particular over the last few months.

Having been to events and had discussions with doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and users of services that we all provide, I think there are some great models for the College of Social Work to build on and thought I’d try and offer some thoughts up into the field.

I’m not an ‘expert’ in this area. I don’t honestly think at the moment there are any experts. There are people who use social media in different ways and it’s important that any guidelines are sufficiently flexible both to protect us from ourselves, especially when starting out but also allow very different uses and interpretations both of ‘social’ and ‘media’.

Ideally I’d like an open space for these issues to be discussed by those in the sector to help us decide on what we adopt as guidelines for the profession along with examples.

Is a social work student writing on a locked facebook account about their placement in a different position to someone who has opened their account up?

Is an anonymous account called ‘MysteriousSocialWorker’ subject to the same code as an account named as Jane Smith – Social Worker?

Whatever guidelines are developed they have to encourage and contain all these issues and allow the means to be seen as having an end result some of which will be professionally useful but some of which will cross heavily into ‘personal’ life.

As the use of open social media becomes ingrained in our societal interactions we can’t pretend it doesn’t exist. I heard earlier this year someone tell me they had been advised by a superior not to have any contact with Twitter/Facebook/Blogs either in a personal or professional capacity due to their role. I think we can all see the problems with this, it is not possible to ‘control’ or ‘limit’ this behaviour as it is increasingly a part of normal daily life.

It is also an aspect, certainly as far as I’m concerned, that enriches both my personal and professional life.

So what would I see as important as guidance?

- Be aware of social conventions/power relationships and confidentiality as we would be in a regular conversation aloud to a stranger in a public cafe.

If you are happy telling the person sitting next to you in the pub about what you do and who you are, there’s no reason to fear it particularly in a social media setting – but the limits of oversharing, giving personal information or revealing details of the work you do remain in place.

However, it is easy to overshare in the text-based setting. We can feel more reassured when we are sitting alone and typing into a computer about sharing our more private, more thoughtful moments. Stop and think before publishing. As someone who finds writing a very useful way to reflect, I am aware that not everything written has to be published and not every thought (even ones that may be helpful or interesting to others) needs to be shared.

See the potential of social media as a means for personal and professional growth.

It won’t suit everyone. Some people prefer books to Kindles. Some people prefer auditory to visual stimulation. As I learnt about ‘learning styles’ so we have different communication styles. Some people prefer Pinterest to Facebook. Some people prefer Twitter to longer form blog posts.

There is no and there will be no preferred medium as the different media diversify and we find the networks, groups and associates we feel more comfortable with.

Some people won’t want to engage at all but the opportunities should be there.

Use tools and don’t let the tools enamour you or dazzle you

It’s important to emphasise that the use of social media has to  have a purpose. Be that purpose learning, connecting or entertainment, it’s important not to lose sight of that.

Gaining numbers of followers is a by product not a purpose. Gaining genuine relationships with people with whom you might not otherwise have been able to, that’s a goal. It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers games, I’ve certainly been attentive to my 100th follower and other ‘landmarks’ but the real value is what you do with that, rather than the numbers attained.

It’s easy to believe the hype of the social media ‘bubble’ from within but real influence in a real world setting takes more.

Ethical and Responsible Use and Modelling/Sharing Behaviours

I’ve written this before  but I’ve seen concerning practice of ‘oversharing’ publicly. I’ve also seen (and actually been subject to) bullying type practises that have spilled over into distress in my off-line world. While I use an anonymous moniker for now, it’s important to remain cautious of those who adopt names and who the person is behind the persona.

Equally important to remember that each name and each avatar is a real person with real feelings that can be affected.

Common sense is needed even in these new communication frontiers and opportunities that we are creating but how do we quantify the caution without stymying the potential?

I’m sure I’ll add to this list but I’d love to hear, through the comments of other guidelines which should be added and forwarded to the part of the College of Social Work which will be responsible for coordinating and writing a robust social media policy which is both positive and engaging rather than full of ‘don’t’s.

So please add comments and we can ask the College to read through them and consider them!

Trust, Anonymity and Authenticity

Over the last week, well – over the past few months really, I’ve had a few thoughts swooshing around in my head about my use of a pseudonym rather than my ‘real’ name in social  networking or rather on blogs and Twitter.

I use my real name on Facebook, Google Plus and LinkedIn but felt that on Twitter and on blogs I would be too exposed. My desires to explore the medium of social networking both personally but also to increase my professional knowledge and to identify myself as a ‘social worker’ led to my initial reluctance to add my name to my posts.

I have checked out my employers attitudes to my writing which seems to be along the lines of absolutely maintaining confidentiality and not bringing my employer into disrepute but these would be bounds I would keep to regardless, not least because I am bound by a code of conduct by my profession which extrapolates out to all areas of communication including social media.  My managers know I have a blog. They know something vague about Twitter in that it exists but they may or may not read my posts. There are definitely some people in positions of authority both in  my local authority and in my NHS Trust who know exactly who I am and that I use Twitter – although we rarely ‘converse’ directly.

I can’t help feeling that I would be more comfortable attaching my name to my posts if the GSCC had some clear and specific guidance regarding social media but I understand that they are about to be disbanded and this role will remain within the means of the College of Social Work to take forward. And they must.

I see some very concerning uses of social media by people who claim to be social workers and it makes me worry if, by not giving my actual name (which would be checkable against the GSCC as I am a registered Social Worker) I lose some of that trust and authenticity that is so important when sharing information online.  When I see someone with ‘social worker’ or ‘student social worker’ in their twitter profile describing a visit they have attended or encouraging people to expose more personal information about them into a public forum, I worry that by remaining anonymous, I lose some of the trust that people may have in me.

I’m also meeting more people in face to face settings that I have previously only known on Twitter. Obviously, it’s impossible to hide my identity there and there’s something wonderfully refreshing about being able to be open about who and what you are, do and say.

So what am I afraid of? Having established that I feel I operate well within guidelines provided by the GSCC and my employer why the funny cow name and face rather than my real ones?

Firstly I don’t want anything to detract from the work I do on a day to day level. While I would never discuss people I work with in these media, would people whom I am working with who find me and follow me, worry that I might? What would I do if someone I worked directly with ‘followed’ me? Would this be a concern or not? While I’m clear that Facebook requests are refused without second thought – where do the Twitter boundaries fall?

I don’t want to be a ‘star’ social worker (I’m not, by the way, saying I would be if I were to attach my name here but I am turning my hand increasingly to writing).  I want to be a social worker that promotes the profession positively and yes, I’ll have some conversations on Twitter about whether Pandas are better than Crocodiles but that shouldn’t impact on  my professional status. Indeed, the way the world is going, I feel it is increasingly difficult to divide ourselves into ‘work’ and ‘free time’ entities.  We become the mass of what we do, how we communicate and moreover how we are perceived.

I see doctors,  nurses and occupational therapists increasingly using their own names in these fora and I do wonder if I have been overcautious and I would actually gain far more by ‘coming out’ than I could ever potentially lose.

I’m moving away from ‘anonymity’ as a default and my defence of pseudonymity  is fading.  I feel comfortable standing publicly by the words I publish and I write as if I had my name attached in any case.

However, I am aware than once I cross ‘that line’ I can never go back.

I’d be interested in the thoughts of others. As is probably obvious, I am moving towards a public identification of my writing online but would welcome thoughts, comments etc before I finally make the ‘leap’.

This is a way that the world is changing. I think a point comes where in order to gain trust you may well need to have a name attached.

Why Social Care needs Social Media

… And Why Social Media needs Social Care

This week, I was fortunate enough to attend a couple of events as a part of Social Media Week London. Ideally, I’d like to have attended more but combining evening activities with a full time job can be difficult to pace at the best of times.

The two events I went to, one about Blogging specifically and the other about use of Social Media by Nurses and Midwives were very different.

One took place in the downstairs room of a pub. The other in a flash office in central London. I’ll leave you to guess which was which.

Both had an underlying theme though – and that was the positive value of conversation and interaction that is entered into when media becomes social media.

It left me thinking about what needs to change both in Social Care (and more specifically, Social Work) to enable the positives to be accentuated while both practitioners and users of these services remain safe and within professional boundaries.

I considered the three networks than can improve work practice. How I use them and how they can be used.

Professional to Professional

We can build networks of conversation across social work and social care which can enhance knowledge and professional practice. Some examples of this might be both Twitter Chats (#swscmedia #sm4sw #nurchat) but also networks built based on forums such as Community Care’s CareSpace, KnowledgeHub and their specific interest groups relating to Social Care (I’m in a few Mental Health and Safeguarding Adult Groups) and the GSCC forum which is locked to those registered to the GSCC. There are also LinkedIn networks such as the Advanced Social Work Practitioners Network and Groups on Facebook such as the Masked AMHP page.

These have and can be immense sources for support and information. I believe they can also, particularly useful in a profession like social work which has been poorly served by ‘leaders’ who may seem sometimes more focussed on self-aggrandisement than professional representation they can firm up a professional identity and sense of ‘belonging’.

There is also a much freer flow of information between university academics and researchers and front line practitioners which has allowed me access and information about the most current research which has significantly fed into my practice knowledge and understanding.

Within these criteria these spaces are usually inhabited by those who are aware of professional codes of ethics.

In the absence of such specifics, it is obvious that even behind a closed network, no confidential information should ever be shared and that bullying of other users is just as unethical as it would be in ‘real life’. Hiding behind an anonymous user name does not excuse poor conduct. I’ve seen all these ‘precepts’ being broken by people professing to be ‘professionals’ online.

Professional to User and Vice Versa

I’m being a bit lazy with use of the distinction between ‘professional’ and ‘user’. Not least because it is entirely possible to be both. However the context in which I am referring to this here is where a personal self-identifies as someone within a particular profession and someone (not necessarily known to them) may seek them out for guidance on the basis of that professional role.

It might be a general call out for information on aspects of the Mental Health Act (1983 as amended 2007). I know I’ve responded to those kinds of requests on Twitter.

However in the absence of specific social media guidelines from the GSCC, I refer to those used by the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) about not using social media or social networking sites to build or pursue relationships with people for whose care you are responsible or were ever responsible.

Though social media can be used to share information and we shouldn’t be afraid to signpost information. One of my sadnesses (and joys) was to hear about nurses talk about positive use of social media to inform and share factual information to people who might find it more accessible.

Some twitter chats and fora again open up to users and professionals in different ways but if they do and if they are intended to, I think it’s important that they are accessible and open to users by remaining jargon free and informative rather than building further divides in both knowledge and power between those who work in social care and health and those who need those services.

Multi-Disciplinary Forums

This was one area I’d have liked to discuss in more length at the Nursing and Midwifery Council event because for me, it’s been one of my sharpest learning curves in social media and my own professional development.

Too often we hear about ‘health’ ‘social care’ being divided and these social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blog platforms, Forums, LinkedIn and I could go on, allow me to build links with those in health, and policing, and law and communications and for us all (I hope) to grow more knowledgeable and understanding as a result.

I’ve personally benefited immensely from the Twitter Chats at #nhssm and ‘#lgovsm as well as #polmh from Mental Health Cop. I have found in my professional life that silos are best broken by personal relationships which are made and formed and being able to see these ‘other professionals’ as people before representatives of ‘Nursing’ or ‘Occupational Therapy’ or ‘Social Work’ or ‘Ambulance Staff’ or ‘Academics’.

This is a real way that social media can benefit understanding in the delivery of better care for those who use and need our services and that has to be the outcome that we are all looking for.

And of course, my own witterings at Not So Big Society involve a collaborative element between social workers and nurses!

The Future

There’s a well known saying that the past is another country but then, so is the future. I think the future is very exciting. I’d love to see the College of Social Work establish some guidelines for professionals in the use of social networking in similar lines to the NMC.

I know that we should be able to extrapolate out these guidelines from the current Code of Practice but I feel that more guidance is needed to protect social workers and social work students as well as users of social work services – for clarity and to ensure and promote safe practice.

In the meantime, I’ve said it before and will again, pseudonym or not, be sensible. If you identify yourself as a professional, behave like you. Blog, Tweet, Link as if your name was attached. If you are not happy with that, think about what you are posting/writing before you press send.

Thoughts from #UKGC12

This weekend, I went to an ‘unconference’ for the first time. I attended UKGovCamp 2012 at Microsoft’s London Headquarters on Saturday. UKGovCamp ran over Friday and Saturday (I am a bit tight on the annual leave so only attended on the Saturday).

Worth looking through a few other posts about the event here, here here and here – with an summary of a session about Social Media and Whitehall here. (I didn’t attend that session as it was on Friday but I think there are a lot of issues that resonate with people working in local government at the ‘frontline’ as well).

It is quite a staggering experience to be alongside people from so many different walks and paths in life who converge on a physical location to discuss, plan, brainstorm and problem-solve around similar topics. In this forum the discussions were around people working in the public sector and issues relating to it although the definitions were helpfully quite broad.

The first part of the day (and I’m only referring to the Saturday here!) involved everyone introducing themselves in a large room. Then people ‘bid’ or presented the sessions they wanted to run.

The problem for me, was that there was an embarrassment of riches – too many people to talk to and too many topics I want to discuss. I will write up some of my learning from the individual sessions and particular conversations at a different time.

My main learning points were possibly more ethereal than many there – particularly as I attended on the ‘doing’ day where solutions were being planned which probably wasn’t my forte to be blunt.

While I’d love to follow the bullet point format for ease of reading, I’m afraid I couldn’t manage it so here are more longer learning points!

- I met many enthusiastic and visionary people in and around government – not necessary (rarely) at management levels but people willing to spend an entire Saturday in London (no small cost regarding travel/hotels for some) to talk about making things work better for the people who use and need our services.

- I found a pleasant ‘niche’ of people very interested and involved in the social care sector which made me feel less out of place to be there and convinced me of the importance of front line practitioners to take a real interest in the ways that technology and creative thinking can change our practice and ‘make things better’ and use these skills to add our expertise rather than wait for systems to be delivered to us and then gripe about them.

-I don’t think I’ve ever attended an event where everyone else in the session had a Twitter ID and where everyone was comfortable with others tweeting/typing during the session (sounds trite but actually, Twitter is a very useful way to engage in post-conference chat as it allows open conversations/sharing links/books/articles in an easy way and doesn’t demand the same intensity as a ‘one to one email chat’)

- I met some people who work in wholly different fields who really challenged my assumptions about the ways things work in our sector and helped me to imagine difference and see it as real. This is a really important lesson for social care and social work. We need to see difference beyond the individual and in societies and organisations.

- It was great being around people who lack some of the cynicism of work in the public sector. Which is, despite what the government would have us believe, a fantastic place to work.

- While there is a massive amount of work that can be done to build and make connections and have discussions in the social media space, particularly around accessibility, sometimes it just can’t beat a face to face discussion.

-There’s no such thing as too many plug points when everyone has at least a phone and a laptop/tablet.

-It’s really really good to be around ‘geeks’. They are some of the most friendly people around.

- Me + table with free pens = New pen supplies for the next year. Sorry guys. Irresistable to a social worker used to working in an open plan office where black pens last an average of 3  mins when left on a desk. Even in these days of ‘paperless’ working.

I have a lot more to ponder on when I get time. I think there’s a lot of change going on in service delivery and we have to try and be involved and make links across organisations between the tech teams and the front line teams else our needs are left behind. I could get hooked on unconferences too. Despite being a long day, I feel fresher than I have for a long time about going back into work tomorrow and ‘making things better’ at a macro as well as micro level.

And finally, but most important of all – I met some really really fantastic people doing really fantastic things. I hope to write more about that over the next week and weeks. Thanks to everyone I met and who welcomed me into the ‘govcamp’ family. I’ll be back!

Next stop – BlueLightCamp in April in Manchester! I would encourage other social workers and frontline social care staff (as well as all in emergency services) to attend. Let’s make it work and let’s make us and our services work better!

Should all care homes provide internet access for residents?

 This post started with a tweet from @David_Hall reporting on research which stated that 60% of college students demand free wi-fi from their schools.bit.ly/Au8kan Obviously higher education in America is a very competitive market but it did make me think about how care homes are  responding to the opportunities presented by digital technology.

The excellent Ageing and the use of the internet report from the Nominet Trust @nominettrust suggests that internet use amongst older people is growing. Older people’s reasons for using computers lie in two main areas: social activity and cultural integration.  @Chill4usCarers  describe internet access as a “window on the world” which I believe is even more important for people in residential care who can become very isolated.

Laing and Buisson list 21,500 care and nursing homes on their database. As I discovered checking theCare Quality Commission site and various online directories there is no easy way of finding out how many care homes provide internet access for residents. A search at FirstStop  care homes directory using the keywords “internet access” identified six care homes with computers and internet access. I was particularly interested in access to Skype because it allows older people to keep connected with their family and friends. The Social Care Institute for Excellence @SCIE_socialcare  lists the 951 ( SCIE have advised me that the original figure of 286 was incorrect) organisations who were successful in getting a grant from the Get Connected project. [Get Connected was a support programme which enabled providers of care for adults in England to access information and communication technology more effectively. The cost of the programme was £9.1 million.]

It is definitely worth reading the First Survey of Get Connected Grant Recipients from the Institute for Employment Studies (2011). The report gives examples of the ways in which technology is being used to improve the quality of life for residents in care and nursing homes and for individuals receiving domiciliary care services. It also mentions the benefits for staff as the technology has improved access to online training and information.

“ Residents reported being able to look at websites to do with their interests and hobbies, use internet shopping sites and communicate with family members, often overseas. Some had already noted beneficial impact on their carer’s ability to help manage their condition.”

The SCIE report makes a powerful case for the value of technology in care homes and also highlights the issues for staff unfamiliar with purchasing IT equipment. If I was looking for a care home I would want to know if they provided internet access and how they were using digital technology to enhance the lives of their residents.

An interesting comment that “ there is some indication that IT companies had increased their prices once applicants found out they had been successful. ” One of the consequences of government funded programmes?

Somewhat ambitiously I thought it would be interesting to find out how many care homes and supported housing schemes provided free wi-fi & Skype access. However @clarkmike helpfully pointed out the approaches and services offered to a ‘resident’ of a care home and a ‘tenant’ of extra care are different so at the moment I am limiting my search to care homes. As you will see from the Twitter conversation below I have asked various organisations for help in finding out how many care homes provide wi-fi and Skype access for residents. I will update this post when more information is available but at the moment there does seem to be a real information gap in this area.

The Twitter Conversation and thanks for all the RTs!

@shirleyayres Imagine if every potential care home resident demanded free wi-fi & Skype access – wondering how many homes currently provide this? #ukcare”

@rorysreivers At a guess, none.

johnpopham no. But I’d be interested. Expect it’s minimal

@TheMarkSadler complete guess wi-fi provided in around 1,000 care homes max. out of almost 19,000 care homes for the elderly.

@shirleyayres Does anyone know where I can find out how many care homes/supported housing schemes provide free wi-fi & Skype access? #ukcare

@TheMarkSadler Perhaps Laing & Buisson ? If no they should know!

@dj_gor  @DeMw4h Christ, I would have thought getting a home that looked after old folk with dignity: never mind Skype and stuff..

@shirleyayres @dj_gor @demw4h I absolutely agree about urgent need to resolve #carecrisis but I’m wondering if there is a potential link w/ good practice

@shirleyayres @dj_gor @demw4h In my experience good care homes tend to be very innovative & would be exploring how technology can benefit their residents

@dj_gor @shirleyayres @demw4h Couldn’t agree more! Just think this country should sort the basics first in its care system

@shirleyayres @dj_gor @DeMw4h - internet access provides a “window on the world” for residents & potentially makes people less isolated #ukcare

@dj_gor @shirleyayres @demw4h Good for you. Not in mine or many others tho. Good luck in your quest.

@shirleyayres @TheMarkSadler @rorysreivers - interesting to find out the figures – maybe @SCIE_socialcare can help? #betterconnected #deukcare

@clarkmike many of the newer extra care housing schemes have internet access/computers – more likely than c/homes bit.ly/zcMZqD

@clarkmike look at extra care/retirement/ALcommunities first compared to care homes for internet access bit.ly/yy9wgo

@shirleyayres @CareQualityComm Can you help? I want to find out how many care homes/supported housing schemes provide free wi-fi & Skype access. #ukcare

@shirleyayres @LaingBuisson Can you help? I want to find out how many care homes/supported housing schemes provide free wi-fi & Skype access. #ukcare

@shirleyayres @CareHomesUK Can you help? I want to find out how many care homes provide free wi-fi & Skype access. #ukcare

@shirleyayres @jrf_uk Can you help? I want to find out how many care homes/supported housing schemes provide free wi-fi & Skype access. #ukcare

#disabledgradnojob – crowdsourcing ideas through Twitter

I receive many requests for help and advice across a range of diverse areas including: social media, social learning, employment, finding a good care home, the not for profit sector and community engagement. Those who follow me on Twitter @shirleyayres will be aware of my belief that social media networks are important communication channels for an increasingly connected world.

I recently received an email asking the question “How does a person with a disability get an interview or funding for research?” I am not a disability specialist but I use the internet and social media networks daily to find and evaluate information and knowledge sources and prepare reports which have included ‘The future for personalisation? service users, carers & digital engagement’ 

The challenge – an experienced manager and frustrated potential employee with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science and a Masters in Human Resource Development who has not been able to find paid employment since 2002.  A feeling that recruitment agencies are interested in her CV until she mentions that she has a disability. Wondering about the value of supported employment schemes because apparently the  work experience placements and volunteering are not sufficient evidence for employers of her current capacity in a work environment.

I thought it would be worth seeing if ideas could be crowdsourced through Twitter. I am aware of the limitations of Twitter when 140 characters can only provide a brief summary of a question and the issues whilst maintaining confidentiality. I sent out this tweet:  “I’m looking for recruitment agencies which specialise in placing graduates with disabilities” which I followed with “ any thoughts qualified HR disabledgrad w/ lots of work placements but #nojob” Unfortunately I did not use a #hashtag initially so I am unable to assess the reach of the tweets (through Tweetreach) but I received over 20 responses with a range of ideas including offers to contact connections and to respond directly to the email request for advice.

I would like to thank everyone who responded and I have now reviewed all of the recommended websites and associated links. My summary of the resources available with links to the websites and Twitter names which may be helpful for people in a similar situation.

EvenBreak @Evenbreak Evenbreak is a new social enterprise which helps  employers attract more disabled applicants and helps disabled job seekers find work with employers who will value them. Evenbreak is run by disabled people, for disabled people and they are keen to promote a positive image of disabled people in employment.  Job seekers can post a CV and browse for jobs, employers can post jobs and browse registered candidates. It was interesting to read about Evenbreak – the story on the blog.

Diversity Jobs claims to attract 20 million searches each month for the vacancies it carries on behalf of organisations keen to be known as inclusive employers of talent, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, disability, age and sexual orientation. Job seekers can post a CV and browse for jobs, employers can post jobs and browse registered candidates

MilkRound  @milkroundonline  whilst Milkround is not specifically aimed at disabled applicants it has been included because it was recommended and provides useful information about graduate careers,  internships, graduate jobs and schemes.. The site is designed to help applicants understand different job areas and industries. It also acts as a guide to student life with offers, information and the latest internships and placements.

EmployAbility @Employ_Ability was recommended by a number of people. EmployAbility is a not-for-profit organisation assisting students and graduates with disabilities, including dyslexia or long term health conditions, into employment. Students and graduates can register for support and advice, there is a list of Disability Inclusive employers and useful FAQs for employers and universities.

Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services @AGCAS kindly retweeted my request for ideas. AGCAS is the professional association for higher education (HE) careers practitioners and those involved in the provision of careers and employability education, information, advice and guidance to current or prospective HE students and graduates.

Some of the charities that run supported employment programmes:

Papworth Trust @Papworth_Trust delivers several government employment programmes, including the Work Programme and Work Choice. They specialise in helping disabled people, those with health conditions or those who are disadvantaged to find and keep jobs. The Employment Helpdesk 0800 952 5000 is available between 10am and 4pm. A jobs page lists employment opportunities at Papworth Trust.

United Response @united response work with people with learning disabilities across England and Wales. They provide supported employment services and a growing number of social enterprises. Many people they support have complex physical needs in addition to their leanring disability. A jobs page lists employment opportunities at United Response.

Remploy @Remployare one of the UK’s leading providers of employment services and employment to people experiencing complex barriers to work. Having spent time with staff at one of the Remploy offices I am impressed by their dedication and determination to support candidates in finding suitable employment opportunities.

Some inspiring disabled entrepreneurs with wisdom and experience to share

Martyn Sibley @martynsibley Martyn is an entrepreneur,  blogger, speaker and  creator of a series of webinars providing information for people living with long term conditions and disabilities He is co-editor of the informative online magazine Disability Horizons a disability lifestyle magazine pioneering a 21st century view of disability

Alison Smith @PeskyPeople  Alison is a Disability Arts consultantt, poet and human rights campaigner  who is harnessing digital and social media to improve access for disabled and deaf people. Developer of @go_genie which is making the inaccessible accessible through crowd-sourced access information.

Denise Stephens @enabledby Enabled by Design is a community of people who are passionate about well-designed, everyday products that challenge the one-size-fits-all approach to assistive equipment. A good example of a website that encourages service users with a disability to share information and thoughts about products and services that are improving the quality of their lives.

Other useful resources

AbilityNet @AbilityNet AbilityNet is a national charity helping disabled adults and children use computers and the internet by adapting and adjusting their technology. The Equality and Human Rights Commission, AbilityNet and BCS have developed the Web Accessibility Essentials e-learning course designed to equip individuals and businesses interested in accessibility best practice with a fundamental understanding of digital inclusion.

VoiceAbility @voiceability_vaVoiceAbility provides advocacy, active voice and voice work services. No specific employment support services but their current vacancies are advertised on the website.

ClearKit @Clearkit The Clear Company audits recruitment policy, process and practice for employers creating better opportunities for people from under represented groups in the work place. The Disability Clearkit was developed in association with the DWP, to address the barriers employers face when recruiting disabled talent by inspiring, educating and empowering organisations to adopt best practice principles when recruiting. Organisations can apply to become Clear Assured which states their commitment to identifying and removing barriers from recruitment policy, process and practice which have the potential to exclude disabled people.

SKILL the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities has now closed  Disability Rights UK are  providing support and information for disabled students and there is a freephone helpline 0800 328 5050

Disability Alliance, the National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL) and Radar have now unified to form ‘Disability Rights UK’ @DAnewsflash

The  Disability Toolkits website, established in 2006, provides information, advice and resources for disabled students, for academics involved in the provision of placements, and for prospective employers offering work experience, internships and placements. There is useful general guidance about managing off campus learning for disabled students. The page with useful links does not seem to have been updated recently and therefore does not reflect the recent closures and amalgamations which have taken place amongst disability organisations. It is probably wise to double check any specific information provided.

Conclusions

There are many innovative ways in which individuals and communities are using social media to find, share and act upon information, knowledge and experience.  There is no shortage of information but limited signposting which makes it hard to find relevant resources. There also seems to be a lack of co-ordination between information providers across boundaries. It is a continuing challenge to find the right information to meet particular and specific circumstances especially in the complex and very broad area of care.  Access to timely and appropriate information, advice and support has been highlighted time and again as a major problem across the care and  health sectors

A Google search for “UK recruitment agencies placing disabled graduate students” offered  23,900,000  results. Using Twitter as an information source provided useful initial signposting to recommended resources which could then be explored further.  I predict a growing demand for trusted intermediaries aware of the role of social innovation and technology, confident in using the internet who are able to provide quality search results within a relevant context.  A logical response perhaps to  “information overload and filter failure” (Clay Shirky).  

I am sure there are many other resources available which are not mentioned in this post. Please feel free to add resources you have found useful, any comments you may have about using any of the services listed or tweet your thoughts using #disabledgradnojob. 

Stats from the Social Media World

Three perspectives on the use of social media in 2011. Whilst there are variations in the statistics especially for UK Twitter users (maybe due to research methodology?) the numbers of people now using social media are impressive and growing rapidly.

Social Media in 2011 @videoinfographs

VideoInfographs

The State of Social Media In The UK (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) @Mindjumpers

Facebook now has a reach of just over 30 million unique users for the UK. That means the proportion of the UK total population registered with the site is fast approaching 50%. 25-34 year olds are now the largest age group on Facebook.

Twitter has shown explosive growth this year, with the number of reported users more than doubling from 12 million to 26 million.

LinkedIn also continues to grow, and now looks to reach around 10% of the UK population

Google+ made its debut to great excitement in 2011, According to socialtimes, the UK total user base is still under one million – and globally, only 17% of those signing up become regular, active users.

Mindjumpers

Social Media Usage in the UK – The findings @Umpf

37.4 million UK adults use Facebook regularly
32.1 million UK adults use YouTube regularly
15.5 million UK adults on Twitter
7.9 million UK adults on LinkedIn
6.7 million UK adults on Flickr

umpf

Connecting

The title of this blog is ‘Connecting Social Care and Social Media’ and this post by the excellent Mental Health Cop reminded me of the importance of the very first word, ‘connecting’.

What is it that needs to be connected or more importantly who is it that needs to be connected? This, for me, is one of the key factors in my continued use of social media outlets.

What is the appeal of the social over the mainstream? It’s the connections that we make. It is the connections that can have higher barriers to climb in less egalitarian settings.

As someone who has been working in social care for more years than I’d like to relate, I can see tangibly how these connections have improved my own practice and how they have the potential to change the landscape in social care (as well as other areas) for many years to come.

We are on the precipice of changing paradigms of communication and it is exciting but it’s important that we remember it that the goal is ‘connecting’ not talking.

-

Who do we connect with?

We begin to connect with each other. We find others who do similar things to us or who work in similar ways or who have similar politics. People in ‘our worlds’ who we can relate to and have easier conversations with and with whom we can share news stories, information or chatter.

Then we connect with people who might work in similar or related fields – the police, lawyers, academics, doctors, nurses but also those within the public sector who are linked to us whether in private organisations or the public sector – by connecting social care with social media we can explain the stories behind the headlines and the role and importance of social care in the fabric of a functioning society.

Most importantly though, we connect with those who use the services we provide. I have seen a drift towards a professionalism in social work which is all very good but it should never come at the price of building barriers between ‘professionals’ and stakeholders in the profession. I see the ability to communicate more freely and openly with those who use the services we provide to be one of areas to promote social work.

How do we connect?

‘Social Media’ is more than a blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Social Media is a means of communication which allows more accessible two-way dialogues. It includes newsgroups, forums, social bookmarking sites. Increasingly I think we are moving to a place where sifting information becomes more valuable than finding information but the key to social media is the social. We are people behind a screen and the relationships which we make are real. I’ve met a few people with whom I’ve only had contact via a screen and made real ‘off-screen’ relationships but the dichotomy between ‘online’ and ‘offline’ is becoming harder to separate and are merging.

Why do we connect?

My perhaps oversimplistic answer is to ‘make things better’. I see faults in the systems that I work in and I want to improve them. Having conversations with experts, users who access the services, carers, colleagues in other locations, in other countries can refine thinking about planning for the future.

Social Work has been in crisis for as long as I’ve been in Social Work but I try to remain hopeful. I hope we can push the profession back towards a true advocacy role and towards the promotion of social justice. We have more tools at the ready and more voices to use.

Social Work is built on relationships. We have new ways to build these relationships and new ways to open communication channels.

-

Looking ahead to the new year it’s important that those in this area of work or with an interest in it, use these means to promote not just the profession but much more importantly, those who rely on social care services who are yet to find voices.

We are living in interesting times and the social care sector can’t afford to be left behind because those relying on it need these voices. Not all, of course, many users are far more adept than most professionals but I work in an area where there are a lot of the quieter voices who ‘don’t want to make a fuss’. I see it as a part of my professional ethics to provide, promote and advocate for those who might not be replying to government consultations or participating in user-led groups.   I also see it as a professional duty for me to take responsibility for my own learning and to understand the world and the ways it is changing better.

While ‘social media’ isn’t a panacea – perhaps ‘connecting’ is. We need more connections and this is another tool to use to connect.