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.

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.

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!

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

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. 

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

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.

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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.

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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.

Anyway, it’s  from PR Weekly and in a field that I am wholly unfamiliar with but the basic premise is that within organisations there are five ‘stages’ to go through to reach the elusive ‘social media maturity’. This is taken from a report published by Forrester Research.

The five stages are

1. Dormant – Resistant to any use of social technologies due to unwillingness to participate

2. Testing – Individuals or departments test in isolated pockets

3. Coordinating – Management begins to coordinate across teams and departments

4. Scaling and Optimization – Organisational shift towards growing and improving social applications

5. Empowering – Organisation fosters all relevant employees; fosters and rewards top performers.

While I like this model for organisations, I’ve been pondering about how we achieve ‘social media maturity’ as individuals too and wonder if there is a parallel model.

Obviously when we are referring to people, personalities become a key point but I thought of the five stages of social maturity for individuals could be relevant too, in terms of understanding the process of finding new ways to communicate. We are all of us learners.

So my equivalent ‘stages’ are

1. Dormant – this would be the scepticism before we ‘jump in’. You know, the ‘Facebook is for stalkers’ or ‘Twitter is just people saying what they had for breakfast’ type approach. It’s easy to understand because it’s human nature to fear and feel sceptical about what we don’t understand. Until we know something, we can’t understand it.

2. Testing – these are the first steps we take into the new ‘online’ world – whether it’s forums, or bulletin boards, Twitter, Facebook or mySpace, we (and the speed depends somewhat on the personality) begin to try things out. We begin to take things (and ourselves) too seriously at times. We suffer from this. We get into flame wars. We test the limits including our own.

3. Coordinating (Building links) – this is what I’d call branching out and is one of the first stages of ‘understanding’. It comes from building links of use to others and working out the etiquette (oh, remember when it used to be called netiquette!) of the social environments. Using the jargon attached appropriately and moving beyond entertainment and novelty towards utility and information.

4 Scaling and Optimization (Branching Out) – This would be about building new networks, using different platforms. Trying things out and using the skills and base that has been created to create your identity and differentiate it. You are, by now, using the tools to gain and share information as well as to entertain. There is no ‘right’ way or ‘wrong’ way but there are social norms to adhere to and you are mastered them. Never, of course, forgetting the importance of the person behind the screen both on your own side and on the other side.

5. Empowering – I like the term ‘empowering’ so will continue to use it in this new model. It is about not only using the means well for your own purposes but helping others to learn along their path. Learning that sharing is more important than giving and information is not a limited commodity owned by particular institutions over others.

I’m not an expert by any means. I think I’d place myself in the third or fourth category but I’d be interested in the opinions of others about what the stages might be and if they are transferable to individuals as well as organisations.

It feels like there is a real need for more joined up and connected thinking across the public, third, social enterprise and private sectors. The lines are becoming increasingly blurred in terms of who delivers front line public services. There is the real danger of duplication which was highlighted in the newly published Audit Commission report: Joining up health and social care Improving value for money across the interface.

As an example of the time being spent on submitting funding applications @DameHilaryBlume provided the following calculation. There were 1401 applications to the Silver Dreams Fund. Assuming 5 days work was required to complete the application that equates to 28 years of one person’s work. Rattling a tin for charity in the same time period could raise £1.4million assuming that £200 in donations could be raised in a 7 hour day.

@PeterWanless Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund responded by making the fair comment that “these figures assume a traditional application form and process. Silver Dreams is a call for ideas which organisations are then supported and paid to to develop. The serious investment will come when the best ideas are selected”.

It is worth looking at the Big Lottery Funding page. They are funding an impressive range of programmes across the UK and giving grants from £300 to over £500,000 to organisations ranging from small local groups to major national

Some of the recent funding initiatives relevant to social care (please feel free to add to the list)

The Silver Dreams Fund is pioneering ways to help vulnerable older people deal more effectively with life-changing events. The Big Lottery Fund is making a £110 million investment in older people in association with the Daily Mail.

Living Well with Dementia the Design Council and the Department of Health are running a competition to rethink life with dementia. The challenge is to help people with dementia and their carers live easier, better planned and more enjoyable lives. There were 150 applications and 5 ideas were selected which will be funded to deliver their working prototypes by March 2012.

Keeping Connected Business Challenge – the Design Council and the Technology Strategy Board competition to develop innovative services that keep older adults better connected through a £495,000 fund. 9 projects have been selected for stage 1 of the Keeping Connected Business Challenge

The Innovation in Giving Fund run by NESTA with the Office of Civil Society issued an open call for ideas to the £10m Innovation in Giving Fund. Proposals were invited which had the potential to deliver a significant increase in the giving and exchange of time, assets, skills, resources and money. They received well over 400 applications and shortlisted 62 applicants to go through to the next selection phase.

Interesting questions and thoughts were shared on Twitter from the People Powered Change event and it is worth reading the Storify of the Workshop @johnpopham

Some comments from Twitter:

@willperrin Lets have a giant discussion forum for people applying to lottery bidsavingexpert maybe
@cased: How do we use funding to build local networks at scale instead of creating 2 way dependency relationships?
@dansutch -171 thousand charities spend £2.6bn on fundraising and PR to get £4.5bn in individual donations-broken equation
@judehabib ‘it’s all about storytelling.. Charities can’t afford not to make most of their stories’
@Andy_Malone Exploring how grant funding can be more than just a source of finance and how it can help support community action

I would like to explore:

How all of these initiatives and projects are being embedded in local communities and what are the links being made with social services, health organisations and the Health and Wellbeing Boards?

Keeping track of all the social innovations in social care underway is a challenge – do we need a central portal which links all of the initiatives or as Will Perrin suggests a discussion forum to support organisations in making funding bides?

Would it make sense to try and standardise funding applications?

I have been told by many small organisations that they are unaware of, and have difficulty in keeping track of, all the funding initiatives. I have promoted the excellent NCVO Funding Central guide to grants, contracts and loans which includes a regular eletter.

How else can we help signpost the information and advice that is available?

Would it be useful to research how much time organisations are spending on funding applications generally? The resources required to submit funding applications is a big issue especially for small and start up organisations.

I would be interested in hearing the thoughts of people who use services and carers organisations about their involvement in these projects and what other support services they would like to see being developed.

The lie of democracy pretends that we all have an equal voice in terms of our vote when we are choosing our leaders. The reality is far from that. The loudness of the voice is determined by many other factors such as wealth, social standing, professional status, age, physical appearance and many other discriminations that run through every group that forms and society that is created around communities.

In some ways, ‘social media’ such as blogs, micro-blogs such as Twitter and sites such as Newsvine, Reddit, StumbleUpon and many like them have an undemocratic ‘feel’ to them. They allow anyone so the theory goes to become a ‘citizen journalist’ or rather a ‘citizen curator’ without needing to explain who they are and why they are qualified to do so.

More recently a few conversations I’ve been involved in (yes, on Twitter mostly) have highlighted the crossover between the importance of ‘status’ and the expectation that the same status should be accorded on these more open, more ‘democratic’ platforms.

This for me, is the rub of the ‘old’ against the ‘new’ and while we cannot disregard ‘real world’ influence in affording respect to particular views – in some ways, it is a parting of ways for the original  mentality which ask people to be judged on the content and value of their words rather than the letters before or after their name.

There is no way to break down these barriers of status completely. Barack Obama will always have more followers on a social media site than John Smith, a school student from Little Hadbury and it is quite right too.

Perhaps though, we are losing something by disregarding the content and influence that John Smith could have if given the channel and voice to do so.

Some of the most precious insights I have gained from my brief dallying in social media forms has been particularly from users and carers of services that I provide as a social worker but also from social work students. Indeed (no offence intended) it is often students that can ‘teach’ more insights than professors because academics have louder ‘natural’ voices which are provided by the status that they are (quite rightly) accorded in the society in which we live in.

Various tools like Klout and its ilk are trying to establish ‘hierarchies’ onto these communication tools – indicating that some people are ‘better’ than others where the real value is more personal and unlikely to be provided by a logarithm.

My concern is that as the ‘real world’ hierarchy creeps across social networks is not that we should ignore them – of course not. It is a great way of sharing knowledge and understanding but more that we must not lose this opportunity to lose the naturally quieter voices. Indeed, we should seek them out and learn from them.

Human beings like categorising things – including ourselves. We need to know our own place in these hierarchies. Sometimes our perceptions of where we are on these hierarchies is different from where we might place ourselves but really, the most important thing is to listen to all who have voices – sometimes learning comes in the least expected places.

I’d be interested in the experiences of others with the changing hierarchies particularly within social networks? Are you seeing what I’m seeing? How do you interpret the changes that are being experienced by society?