In Your Shoes - Carla Marchbank

Client translations & team meetings

Monday starts meeting with a Deaf client who was recently in hospital unexpectedly and needed support.

Like all of us, Deaf people rely on information being provided in their first language to make informed medical decisions, and for many Deaf people that language is British Sign Language (BSL). Finding an interpreter in an emergency situation can take time, however, as a social worker with NESS, I was able to support the client and they were very pleased with the outcome.

Later, I assist a Deaf client with completing paperwork for a claim for Personal Independence Payment – the benefit is taking the place of Disability Living Allowance. Reading and writing English is often difficult for Deaf BSL users, so I support her to answer the questions to start the first step in the claim process.

The afternoon is taken up with supervision meetings with staff members in my team. We’re a small, close-knit team and I meet with staff members regularly to discuss case work and to provide support to my colleagues.

Open Day & a few tunes!

Today is an open day for the Joint Sensory Service in Dundee. NESS previously provided social work and rehabilitation services to Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people, but since October 2016 this became a Joint Sensory Service so we’re now also working with people who have visual impairment. The open day was an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the new services with partners in the statutory and voluntary sectors as well as service users. It quickly turned into an energetic afternoon with many service users coming to meet with the staff and see equipment on display.

In the evening I go to my community choir and had two hours of total switch off whilst my brain engaged with harmonies and songs in Gaelic, Swahili and English!

Boom boxes & paperwork

Time for a home visit to a lady in her nineties – she has hearing loss and visual impairment, and due to physical disabilities is no longer able to leave her house. She’s fed up and bored sitting in her house, and fears the dark. I had agreed to visit to demonstrate a small ‘sonic boom box’ device that she could purchase to use audio books on USB sticks. She’s not keen to use this, but further discussion leads to the idea that a befriender might be an option. She married a Scot and moved from Holland in her twenties and she has so many stories to tell!

Office appointment with another deaf client – she is able to manage all her affairs independently, but needs support to understand the content of bills, letters etc. Amongst the official letters, she has a party invitation for her daughter today and wants me to help her RSVP to the other Mum.  Assisting with small things like this help people to link with their community and feel less isolated. She’s also keen to look for work and we complete paperwork to refer her to the NESS Employment Project worker.

Personal Touches make all the difference!

Drop car at garage to have an airbag recall issue dealt with… its been on the ‘To Do’ list for months. Then to a local primary school for a Team Around the Child meeting, to look at the difficulties experienced by one family in relation to getting the children to school. The meeting has a number of professionals at it and we work hard to find a solution to assist the family.

I actually jump for joy when the befriending project replies to say they actually do have a volunteer who can speak Dutch. Sometimes the personal touch can be more supportive than pieces of equipment.

Get a call from my son’s school to say he is poorly and needs to come home. Turn to my kind colleague to cover duty and head home for nursing duties.

Home visits and Kizzy the cat

Home visit with colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to a very vulnerable service user who is dual sensory impaired (has hearing and sight loss) and experiences considerable anxiety. At the moment carbon monoxide and fire safety is a cause for concern, so the visit is to help assess the situation, and to help alleviate fears with practical advice and equipment.

Afternoon appointment to a lady in her eighties. She’s very capable but has explained how exhausting she finds living by herself, due to not being able to see. We discuss how sheltered housing would help her to get the company and support she needs.

Home for a quick cuddle with my gorgeous cat Kizzy, before the usual Friday night scout run.

The main purpose of NESS is to help achieve independence for blind and deaf people, and as a social worker I try hard to help

our service users engage actively and confidently in society. So all in all it’s been a good week.