It has been a few weeks since I have blogged on this site. My family had an unexpected bereavement. Things have been sad and busy. However, the kindness of family, friends and colleagues has been very evident and very welcome.
Last week I attended the Social Work Scotland Annual Conference. Have you ever been to one of those events, where every speaker was even better than the one before? I have to say I really enjoyed the day. There were inputs from various speakers throughout the day and all were absolutely excellent. There were also some very engaging Q & A sessions and morning and afternoon workshops on a variety of relevant topics.
There were some excellent inputs about Social Work values in Leadership and about what it means to be a Social Worker today. My oldest daughter has been considering a career in Social Work and honestly, until the Conference I was unsure whether or not I should encourage or dissuade her. The Conference and its positive messages about what it means to be a Social Worker and what the future of Social Work might look like, really reassured me and I would have no hesitation in encouraging her continued consideration of Social Work as a profession.
On a final note – there is still time to register to attend our forthcoming first ASPire (Adult Support and Protection Innovation and Reflection Event) – which will take place on the morning of the 9th November via Teams. It would be helpful as a delegate to have a good working knowledge of ASP and its processes. If that does not sound like you for this first session of the ASPire Programme, rest assured we will have other events throughout the year which will require different levels of knowledge. Those who will get the most out of this first session will probably be involved with ASP in their day to day roles or in a Managerial/Supervisory capacity. Our inputs will include the links and gaps at the interface between the ASP and Violence Against Women Agendas and also how to embed a Trauma Informed Culture within ASP processes.
If you would like to request an invite to attend the ASPire session – email me at: brenda.walker@iriss.gov.uk