A day in the life of a Childrens Services Service Worker
From the welcoming colourful rooms, sounds of laughter, and smell of toast, it’s hard to believe that Barnardo’s Keeping Children Safe service in central Liverpool deals with the most damaging and devastating things that could happen to a child. The service, yards from the city’s Anglican cathedral, supports children and young people facing up to bereavement, physical and sexual abuse, and the break-up of their family.
But despite the painful issue that the service deals with, the environment exudes positivity. Local art students helped transform the back garden from a traditional yard to an eye-catching child-friendly area, and the service is all about renewal.
Hazel Gearing runs a group for young women who have been sexually abused. The group gives them a sense of shared experience and helps take away the isolation many feel. ‘People sometimes ask me if the work is depressing but I tell them there’s a real sense of hope running through everything that goes on here,’ says Hazel.
A typical day at the service may include: preparing a girl to go through the difficult experience of giving evidence against an abuser in court; making independent assessments about whether children should have contact with a parent when there are concerns about their safety; helping a child prepare a ‘memory box’ about a parent who is terminally ill; and using play to help children whatever is causing them distress.
For children whose parents are terminally ill, preparing a ‘memory box’ of things that will remind them of that parent when they die can help them come to terms with their loss. It can also provide facts and information about the parent’s life that may help them in the future. One child was brought up in a violent environment and couldn’t live with his dad. His mum had died of cancer and it was important to him to know that she had not met a violent death, had loved him and had cared for him well.
To foster communication, and make the children feel comfortable the service has cosy, colourful rooms and plenty of things to do including toys, painting equipment and plasticine. Play acting and dressing up in costumes may also help children to communicate experiences and emotions they have never before dared to think about, let alone talk about. The feelings and priorities of the children who come to the service remain paramount at all times. As one service worker describe: ‘It’s all about seeing their world.’
