Social Work Team

Description of Role of Social Work Team

The metabolic social work team is available to all patients and family involved in the unit and attempts to meet all parents of children diagnosed with a metabolic condition.

The Team is also available for the following services:

• Information and referral to appropriate services in the community e.g. hospital teams, health boards, community agencies or projects, e.g. family centers and family therapy services, contact with public health nurses, community welfare officers
  
• Counselling and support specifically with new / early diagnosis, bereavement, palliative care, long term/chronic illness support, assistance and support during hospital admissions, fears, difficulties or concerns a family may be experiencing.
  
• Assessment- e.g. with regard to the child and family needs, examine coping skills and resources available in the wider family network, child care risks and parenting skills.
  
• Therapeutic work-through group work e.g. kid skills, support groups for children with metabolic illness and their siblings and bereavement groups and individual/direct work with children or family members where necessary.
  
• Child protection and welfare- assessment of risk, reporting to community care team/statutory agency as appropriate, facilitating strategy meetings, case conferencing pre-discharge and child protection as necessary, co-working essential when meeting parents regarding non accidental injury/other child care concerns
  
• Advice re. entitlements-welfare, housing, financial concerns.
  
• Advocacy on the part of the child and family when working with other professionals
  

  Entitlements & Services