Social Work Research in Practice in Norfolk, a Blog from the CELDA Project

The Spiral Staircase

Recently I went for a weekend away in Malta with my mum. As we checked into our air bnb and climbed the many stairs to the top floor we were greeted by a long spiral staircase to get to the roof terrace. My mum, who struggles with small spaces and heights was unwilling to make the final journey up that last flight of stairs. As I forged on up the last seemingly never-ending very small spiral staircase I was struck with the unknown, risk and worry. Finding my way to the rooftop terrace confirmed my treacherous journey was well worth while for the views alone. I managed to coax and reassure my mum to come and join me.

I am struck by the journey of how so much of social work reminds me of that staircase and how I felt. The unknown, the twists and turns and the outcome always being worthwhile to support people who use our service. Research is much the same, we can have hypothesis, how long will it take to climb the stairs, how likely are my large size 8 feet to not fit on these very small steps and make me trip, how the view will be when I reach the top.

My mum pondered how many people would have used the spiral staircase before us and how many would after we had long gone. Again, reminded that research in health and social care is a collaborative field, we follow those that came before and each piece of research adds another, or reinforces a step, to the staircase.

You Learn More From a No…

Last year as I sat writing my application, speaking to my colleague, Eliska, discussing how I thought it very unlikely I would receive any funding. I remember saying to her, “you learn more from a no, than a yes”. Being declined the research fund would have offered supportive criticism that would have assisted me in refining further funding applications. I was entirely surprised to be awarded the funding. In all honesty, this is when the panic started. As an idea, a hypothetical the research was fine, but for it to be a reality! This was my first time applying for any research funding and I had no idea where to start. If it wasn’t for my wonderful colleague Eliska who helped and guided me I am sure that I would have fallen straight down the staircase. Asking for help is a key aspect of any role and knowing how to do that and reaching out to supportive colleagues is key.

Employing Farah-Leila, my research assistant via the UEA graduate scheme was essential. Farah-Leila was able to submerse herself in the research and had an unbiased opinion on the presented evidence. Farah-Leila worked hard to get the research completed and we met regularly to discuss, and I was able to add the context to the research findings for her.

The Next Step

As we look to the future for CELDA it will be to test the risk matrix and debriefing in a ‘real world’ environment. I would like to consider applying for more funding to review the usefulness of the tools we have created and test their efficacy, unfortunately we need some time to pass to do this. I also recognise the big missing part of the research being the expert by experience voice. I would like to consider applying for funding to talk to people who have lived in poor care experiences and consider the impact it has had on them and their lives. This will consider some careful planning, assessment and ethical considerations to ensure that we are not re-traumatising people from what would have been a difficult time in their lives.

Much like the arduous spiral staircase this research has been a journey. I have learned so much and tripped up those stairs in my large feet several times. At times, much like the spiral staircase, I couldn’t see the end, but now this project has finished, I find myself looking for the next challenging spiral staircase. You learn a lot from a no, but, a yes can offer you new steps, so always take the opportunities and don’t be afraid to climb that staircase.

About the Author

Biography: Vikki Bunting a qualified social worker, having worked as a social worker for Norfolk County Council for 14 years. Now currently a senior manager in the Learning Disability Service. Her job includes supporting care providers where we have concerns about quality of care for people with a Learning Disability and making service improvements internally for people with a Learning Disability.

Publications: The complex emergencies arising from Cawston Park Hospital | Emerald Insight