To think I've fucked up?

[meanderyes]

I'm a student social worker. Today I was working with a service user who had no food or money to get food. Tried different resources but none available being a Friday afternoon. No opportunity of loan or advance etc.

I took them to the shop and spent about a tenner getting them the basics, milk, bread, butter, eggs etc.

However, now I'm thinking that was really unprofessional of me. It's not something I can do for everyone. I have informed my manager but she's now finished for the weekend.

Really worried I will get into trouble for this or struck off my placement? Will I? Or am I worrying over nothing?

Awww 🥰 this is just magic

Here are some links for you

www.communityfridgemap.org.uk/

To find out about your areas Food Banks, use google

Senior practitioner here. See that it's all resolved. We've all done it but remember you're a student and you should be able to call on someone if you're not sure about something. Use supervision to go back over the chain of command because you do need to be supported, especially in situations where you're not sure. Hope you're enjoying your placement!

I think it's a completely human thing to do. I know so many cops that have done the same when they've found someone without food/ electric and everyone at the council has left early on the Friday.

Glad your manager was supportive. Nothing wrong with a compassionate public servant.

It was very kind of you and I would do the same,have done the same(not as a s.w.).
Did professional boundaries training last week,this was highlighted as a big no no,I'm glad your manager was so understanding.
But please,protect yourself,service users do talk to each other and word might get round so try not to take cash or cards to work when seeing service users,to protect yourself and to reinforce that it won't be happening again.Good luck in your new career op.🌈

Oh bless you. Social worker here and have done the same thing several times . You definitely won’t lose your job/placement over this. You are human- I worry more about the social workers that wouldn’t entertain the idea under even the most dire situations for the service user. Our job is about helping others .

I'm so glad the tone and content of your response turned out to be in the minority. What an unpleasant reply. OP has fortunately had much better advice and thank goodness they are training as we need far more people like this in the world.

Oh that's lovely. What goes around!

Please don't worry @meanderyes we all do this sometimes and for good reason. Yes, of course we can't do it for everyone and of course boundaries is part of the job, but that doesn't mean there isn't situations where we do need to be one of the 'helpers' in the world.

I think you will be a great social worker.

I'd have done the same. Glad your supervisor has that attitude.

The next steps will be to ensure that the family isn't in that position every week and that there is a plan in place if it happens again!

Next time you could perhaps speak to someone at your local food bank? They might be able to help as an exception without referral etc

OP you said your manager said not to do it again as I can't afford it

so the only reason she said for not doing it again was because you couldn’t afford it?

Of course that's not the only reason her TM said that , she would have said more and will take it up in supervision or ask the work based supervisor to.

It's a reminder however that it's not for a student to subsidise her clients.

Yes I also think the manager would she said this, however the OP didn’t say or even hint Thea she’d said she shouldn’t do it for any other reason than she couldn’t afford to

Relieved your manager has reassured you. Social Worker here and we have all done it. As suggested above use it as an opportunity to reflect and learn. There is in my experience usually a way of getting food/vouchers/resources you being a student just are not aware of all the resources and support available (to be expected!). I worked in an adults duty team for years, in these situations If you genuinely have exhausted all options, give duty a call, duty manager may have food parcels in a cupboard or authorise you supporting if you have the funds and reclaiming back with the receipt as an exceptional circumstance. With my student I would encourage them to use this as a learning objective to find out what resources are available that you can share with the team at a team meeting? Not just external, but internal, I know I could contact our financial inclusion team in this circumstance and they would have texted the person a voucher for food even on a Friday (before 5pm). Maybe you will identify an area for improvement you could feedback to the principal social worker?

Sorry OP I would also question whether you had someone you could have called to ask what to do or for any other suggestions once you had exhausted your options?
Maybe not just learning for you but for the PE