If you work in a role that deals with safeguarding or emotionally difficult situations

[WhoWants2Know]

How do you look after your emotional wellbeing? Does your work have anything in place to support that?

I work in a role where it's not uncommon to encounter situations where we need to raise safeguarding concerns. We talk to people experiencing intentional or unintentional neglect, abuse, or at physical and mental breaking point. And sometimes people die.

This week I was talking to a member of our safeguarding team about a situation that

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I was dealing with a situation that hit a bit hard and when speaking to someone from our internal safeguarding team, she said "I hope you are making sure to have a debrief with someone whenever you raise concerns like this, because it does start to affect you."

I've been in the job for 2 years and never had anyone mention a having a debrief before. When I first started, someone would walk me through the safeguarding process, but it was more focused on recording and reporting properly. Now I copy management into the reports, but I might never speak to anyone about it.

For data protection reasons, we're encouraged to only share information within the team on a "need to know" basis, so talking to a colleague wouldn't necessarily be encouraged unless they also have contact with the individual.

It's made me realise that we don't have anything formal in place to support our own well-being when we're dealing with difficult situations.

I raised the idea in a team meeting and the manager said it probably "should" happen but it isn't realistic to expect someone to be available to chat about a safeguarding every time one is raised. She also said she would expect the individual to approach someone if they need to talk. I asked how that squared with "need to know and she didn't really have an answer.

So if you're in an environment where you often encounter potentially difficult situations, how is it dealt with? Do you just grit your teeth and carry on with it?

We have trained mental health first aiders because of how much we witness. There is always someone who is trained around but it's still up to the individual to reach out. They are bound by confidentially but are not trained professionals. These are colleagues

We have group debrief sessions every few months with a psychologist who’s attached to the unit, and specific ones when there has been a particularly difficult or upsetting incident. I work in an intensive care unit.

We also have a counselling service that we can access if we need to that does phone counselling. I would suggest that might be very appropriate for your workplace to look into?

Pychological debriefing is an older practice that has been extensively researched and is no longer used as it does not work. Here's the Cochrane Review

But if you feel you need more support with your experiences, that's probably a good idea to pursue. You can self refer for counselling support through the NHS, and ask your organisation to fund a benefit like Sanvello, Headspace etc, and therapy. Many third sector orgs fund therapy as an employee benefit.

For me, I simply honour the personal depletion/cost of these experiences. I treat myself kindly and rest. I choose to do this, so it's more like being tired after running a marathon or climbing a mountain. They are hard things to do/see/hear, but I always recognise that I am choosing this; it's not something that is happening to me, and I can stop at any time. It's important to remember this part. You can stop if you need to, or even if you want to. That is ok. Be a friend to yourself.

When I worked in social services we all had monthly supervision with line manager.

I work with vulnerable asylum seekers so we see everything from domestic abuse and FGM, child abuse, suicides, infant death, bereavements, human trafficking, modern day slavery, illness and life changing injuries - you name it.

I strongly believe there is not enough provision for staff and have raised it extensively. I'm a mental health first aider to support my team and other colleagues. We also have an EAP which provides access to counselling. Following a major incident we also had group counselling sessions and the option for face-to-face therapy but IMO it's the daily impact of these situations that has a greater effect.

Debriefing is used informally, but its not part of our policies.

Debriefing doesn’t work to reduce the occurrence of ptsd but it’s my understanding that group reflection and support sessions have a beneficial effect on well-being and cohesiveness within the team.

We have access to an on site counsellor and also free access to a counselling helpline. When we sign in we can also add that we need to speak to management for support. Our 1:1 sessions also start with wellbeing questions. Also if there is an incident we are encouraged to talk with management. To be honest our management are really supportive and approachable

I work with kids, some of whom are in the child protection register, other times there are things going on which make me uncomfortable but aren't enough to flag under the safeguarding criteria.

We have 6 monthly group supervision with a member of the safeguarding team. I can request case specific supervision with the safeguarding team whenever i need it. Often this will be with other professionals involved.
I have been known to phone other professionals working with the individual for advice and support when leaving a visit which was difficult (whether that's safeguarding or palliative care). Often it's just so I can talk it through and process it.
Sometimes I'll talk it through with my line manager or service manager. I can seek any kind of supervision with them - but if I need to vent at a situation I sometimes won't even give the child's name if they have no need to know.

Safeguarding is really really hard. But I don't want to get to the point where it doesn't affect me and I don't care.

Senior position at Women's Aid. As you can imagine, theres some really 'affecting' stories and situations. We are given option to seek out support and if we need to talk we can, counselling. We are lucky. I was social worker years ago and never any personal well being accounted for or catered for.
Womens Aid is a great place to work, they do look after you.

We discuss with our safeguarding lead and at regular meetings with details anonymised. You need to share, it's to hard to carry all that is horrible out there on your own.

I've done front line safeguarding for 23 years. I now compartmentalise. Don't take it home and don't think you can rescue anyone. Make sure out of hours there are contacts avaliable for the families you're working with.try and remember that people as adults make decisions you may not agree with.

It's hard. But it doesn't have to take over your life.

You should be receiving Safeguarding Supervision in this role

I’ve worked in safeguarding for 10 years; in theory we have monthly supervision for this but really it doesn’t deal with it. In practice it depends on how good your manager is; when things are particularly difficult I know I can talk to my manager or trusted colleagues. However after ten years it’s only when it’s really bad that I do that now. My best coping strategy has always been exercise and having strategies that help me switch off from work. I also have developed the ability to leave work at work, I don’t even talk about work (generally obviously not specifics) at home as I just like to leave it there.

You should be receiving supervision.

We have this monthly, reflective practice, defuse and debrief sessions. We also have access to employee assistance.

As manager, I provide additional supervision as required as well.

I still have moments where my work overwhelms me and whilst I have done it for more than 20 years, I don’t think I will make 30 years! My Mental health is suffering.

I work in a similar role and have no back up. I had to take 2 weeks off and go on ADs after a client committed suicide last year (I was already struggling so this was the final thing). I told my manager I thought I needed ADs and he said ‘you don’t want to do that ‘ and that was the extent of the chat. As a result I manage what I do - I’m careful what I take on and choose my cases carefully. I’m not a support worker or anyone with responsibility for helping people - but on a daily basis I do speak to people experiencing trauma.

This.
Im the same. You don't get immune to the stories but you do have to compartmentalize and not take it home.

Agree with this, I exercise every lunchtime and I’ve changed my hours so I start early and finish early and get a proper evening off.

I have monthly supervision and weekly catch ups with my line manager. Group supervision is also offered 4 times a year but is optional. We can also request emergency supervision. I work for a mental health charity.

I do have supervisions (in theory monthly but really more like every 10-12 weeks) but that seems to focus more on performance and inter-office issues than casework.

We used to have case reviews with a senior advisor that were really helpful, but then the senior adviser got a different job and they haven't been replaced.

I usually manage to leave work at work because I have an hour drive home to process things. Sometimes I park up and voice dictate notes or an email that I need to get out.

This week things have been hitting me differently. Usually I recognise that situations are bad, but I'm able to do things to improve them- so it doesn't affect me. This week, not so much.

Having someone to talk to is key, ideally that would be your supervisor but I have a few others I know I can lean on and I do. They lean on me too, it helps so much to know you have that support.

I have been where you are for probably different reasons and came closer than I have ever been to a complete breakdown. It was horrific, hit me hard, quite unexpectedly and and I think it has taught me some things. It’s really important to be in tune with your own mental well-being and to know when you have reached the point of too much.

I am now booking annual leave much more regularly and I do ensure I get my regular supervision. I’m NHS and we have supervision targets so everyone in my team gets supervision once a month or I get it in the neck🤣

My boss takes a more performance and task oriented approach to supervision unless I raise issues, but I do try to keep a better balance and ensure wellbeing and support needs are a big part of supervision.

I hope things get better for you.

On reflection, I think the manager's response when I raised the subject of debriefings for wellbeing purposes was probably defensive because she wasn't expecting it. She hadn't been aware of the way the particular safeguarding concern I dealt with had escalated, because she wasn't around.

Unfortunately after that conversation, later in the day, I had to diffuse a heated situation between some angry service users within a group of vulnerable adults. I managed it as best I could and tried to make sure everyone was okay by the time they left. A couple of the people were shaken and needed individual support before leaving.

The manager came back in from a meeting a few minutes before the end of the day, and was given a brief explanation of what had happened. Her response was "everyone looked fine to me."

Maybe the environment is so busy that she just doesn't realise when people are stressed. And I'm not great at articulating that I'm upset in the moment. It takes me a little bit to process before I can talk about it.