It’s people, not systems, that can make a real difference
May 20th, 2009 by Site Admin
In his latest Guardian column, published today, Mark explains how it’s personal communication that offers the best way for youth and social workers to make a real difference in the lives of youngsters branded by society as ‘offenders’:
“At a conference recently, I learned that the people who are supposed to be “managing” our offenders now spend up to 80% of their time in front of a computer. Too much passion and enthusiasm ends up channelled into an office, not with the people who need human contact.”
Read the full article at www.guardian.co.uk.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Hi Mark, I just read your piece on the two lads R and C and agree whole heartedly. I suffered severe bullying at work and at home, and suffered depression. Five years ago I got myself arrested for Crimminal Damage and feared I would be totally unemployable. However after a number of jobs that gave me little if any job satisfaction I applied for a trust I had done ward placements at but was also told that they would not give me a job in the future. I am an Auxiliary Nurse on a Cancer unit, all because someone saw past the caution, and saw me as a person. At my level of work there is still some paperwork to do, however we get to spend more time with the patients, and get to know them. After the way the police treated me when I was in that cell, I felt like a human being. Hence at such times we have a prisoner on the ward, to me they are just another patient, who just happens to have to wear handcuffs. A couple of young lads who have been a patient while serving time have been fine about me giving them a talking to and the officers that have been on bed watch have not batted an eye lid.
What a difference it makes to be treated like a human being, and people not seeing one at face value. Shame there are not more people like that around