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5 Responses to ‘Stretched’ social workers struggling to navigate ‘complicated’ overseas placements

  1. Sabine February 10, 2022 at 4:14 pm #

    I have worked with SSAFFA/ adoptive placements of children in care. And I have taken trips to see child in placement, regular reviews. I found this to be a great experience. What helped that I am a native speaker of German.
    I think planning is key and also clarity about roles.

  2. Tahin February 11, 2022 at 10:04 am #

    Start by asking children what they want perhaps?

  3. Tammy February 11, 2022 at 10:47 am #

    Forces families have always had to make choices about kinship or other care options by dint of where they are deployed internationally. Officers get allowances for public school fees and some like me grow up on and are educated on military bases. SSAFA has a long history of supporting forces families in very specific environments so for me excellent though their knowledge and expertise and networks are I don’t think that can be a benchmark. When I returned to Scotland I struggled enormously and was subjected to taunts and indeed racism white though I am. I think adults need to understand that what they think is preferable and culturally positive may not become the experience of children. If anyone asked me at age 14 if I wanted to leave Cyprus and the Greek and Turkish Cypriot friends and return to my ‘country’ I would have said I did not. Ask the children, they value familiarity more than adults with their own priorities might want to acknowledge.

  4. Clem February 12, 2022 at 9:28 am #

    Your experiences are obviously personal to you and your feelings are too but if you are white you cannot experience racism. Those of us suffering from post traumatic slavery disorder know that only too well.

  5. Tammy February 13, 2022 at 7:04 pm #

    As you say Clem my own lived experience is mine and can’t be reinterpreted or diminished by you or anyone else. I was referred to and taunted as a Donna though it bears no resemblance to my name simply on account of coming to Scotland from the Eastern Mediterranean. Do explain to me why by dint of my auburn hair that doesn’t make the assumptions behind it racist.