‘Her support made an extremely challenging time manageable’

In Community Care’s new series, My Brilliant Colleague, we’ve asked social workers to celebrate the excellent practice and achievements of their fellow practitioners.

In the series’ second entry, Jennie Andrews, the registered manager of Southend’s shared lives team, has nominated her colleague, social worker Dee Maton, who has always gone “the extra mile” for both Jennie and everyone she works with.

It’s hard to think of a particular example where my colleague, Dee Maton, has gone the extra mile. It’s simply that she goes the extra mile daily for everyone – the people she supports and her team colleagues.

Dee is a shared lives social worker and constantly tells me this is the best social work role she has had in her professional career. She works with shared lives carers, who support long-term housing arrangements for adults with long-term conditions, learning disabilities or mental health problems.

Dee’s mantra is “it’s all about relationships”. This was certainly evident during the Covid-19 period, when the shared lives team was comprised of just her, myself and our admin support, Sharon. We have since grown, but it was a difficult time. 

As our carers provide services in their own homes, lockdown meant the activities people would normally have access to weren’t available to them. We had to find ways to ensure they still felt supported. 

None of the carers who had been with us over this time left the service and I think that is in no small measure due to Dee’s hard work. 

She not only kept the communication going but, when the lockdown restrictions eased, she carried out garden visits and made up gift packs.

She even encouraged a carer who was fluent in British Sign Language to join a national rendition of a well-known song to make it more accessible.  

In another example, Dee recognised a parent had been struggling and pushed for them to have a short period of respite. It gave breathing space for the parent and child, both of whom remain within our service. 

For me, her support made an extremely challenging time manageable. I am so grateful because it’s only through reflecting back now that I realise how hard that time had been and how much she became a colleague I could lean on. 

The only thing I would change is Dee’s eternal happiness in the morning, even before coffee!!

Check out our previous My Brilliant Colleague entry and find out how to nominate someone by reading our nominations form.