A personal story submitted annonymously by a residential worker on 2nd October 2014.
I am a residential worker who was a key worker to a young person who has left care and is now settled in her own tenancy. She has no links with her own family and struggles to make friends, therefore she has little social interation other than college. My unit provides her with an informal outreach service. A member of staff visits her for around 2 hours every Saturday for a general catch up and to offer her practical support should she need help. My shift pattern only allows me to see her every four weeks. The main barrier to sustaining our relationship is communication. We keep in touch via email, again my shift pattern means it can be days before I am able to reply to her emails. Unit policy dictates that I am not permitted to to give my personal mobile number to any young person. I acknowledge that there are valid reasons for this policy, however as an experienced worker surely I am able to make an informed decision on whether to let a young person have my mobile number? I am not advocating that we give our numbers to all young people we work with, only that we should be able to discuss the issue with our supervisor and make our own mind.