Guest blogger, Alan McGhee from North Lanarkshire Council tells us how he worked with social services staff to showcase best practice and encourage the development of film making skills.
Hi, my name is Alan McGhee and I am the new Media and Communications Graduate at North Lanarkshire Council. I am delighted to have been asked by IRISS to write this blog to talk about my work. I find that blogging is an extremely useful tool in engaging with others with similar interests and also allows me to reach new audiences that may take an interest in what I do. So what exactly does the Media and Communications Graduate do at North Lanarkshire Council? That’s a good question.
Aside from drinking a lot of tea, I am responsible for developing and creating several short films that will be shown at the North Lanarkshire Council Social Work Roadshows in September 2014, where all staff comes together. The short films will reflect and capture examples of best practice within social work. The films will showcase just how dedicated North Lanarkshire Council employees are in the assisting and enabling those in the North Lanarkshire area to have a better life. This can involve anything from helping with simple tasks such as bathing to providing short breaks for carers to providing support to those with drugs or alcohol issues to child care and protection.
I hope that the short films we create will highlight the dedication and hard work of North Lanarkshire social workers. I also hope that with the involvement of other staff members in the development stage, I can inspire other employees to dabble in film making and learn new skills. Linking with IRISS to tap into developing skills, provide experience and create a wider network will help further develop any new skills that can be carried forward after this road show.
Aside from creating the short films, I will create a Photographic Journal that will take an in-depth look into what social work is. This will involve documenting other areas of social work that are often unknown to the public, such as the Integrated Equipment and Adaptation Service. This service specialises in providing support such as chair lifts, railings and specialised beds. The Photo Journal will be displayed alongside the short films at the Roadshow and will also be shown within the different localities. The Photo Journal and the Short Films will also be shown on the North Lanarkshire Council intranet service which is accessible to staff only.
One of the aims of this project is to highlight the North Lanarkshire Council Social Work employee’s hard work and dedication to service users. Another aim is to help staff members develop new skills. The development of the short films will leave staff members with new film making skills that can be taken on further after the next roadshow.