Social care practice involves working with a broad range of people and groups individually and as part of a team. These are identified as clients and services users but can also be described or categorized by age, location or service type. Examples of this categorization include: working with young people in residential care, working in homeless services, facilitating groupwork etc. These descriptions and categorizations can be problematic as it may label or create power imbalances between the social care practitioner and the person, people or community that you are working with. It is important to discuss and reflect on the description that is used for those that you work with. Perhaps engaging in a conversation on what the person, people or group might like to be referred to would be a good starting point. The individuals and groups that we work with are unique and each bring their own experiences, history, perspectives and worldviews. These all influence the shape and pace of the work and require sensitivity and reflection. As the descriptions for those we work with changes over time, the challenge is to recognise and value each person that we engage and connect with.

Resources:

Podcast: Nothing about us without us. The lived experience of disability with James Cawley: https://tortoiseshack.ie/120-nothing-about-us-without-us-the-lived-experience-of-disability-with-james-cawley/
Youtube clip on involving service users in mental health services: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKihSB9qGe0
What's in a Name: ‘Client’, ‘Patient’, ‘Customer’, ‘Consumer’, ‘Expert by Experience’,‘ServiceUser https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/article/39/6/1101/1677129
Words that make me go humm- service users. https://rewritingsocialcare.blog/2019/11/30/service-user/