Ellen Daly

The map is not the territory

The last time I tried to climb a mountain I failed spectacularly. It was a warm August at the foot of the mountain, and a freezing January higher up. We were chased down from near the top by howling winds and hail. I knew I was beat. A discussion recently got me thinking about mountains again but in the context of the work we do. I was at an event about Human Learning Systems (an approach that always leaves me thinking ‘this makes so much sense, why isn’t this just how we do things?’).

A group of practitioners from the Transitions Team in Scottish Borders Council asked us if we could support them with a shift in writing culture. They’d made a start by writing some recordings in the second person (writing to rather than about individuals) but were looking for some theoretical grounding to make a strategic case for this change, and also some support to motivate staff.

The social services and social care system is complex and we face enormous challenges including a lack of resources, squeezed budgets, burnt-out staff and moral distress. The social work profession and identity are being eroded. Social work needs to defend itself; it’s struggling to have its voice heard. We urgently need to reassess social work values in these really difficult times...

I’m a third of the way through the practice hours needed for accreditation with the International Coaching Federation after completing my coaching training. While there are still many hours to go, I was reflecting on what I’ve noticed so far from my coaching practice (whilst not compromising confidentiality and the ICF Code of Ethics!). 

About the session

This session (at the new Social Hub, highly recommended!) brought together a group of managers from Care Visions children’s services. This provided a valuable opportunity to bring together leaders from residential and fostering services, something they don’t often have the chance to do. Ahead of the session, we shared some questions to gather views so we could design the session accordingly.

Between May 2023 and February 2024, Iriss designed and facilitated four sessions for a project with North Ayrshire HSCP as part of our Space to Practice theme. The project aimed to explore what a reimagined social work in North Ayrshire might look like.

Last Autumn I started a coaching course with the Institute of Coaching Studies. Over six weeks, a small group of us from all over the world spent two half days a week online together. Led by an excellent tutor, we worked through the course and practiced coaching from the very first session. I thought I knew what coaching was but I soon realised the depth of skill involved in what seems like having a natural conversation.