Carrying the Load
Our staff are very dedicated. They do a great job and we really appreciate all they give. Those of you who have an interest in pastoral matters will know how important it is that our staff members have a proper support structure in place so that they can regularly unload the burdens they carry.
This is not just with the fact that they have so much work to do – but also with the emotional pressures which are unloaded upon them by large number of clients each day. This may be people struggling with rejection, loneliness, lack of motivation, physical and mental abuse or the consequences of their wrong actions. It may be also be frustration with their inability to obtain work, to have enough money to meet their needs or, simply, frustrations over obtaining adequate accommodation through the council or private landlords.
Sadly, we are not always able to provide an instant satisfactory remedy for everyone’s problems and this can cause clients to react aggressively – although, fortunately, most are understanding and appreciate the help they are given. Many times we have to encourage our clients to be realistic about their expectations (e.g - we cannot always help people obtain a one bedroomed flat just for them to use) - and this is not easy. Coping with client disappointment can become yet another burden to carry – especially when in your heart of hearts you would dearly love to grant the person what they desire and need.
Our staff always do the very best they can – but none of them are counsellors and so they tend to use listening skills as much as they can. Listening is a vital skill and we could all do with improving it.
It is quite a skill to be able to support clients adequately and not allow yourself to emotionally involved so you are buried in the intensity of people’s problems. When I was running a hostel for homeless young people, I saw several staff members become seriously ill because they have not been able to switch off from their work when they go home. We do not want that to happen at KCAH !
Facing client problems can wear you down and so it is important that staff have the ability to unload some of the burdens which have been placed upon them. Just having someone to listen to you while you unload your problems can be an invaluable help. A key part of our support structure is a monthly supervision session with a line manager and this covers both the practical duties and pastoral aspects of the work. However, there are times when a deeper level of pastoral support is needed than we can actually provide. Access to these facilities would be a useful addition to our resources both for staff and for clients.
Do you have the skills to help ? Can you spare the time to help ? If you can, Matt or I would love to hear from you – both for the benefit of our staff and for our clients.
Bob Bailey
Editor
