Calling all social workers - we need you for disability advocacy work
A charity is urging social workers to volunteer their time to help disabled people distressed by government cuts access support.
Dial South Essex is extending its advice and advocacy work across the UK as the government looks to reduce spending on benefits by £5 billion.
Most of the cuts are to come from Personal Independence Payments (PIP) that support people with long-term disabilities.
The charity says it’s bracing itself for a massive increase in demand from worried people seeking support and says social workers have the right skills needed to help.
“We are looking for people who are good with people, that can communicate with them and understand the difficulties they are experiencing, who have worked with people in difficulties and with disabilities,” said deputy manager manager Sally Penson.
The charity has already had people calling up panicking in the wake of government plans to make savings by targeting the benefit system, said Penson.
“I imagine it’s going to get worse," she added. "It would be good to have social workers who understand the situation and the difficulties people go through on a daily basis.
“It may be helping people with benefit issues, or claiming benefits, or who need signposting to extra support. Social workers have the skills to help with this.”
Volunteers could be retired social workers or professionals able to commit a few hours a week to respond to queries online, via the phone or face-to-face.
She outlined an example of the kind of work dealt with by the charity: “Someone may call up and say, ‘My daughter is 15, she has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness, what would she be entitled to and what help can she get?’
“The volunteer would then assess the support they need and help them to access it.”
Penson added: “So many people say to us ‘I don’t know what I would do without you.
“Sometimes it is very difficult for them because they don’t know where to go.”
The charity provides full online training to its volunteers.
Penson believes having social work volunteers would also help break down negative stereotypes some of their clients have of the profession.
“Sometimes we urge people to contact a social worker for support and they say, ‘I don’t want to go to them’. They have a bad image which I think is unfair.
“So it would be nice to have social workers coming in who could put their minds to rest.”
Penson criticised the government for targeting disabled people and pensioners "who can't fight back".
"It is not what people voted for. Prime ministers and other politicians need to live the life of the ordinary person without their bank balances. They don’t know what it is like to be poor, how difficult it is.
“For some people with disabilities going to work would help them a lot – if you feel good mentally then the physical side isn’t as bad.
“When the government say we have ‘x’ disabled people on benefits, that is not taking into account the amount that are working.
“Sometimes if you take that benefit away from them they won’t be able to work.”
For more information go to Dial South Essex’s website
If you would like more information about being a volunteer email enquiries@dialsouthessex.co.uk