1. Can you share more about yourself (personal and professional)?
Hello, I am Azizah, Social Worker from AWWA Family Service Centre (FSC). I started in the social service sector many years back, not as a social worker but as a Programme Executive, planning and executing social work programmes for individuals and families served by our FSC.
2. What inspired you to become a social worker?
I intrinsically wanted to serve people using the knowledge I learned through my social work education and positively impacting those I work with. I have always wanted to work with and be a catalyst for others to realise and achieve their potential. When the opportunity to further my studies in social work beckoned, I jumped on it without hesitation because it was aligned to my career aspiration. I am coming to my second year as a social worker after I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Social Work from the Singapore University of Social Sciences two years back – and I have gained so much learning from the two roles I have taken on during these past years.
3. What struggles did you face in your journey as a social worker?
As a social worker, I try my best to serve and journey with my clients amid their complex issues. Sometimes, all the stress compiled can take a toll on our mental, physical, and emotional health. That is why garnering support from supervisors and peers or forming a support system is essential in our line of work to help us process our thoughts and emotions to prevent burnout.
4. Can you share a case that left an unforgettable impression on you till today?
This is an easy question. An unforgettable experience would be my first urgent homeless case with a client who had housing issues and had nowhere to go after he had depleted his savings on temporary accommodation at hostels.
As a vulnerable person with several health conditions, we had to prioritise his well-being, especially since it happened in the thick of COVID-19. The case tested my responsiveness and ability to work under pressure. It was also challenging as emergency shelters lacked vacancies, and some could not cater to the client’s physical condition.
Eventually, we managed to secure temporary accommodation for our client. We then referred him to a shelter for a medium-term solution while concurrently working on his goal of attaining stable housing with his social worker.
Though challenging, this case helped me expand my knowledge and resources in working with homelessness-related cases. Whenever I encounter shelter or housing-related issues, this case comes to mind.
5. How do you decouple work and personal life?
It takes conscious effort to decouple work and personal life. I will intentionally set boundaries for myself, like not checking my work phone after work hours and also manage my time so that I do not bring back work as much as possible.
Engaging in activities such as taking long walks and spending time with friends or family also helps me focus on my personal life, giving me the time to re-energise myself for work again.
I also make it a point to give myself breaks and have compassion for myself as much as I have for my clients.
6. There is a misconception that social workers are volunteers. If you had a chance to demystify this misconception, what would you do?
This misconception has been around for a long time, and it is hard to discern the intricacy of a profession if one has little to no knowledge of it.
However, what makes social work a profession is the skills and knowledge required in our holistic assessment and intervention with clients of various difficulties or complexities. We also have to work with systems and different stakeholders most of the time in our intervention process with clients.
An example that I can use to explain this is a sport like basketball. A lot of us can play basketball as a recreational activity. However, professional basketball players have to undergo countless training sessions to learn the techniques and tactics to play professionally and know how to tackle or score in different situations. The rules of the game also bind professional players. So similarly, volunteers and social workers both desire to help those in need at our core. But, social workers will need to have the qualifications and training to help clients with various difficulties or complexities and work alongside them to achieve their goals. We also have a code of practice that guides us in our professional work with clients.
7. What would you say is your guiding principle when performing your duties as a social worker?
My guiding principle is always working collaboratively with clients to achieve their goals. In my work with clients, I always believe that clients are the expert in their own life, and our role is as a catalyst with knowledge and resources to aid them in a period of their life where they require support or tools to get back on track.
It is also crucial for us to understand and be aware that each client is unique though they may have similar experiences or backgrounds. Therefore, the support and tools we provide or bring out for them may be different.
8. How would you encourage more to be a social worker?
I encourage those who are curious about what social workers do to find out more by speaking to people in this line of work or even exposing themselves to the sector through volunteering. If you have the desire or heart to serve and do more, consider joining social work.