I have traveled across Canada in search of something....
I was never really sure what I was looking for but I went to go and find it.
I studied the classic texts. I spent time in the tutelage of masters. I collected tools and learned how to use them.
I searched under every rock I cam across, outside and inside myself.
I was not afraid to let go, to pick up and to ask questions.
Across this land, over the years, in and out of group homes, hospitals, community organizations, charities, peoples homes, family dwellings, ocean to ocean, I learned from every place I worked.
The most consistent miss I witnessed...
The most consistent waster of resources...
The most consistent neglect...
The most consistently abused...
was and is the front line workers.
Those who support others. Those who help others as a profession. Those front line workers who have hands on knowledge and experience.
Every time I started in a new place, those who worked the front line where neglected and forgotten about. They were asked to put up with abuses and reduced funding and trainings. They were asked to change their style of care over and over again and never shown how to or given courses in what those changes looked like.
When plans where made, front line workers voices were rarely included. Often no one listened to them, and if they did it was a rarity and often a last case scenario when others had tried everything else.
This is changing. I see light at the end of this dark, quiet tunnel. Front line workers are starting to speak up. Decision makers are starting to ask and listen to the front line workers.
Still, training budgets are reduced or completely void, abuses on front line staff take place daily and they are being asked to do more with less.
I was thinking what can be done about this?
As organizations are met with a tighter budget one of the most valuable resources of information is being missed. How can we collectively speak up as a group of front line workers? How can we have our voices heard? How can we part of the conversations?
I am open to ideas, for I do not have the answers.
What I do have is a question....
What do you think?
I was never really sure what I was looking for but I went to go and find it.
I studied the classic texts. I spent time in the tutelage of masters. I collected tools and learned how to use them.
I searched under every rock I cam across, outside and inside myself.
I was not afraid to let go, to pick up and to ask questions.
Across this land, over the years, in and out of group homes, hospitals, community organizations, charities, peoples homes, family dwellings, ocean to ocean, I learned from every place I worked.
The most consistent miss I witnessed...
The most consistent waster of resources...
The most consistent neglect...
The most consistently abused...
was and is the front line workers.
Those who support others. Those who help others as a profession. Those front line workers who have hands on knowledge and experience.
Every time I started in a new place, those who worked the front line where neglected and forgotten about. They were asked to put up with abuses and reduced funding and trainings. They were asked to change their style of care over and over again and never shown how to or given courses in what those changes looked like.
When plans where made, front line workers voices were rarely included. Often no one listened to them, and if they did it was a rarity and often a last case scenario when others had tried everything else.
This is changing. I see light at the end of this dark, quiet tunnel. Front line workers are starting to speak up. Decision makers are starting to ask and listen to the front line workers.
Still, training budgets are reduced or completely void, abuses on front line staff take place daily and they are being asked to do more with less.
I was thinking what can be done about this?
As organizations are met with a tighter budget one of the most valuable resources of information is being missed. How can we collectively speak up as a group of front line workers? How can we have our voices heard? How can we part of the conversations?
I am open to ideas, for I do not have the answers.
What I do have is a question....
What do you think?