What should a children’s social worker do with vulnerable kids far from their home country? How is it possible (if it is) to handle a teenager with totally different cultural background, who is perhaps not able to express himself fully in English? Is there any solution to these seemingly inextricable situations?
A residential care-worker shares his concerns about a young boy who has been placed in the UK from Iraq, while his family had to stay in his mother-country. David Jones, whose name was changed in the interview tells that they try to create a peaceful and inclusive environment for the young boy, however his traditions and cultural differences have made their work very challenging. For instance, for the teenager it was weird and unacceptable when male workers did those tasks which in his country were traditionally done by women. Is it better to force the children in these situations to change their attitude or social workers should conform to the kids’ cultural patterns? Is it possible at all with diverse children from totally different countries?
Another fundamental issue is the children’s mother tongue. It makes the whole situation much harder, when a young person doesn’t speak their social workers’ language well. They are not able to express themselves fully, which can cause much more frustration for them and it can lead to an aggressive and reserved behavior.