28 November 2024
“Can I have a bearded dragon?” What William’s question reveals about attitudes to social care
Member Spotlight: Julie McNeill, Digital / Visual Storyteller at C-Change, on why the charity’s work, like all of social care and support, means seeing the extraordinary in supposedly ‘ordinary’ lives
There’s a temptation to think that social care is something that happens ‘over there’, separate from the reality of the majority of the population’s daily lives. The truth is that all of us may be in contact with social care: this may be as a supported person, a family carer, an employee or volunteer or member of a community organisation.
Social care covers such a vast spectrum of personal and practical support for children, young people and adults in our society, supporting independence and improving quality of life. This undervalued, and often misunderstood, sector represents the very core of what it is to be human: what it is to care, respect, advocate and uphold the human rights of everyday citizens.
I’d like to share with you the story of William Rae, the Vice Chair of the Board at C-Change Scotland. William was previously supported by C-Change in Aberdeen. Over time he found that he no longer required support and was able to manage his own day-to-day life. He was determined at that point – instead of riding away into the Aberdonian sunset – to put his energies into using his experience, skills and knowledge to help social care organisations be the best they can be.
He started volunteering on the board at C-Change as well as other local charity organisations. His outlook and knowledge were invaluable. Earlier this year William was elected to the position of Vice Chair where his insight, his ideas and his lived experience have become a vital component of the decision-making processes of the organisation.
He has recently taken on the role of ‘Roving Reporter’, with a regular news bulletins disseminated to colleagues and people we work for to increase the visibility of the work of the board and help keep everyone informed of any changes/ developments/ good news. His dry wit and punchy headlines have made these reports an instant hit!
When C-Change first started working for William he asked the CEO Sam Smith if he was ‘allowed’ to get a Bearded Dragon. She looked at him a little baffled, wondering why he would need permission from her to have a pet of his choosing. He then went on to explain that he had been told previously that he needed to ‘prove himself’ with a goldfish first before he could care for a Bearded Dragon.
The Goldfish and the Bearded Dragon – C-Change
Needless to say, William got his bearded dragon and inspired a poem in process:
The Goldfish & The Bearded Dragon – Poem – C-Change
The message of ‘Why would you want a goldfish when you can have a bearded dragon?’ resonates wider than William’s story. We should be in the business of providing opportunities for growth, excitement, adventure and colour not simply ticking a ‘good enough’ box.
I don’t think it’s too grand to say that social care is noble work: it’s an immense privilege to be invited into people’s lives, walk alongside with empathy and creativity and be trusted to support someone to live the life they choose. Seeing the extraordinary beauty in the ‘ordinary’ lives of individuals is a rare gift. It is at the very heart of what it is to be a compassionate, rich, inspiring, cohesive community, but it requires hard work.
Social care is noble work – a career where you will always learn more than you impart. The lifeblood of the kind of society we should be striving to build with people like William showing us the difference between a life with a goldfish, and one with a bearded dragon.