Basirah Oloko - KHPeople

How do you support patients who are suffering with social issues like welfare benefits and housing while they rehabilitate in hospital? Basirah Oloko explains.

What is your role? 

I am one of two Senior Social Workers working in the neuro-rehabilitation wards based at Orpington Hospital.  

I work in the Frank Cooksey Rehabilitation Unit. My role involves supporting patients with addressing social issues during their hospital admission. This can range from providing practical advice on issues such as welfare benefits, support with housing issues, transport, informal carer support, and facilitating discharge into their own home or care home settings.

We recognise that it can be a challenging period for patients and families to deal with their new reality. That’s why we also provide psychosocial support to patients and their families to enable them to have the right support to manage their situation. We work very closely with local authorities, Integrated Care Boards, charities, and other agencies to ensure patients have the best possible outcome after their period of rehabilitation.

What do you enjoy most about your role? 

I am passionate about working in a specialist field, particularly working with patients who have an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). Working in this area has increased my knowledge as a social worker supporting people with ABI.

I enjoy the multidisciplinary approach of being a social worker in a health setting. Working with other disciplines to support patients and their families to be as involved as possible in making decisions is key in promoting autonomy.

What inspired you to get into this work? 

When I joined the Trust, I developed a keen interest in the field of ABI and realised the impact social workers have in supporting people with ABI to be as involved as possible in making decisions following their inpatient rehabilitation. This has also sparked my interest in Brain Injury Social work Research.

I strongly believe that social work research can play a positive role in improving patient’s outcomes. 

What are the benefits of working in partnership? 

Effective partnership working has many benefits. It fosters collaborative working with other professionals and agencies, which in turn enables patients and families to have the best possible outcomes.

In my role, I work with diverse professionals within a multidisciplinary team, and also other external agencies. This way of working allows us to draw on expertise from each professional group rather than working in isolation.

We are able to gain a holistic perspective about the needs of the person and their family, which in turn helps us determine how best to support them.

What would be your one career top tip?  

I would say one of my top tips for social work professionals and other professionals in general is to continue to expand our learning in our chosen practice field. Despite my 15 years pos- qualifying social work experience, I continue to find new ways of learning and improving my practice.

I recently attended a conference organised by the Brain Injury Social work Group (BISWG). One of my take aways was the importance of exercising professional curiosity in our practice. Professional curiosity is a concept often used in safe guarding, however it can be applied in many areas of working with people. This approach seeks to understand what is happening in someone’s life rather than make assumptions. It involves using communication skills to engage with patients and families to gather historical and new information. 

I believe as professionals in a health setting we need to exercise this more, because we do not see patients in their own home setting - we see them in hospital. Asking the right questions and engaging with patients and families is the key to ensuring they have the right care and support when they are ready to leave hospital. 

Find out more about the work of KHP Neurosciences.