I am a social worker for Adult Social Care within the BCP Council. I work in the Adult Safeguarding Hub team as an Adult Safeguarding Practitioner. I am also the spouse of a Commonwealth veteran who served in the British Army for 15 years. I recently completed my MSc in Global Military Veteran and Family Studies. My primary research interests focus on a narration and reflection of my lived experience as the spouse of a Commonwealth service personnel who served in the British Army. Using an autoethnographic approach, I uncover my lived experience, identifying the three themes of Culture shock (Army life and UK Culture), gaining employment, adapting information and Guidance. Through this research, it was concluded that, although the British Army does provide information and support, it is not sensitive to the diversity of cultures in the British Army, and without consideration of challenges likely to be faced by Commonwealth families as the British Army continues to recruit across the Commonwealth. If funding permits, I would like to complete my PHD and to continue exploring on the experiences for Commonwealth spouses and the support available to them.
Meanwhile, I am currently involved in raising awareness of the Armed Forces Covenant and implementing how the BCP is going to demonstrate how they are giving due regard to the health and social care needs of the Armed Forces community in the planning and commissioning of services. I believe it would be beneficial for all social workers to have an understanding of Military culture and it’s impact on service personnel and their families transitioning from Military to civilian life. As well as any barriers to seeking help within the Armed Forces community. In my day to day work, I regularly see how social issues such as homelessness, substance domestic abuse, mental health issues, health and social care issues affect the lives of veterans and their families. I recognise that there are many challenges for professionals working with this client group, often described as difficult to engage and marginalised because professionals and the majority of society do not take the time to understand the backgrounds which shape the way they operate. As a social worker I am aware that my organisation shares values that strive to improve the quality of life of service users and aid their integration to society. I am working to identify the gaps between services provided, and to help improve outcomes in the Armed Forces Community and tackling inequalities in outcomes, experiences and access. This leads me to consider the ways in which we could better our partnerships working with other organisations to improve outcomes for the Armed Forces communities.
Email: pchikutuva@yahoo.co.uk
Twitter: @TrishMaz11