Being On-Call

In many social work organisations, once the worker gains enough experience they are expected to be on-call for emergencies.  This is especially true for child welfare since often children in these crisis situations cannot wait until morning.

Depending on where you work, being on-call might be voluntary as there are usually a few people around the office willing to take on the additional shifts because it means additional money.  However, at other agencies it can be mandatory to be on the on-call roster unless say, you have a scheduled vacation, or have a medical note to back up why you can't be on-call.

The training programs that most agencies have are close to nil when it comes to being on-call.  Many workers are understandably nervous before their first shift.  This is especially true for the social worker in the office who usually does not have an investigative position.

Here are some points I have for the worker who is going on-call for the first time:

• Ensure that you take the on-call cell phone home with you and make sure that it is charged.  If there is no designated on-call phone then make sure the appropriate people know how to reach you - which means your home phone and cell phone
• Try to get a good nights rest even though you are concerned you might get calls during the night
• Lay out a set of clothes before you go to bed just in case you have to get dressed in a hurry if there is an emergency
• If you have children, have a baby-sitter or relative stay the night if you are a single parent and have no other responsible adult in the home in case there is an emergency you have to go out on
• Make sure you have a list of important numbers with you in case you have to call the police or other important crisis responders.  This should be in a binder or booklet along with other important paperwork
• Before you leave the office ensure that the on-call binder is complete so that you have everything you need in case you have to go out on a call
• Have the appropriate supervisor's contact information so that you can consult with them on calls
• For potentially dangerous situations inform the police and make a plan to meet with them before going to the home
• If your agency uses an after hours safety call centre, inform them when you are going out and give them the address
• Before you are on-call consult with your colleagues and supervisor if there is anything additional or important you need to know about being on-call.  Also ask for a copy of the agency on-call protocol before your first shift
• Before and after your period of being on-call try and get as much rest as possible since there could be several nights where you do not get enough sleep
• If you can choose, do not take too many on-call shifts in a row since this will burn you out
• If it is mandatory that you be on-call for a long period of time, try and negotiate times each month etc when you will NOT be on-call since again, you do not want to burn out
• Ensure that you have all the necessary training first before going-on call.  If you are missing some important and necessary training speak to your supervisor beforehand to see if you can attend it

Being on call is not easy, especially since it's pretty impossible to make plans during that period.  You also have to wrestle with possibility of putting in a full day's work during the night and then having to work another full day the next morning.  Do not be hard on yourself if you are tired, make mistakes or are working a little slower.  Remember, social workers are not superhuman!