For a lot of, power payments are one of the costly family prices – and for these dwelling in power poverty they will really feel overwhelming. At Octopus Vitality, we meet individuals going through a few of life’s hardest challenges, and we do greater than anybody to assist. However we needed to do much more. That’s why we grew to become the primary power firm on the earth to usher in certified social employees.
To search out out extra about in regards to the life-changing assist they supply, we spoke with Katie, our Head of Service for Social Work, and her colleagues Kaylie and Kiana in regards to the distinction they’re making day by day.
Katie knew she needed to be a social employee from the age of seven. A faculty good friend’s social employee left an enduring impression when she noticed them drawing with chalk on the driveway. “In my head, I believed, ‘Social employees get to play with children and draw on driveways—I need to try this!’ From that second, I used to be set on my path,” she stated.
“I’ve now been certified for almost 14 years,” Katie shared. “After all, the fact of the job may be very totally different from what I imagined at seven. It’s a lot greater than I anticipated—in methods which were each difficult and rewarding.”
Katie grew to become Octopus Vitality’s first social employee in 2022 after stumbling throughout an social employee FB group – now, she leads a crew of eight, with their latest member having joined simply final week.
Sitting down with the Octopus social employees
I had a chat with Katie, Kiana and Kaylie to seek out out extra about how they assist prospects by means of the hardest circumstances.
Samsam: Many individuals won’t know what it means to be a social employee at an power firm. How would you guys describe your position?
Katie: I like to think about social employees as bridge builders, standing alongside individuals as they navigate challenges like poverty, psychological well being struggles, or household points. Typically, we’re lifeguards diving into crises; different instances, we’re engineers crafting sustainable, long-term options.
We take a holistic strategy, trying past power payments to know what’s actually occurring in somebody’s life. For instance…
We helped a pensioner struggling financially who wasn’t claiming any advantages he was entitled to. Throughout a house go to, we found a pile of unopened letters—one in all which was a couple of missed hip operation from two years in the past.
We helped him get that again on monitor, did his pension credit score utility, and even supported him in his aim to change into a taxi driver after his hip surgical procedure.
Kaylie: “We use our abilities in having significant conversations, listening with out judgment, and serving to individuals really feel heard. Lots of our prospects are coping with life challenges, like being identified with most cancers or experiencing home abuse, and our job is to determine how we can assist them.”
Kaylie’s journey into social work began at 17. Uncertain of her path after leaving faculty, she discovered herself working at a difficult behaviors unit for younger adults with studying disabilities and autism. Since then, her profession has taken her throughout a wide range of roles, from youngsters’s incapacity companies to psychological well being assist. “It’s been extremely rewarding to see the constructive modifications in individuals’s lives”.
Samsam: How did the social work position come about at Octopus?
Kiana: The position emerged as a result of we noticed the vulnerabilities of sure prospects, and our CEO, Greg Jackson had his personal experiences with social employees rising up. We began small and noticed a constructive impression instantly. Over time, it grew to become clear that having social employees in all workplaces would profit our prospects.
One of many crew’s early hires, Kiana, had spent a decade working within the NHS and native authority earlier than she determined it was time for a change. “The fixed challenges—lack of assets and excessive demand—have been carrying me down. I used to be at a degree the place I used to be contemplating leaving the career altogether,” she admitted.
However she wasn’t prepared to surrender her ardour for supporting individuals. “I needed to discover a totally different manner of serving to others, however in a setting that aligned with my social work values,” she stated. That’s when she stumbled throughout a social work position at Octopus Vitality.
Kaylie: There’s an enormous connection between debt and psychological well being and Octopus recognises that. So, bringing social work into an power firm is smart – it’s typically one of the simplest ways to assist susceptible prospects.
The crew’s memorable moments at Octopus:
Katie: Typically it is the little issues. Throughout one go to, we seen somebody was struggling to rise up from their chair, which made answering the door a problem. We organized for aids and diversifications together with a greater chair, which considerably improved their high quality of life. Typically, individuals don’t realise this assist is out there—or that it’s free.
Kiana: Just lately, I helped an aged woman who was discharged from the hospital, solely to seek out that she had no fuel or electrical energy. She had misplaced her prepayment key so we obtained her a brand new one. I randomly known as her to test in just a few days later, and he or she was struggling to breathe. I known as 111, and he or she was taken again to the hospital. It was a scary second, however I used to be so glad I known as once I did. She’s now getting the assist she wants.
Kaylie: One memorable expertise was visiting a 94-year-old girl who was struggling together with her power payments. She had no thought why her payments have been rising and was actually annoyed as a result of she couldn’t perceive her account. We paid her a go to to elucidate her payments and e found that her outdated heating system was costing her some huge cash so we discovered an answer for her. It’s these moments that remind me why social work is so necessary—serving to individuals really feel supported and cared for.
Samsam: How do instances normally come to your crew?
Katie: Most instances are flagged by power specialists, who converse to prospects day by day. If a buyer shares that they’re struggling, they could escalate it to us in the event that they really feel the next stage {of professional} assist is required. We then assess the state of affairs and determine how finest to proceed—whether or not that’s a telephone name, a video chat, or perhaps a residence go to.
Here is one of many many grateful emails the crew will get each week.
Samsam: What does a typical day seem like for you?
Katie: Daily is totally different, however it normally begins with supporting employees members or prospects. As an illustration, a employees member may be serving to a buyer experiencing home abuse and wish steerage. Lots of what we do is de-escalating crises. For instance, we typically get calls from prospects who’re considering suicide. Earlier than we arrange our crew, the protocol was to name an ambulance or the police, however we take a extra private strategy in addition to contacting the precise authorities. This fashion, they do not need to face a distressing police go to earlier than seeing a social employee. They arrive to us instantly, so we are able to get to the basis of the problem and assist them really feel higher and safer.
Kaylie: The fantastic thing about our crew is that all of us have totally different backgrounds — from youngsters and households to psychological well being, so we are able to pool our information to make sure individuals get the precise assist.
Folks typically really feel ashamed once they attain out about debt, considering there’s no manner out. However by acknowledging that they’ve taken step one, we are able to make an actual distinction. We’re in a position to assist them not simply with their power debt, but in addition with different wants they could not even learn about. It’s not nearly power; it’s about providing holistic assist.
Samsam: What would you say is probably the most rewarding and fulfilling a part of your work?
Many individuals anticipate there to be a catch or that firms solely act out of revenue, however we’re targeted on doing the precise factor. It’s fulfilling to know we work for a genuinely caring and moral organisation.
Kaylie: For me, it is seeing the constructive change in individuals’s lives, particularly once they cannot see it for themselves. Usually, individuals come to us once they’re going through powerful challenges, like poor psychological well being, housing points, or debt. As a social employee, I maintain onto hope for them and assist them take steps towards a brighter future. Once they finally stand on their very own two toes and are grateful for the assist they’ve obtained, it is superb. The outcomes might be life-changing.
It’s superb to be a part of one thing that’s nonetheless rising and evolving. We’re not simply serving to individuals with power payments; we’re supporting them by means of among the hardest instances of their lives.
Samsam: How do you assist one another as a crew, by means of a few of these emotionally powerful moments?
For the primary time in my profession, I really feel protected at Octopus.
Katie
Kaylie: We could also be unfold out throughout totally different places, however we’re at all times in contact, whether or not it’s by means of common conferences or Slack huddles. If there’s a posh case, we share info and collaborate on how finest to assist somebody. It’s good to know we’re by no means alone in these powerful conditions. We additionally meet in individual for coaching and team-building, so despite the fact that we’re distant, we nonetheless get loads of alternatives to attach.
Katie: We actually assist one another, and security is vital. In contrast to loads of locations, we give attention to individuals over paperwork. We do danger assessments and at all times do visits in two’s for our personal security, which is extraordinary in our sector. We’re an actual crew.
Samsam: What recommendation would you give to somebody concerned about an identical position?
Kiana: Having earlier social work expertise has been extremely useful. Understanding processes and the way totally different departments and native authorities work is vital. You additionally should be adaptable and resilient – issues change shortly right here!
Katie: I feel it’s worthwhile to carry loads of empathy and resilience to the job. Good communication is vital, as is the power to actually hear and validate individuals’s emotions. You may have to have the ability to maintain area for individuals, going by means of tough circumstances.
Kaylie: In case you’re empathetic, an excellent listener, and able to assist individuals, social work is a superb profession.
It’s a tricky however extremely rewarding job. and there might be moments if you’re pushed in methods you didn’t anticipate. However the impression you possibly can have on individuals’s lives is big. Whether or not it is serving to households keep collectively or guiding somebody by means of a tricky monetary state of affairs, the change you see might be life-changing.
Kaylie
Samsam: Does Octopus present any further assist to prospects?
Katie: Sure, by means of the Octo Help Fund, we assist prospects with issues like electrical blankets, meals vouchers, and even winter gasoline funds. For instance, when the federal government minimize winter gasoline funds for pensioners, we made certain to pay those that have been lacking out. The social employees helped determine these prospects and supplied monetary assist to make sure they might keep heat by means of the winter.
