Toyin Adenugba-Okpaje

My name is Oluwatoyin (Toyin) Adenugba-Okpaje. I’m a social worker employed by The West Lothian Council (WLC) in the Older People’s Team (Care Homes Collaborative and Support Team). I work with other health, allied, and social service professionals to meet the needs of people resident in Care/Nursing Homes in WLC. I’m registered with the SSSC as a social worker. I am also an Academic Tutor with The University of Edinburgh.

I worked in care at home for 15 years in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and latterly Scotland in different roles such as care coordinator, support worker, and services manager. I decided to change direction and pursue a career in social work in 2015. This was to build on my existing skills and provide an opportunity to make meaningful interventions in the lives of people facing complex and sometimes conflicting difficulties.

There is no typical day in my line of work. I adapt my day to suit the needs of the individuals/care homes on my caseload. It could be completing a needs assessment for someone with care and support needs, organising and conducting a duty to inquire (DTI) investigation, contributing to an adult support and protection case conference or large-scale investigation (LSI), or completing a care home review. I mostly have an 8-6 work pattern over four days.

My work experience in care at home helps me manage my workload to ensure a work-life balance. Care at home was quite stressful especially when trying to manage visits, staff availability, and rotas but I developed organisational skills which are helpful in my current career. As a single parent of four young adults, I now work with more flexible timetables and routines. These continue to be of help in managing my daily to-do list.

I qualified as a sociologist in Nigeria in 1989 and since then I have picked up other qualifications such as Postgraduate Diplomas in Business Studies and Social Studies, a Masters in Social Work (MSW), and a Doctorate in Social Work among others. I enjoy studying alongside practice and despite always saying I won’t do it again, I find that I get bored and then start looking at other qualifications I can acquire.

As a Dementia and Carer Champion, I am working on initiatives to improve support provided to those living with dementia, so they can have a life that does not restrict their hopes. Walking alongside people on the dementia journey to remove the obstacles they face is important. They need empathic practice to recognise their difficulties without using these to further disable them.

I like the ability to make a difference in people’s lives especially when they are expecting the social worker to be an inconvenience. It’s always humbling when the walls come down and people share their fears. I enjoy the phone calls when a relationship of trust develops, and these individuals consult with me about personal issues they believe I can help with.

As a researcher, I also have an interest in the experiences of mothers who have been in the care of the state. I am hoping to look at their outcomes and the legacy of social work.

I do not like the amount of time spent trying to develop a budget that will meet a need. This is less compelling in my present role.

Social work is not as bad as you hear in the media. It is rewarding and you get to make a big difference in the lives of people struggling with one difficulty or the other.

It is an honour to have the opportunity to help people achieve outcomes they might otherwise not be able to achieve.