23.9.18

Blog 9 Thing 8 Facebook

In the workplace as an organisation and young persons tool

Although we didn't use Facebook as an organisation for self promotion or comment on policy or current issues for reasons high lighted in Blog 7, I set up a Facebook account for a new lived experience mentoring project to help explain the project and recruit volunteers with the right experience. Since it was about reaching a wide audience of potential recruits it was Public and designed to reach our target group who we recognized as potential Facebook users - young adult care leavers and those with more general life experience of disadvantage. I was instrumental in this on behalf of the charity and ensuring that posts were respectful to the group we were trying to help - this was given over by me to our information worker so mainly updates were about how the project was getting on but not sharing data about beneficiaries. We closed the account after approximately 9 months because it needed a fresh approach and it had become evident that recruitment through local networks and word of mouth was more successful in  the follow through. At the time I had the intention of setting up  a closed group for those engaged in the mentoring program. We did not get to that point with the mentors because I left but since then a group of service users are looking at setting up a mutual interest closed group using Facebook as they feel they can relate to that rather than the blog they are doing. The worker involved has spoken with me and is planning a course in preparation for this initiative and is interested in using some of the material in this Thing about Facebook groups and their features which I have shared.

My reason for progressing slowly with Facebook is because projects working with young people spend a great deal of time helping them exercise controls and / or engaging with social media in responsible ways - for example, the group mentioned above has potential for ideas generation and enhancing commitment but equally based on experience could generate group bullying when emotions are running high. My colleague and I have experience of this happening when the group members were using their own Facebook to make unpleasant comments. Those working with young people will relate to the sometimes reactive and emotional content of communication and the Facebook closed group is a way of learning to be more measured in dealings with one another. As happened in the past there is still a risk of group content being taken into individuals private account or disagreements being conducted elsewhere. However the worker involved is alert to these risks and comfortable that with good preparation the closed group model is a good way forward. She has studied the material contained in this Thing.

Further to blog 7...........not using Facebook

I did not use Facebook as an organisation initially (I was the CEO) for reasons of scale (growing from 1 to 42 workers plus volunteers at the highest point) and on the advice of the Security Manager (external). The Board endorsed that decision because we were not in a position to manage input. We updated that decision and set up a Facebook Account in the organisations name as identified above when I was able to appoint a part time information-research officer who could assist in the ongoing work. As part of the IT suite of policies I updated & endorsed by the Board, my training engaged with workers and young people in use of social media as outlined blog 7 so there was knowledge of Facebook. We were not disadvantaged as an organisation by not using Facebook and used Linked In as and when necessary because it presented fewer potential risks.

As regards workers use of Facebook we did not engage in routine monitoring of workers activity. I am aware that many larger companies do and for I know of workers being terminated for using sick leave inappropriately and posting about it. Updated policies encouraged workers to maintain privacy settings when using social media and refrain from inappropriate content.
Sarah in the down load does not protect herself by giving specific personal information about herself and her choice of pic would attract comment and alienate some. She also makes derogatory remarks about her clients families and uses the post to ventilate about her having to work which would be worrying to her employers and hurtful to service users.  She is commenting inappropriately on professional issues.
When I read this I wondered if our  guidance to staff was sufficiently explicit and having looked again felt it was but wondered whether if I was in the position again, setting up a closed group for the purpose of internal staff exchange might be a positive idea. I am thinking about the professional integration of staff  as well as benefits for the dispersed group and residential workers learning a model that could potentially be developed as part of their after care strategy with young people (although there would still be sensitive issues to overcome about protecting individuality).  The closed group however does provide a safe space that is inclusive, for networking without external distraction  and is much like the early staff portal (Sharepoint ) I set up when our organisation began - though technically more advanced.