It was a Saturday afternoon and Sam had just found the wallet and bag she wanted on offer in the sales. She added both to her basket and was getting her card to pay when she heard her work mobile beep: she’d received a message. She had a strict policy of turning her work mobile off during weekends but realised she had forgotten to do so. While she was typing her PIN, she received another beep for a WhatsApp message; Sam uses WhatsApp to keep in touch with the young people she works with. She was concerned and wondered if she should check the messages. Sam's employer had no written policy about use of WhatsApp or any other social media and she had not seen any specific guidance from her employer about communicating with the young people she supported out of hours, but it went against her own rule of setting clear boundaries around her work and turning her work mobile off during weekends. While these thoughts were going through her head there was yet another beep. It felt strange to receive three messages one after another so Sam decided to check. She was shaken when she realised that those messages were from Jo, a young person she was supporting, telling her that she was going to kill herself. Sam responded immediately, trying to help and contain the difficult emotions Jo was experiencing. Sam was able to engage Jo in conversation and Jo was sectioned later that afternoon. This was a serious crisis and Sam was shaken all weekend. On Monday, in a one-to-one meeting with her manager, she was told that she should not use her work mobile during weekends and when she is not on duty. She was reminded of how her actions could blur professional boundaries and result in professional liability for her and her local authority.

Take a moment to reflect on Sam's experience and consider what you would have done if you found yourself in a similar situation. Would you read the messages? Did Sam do the right thing? How about if you were Sam's manager? How would you have discussed this situation with Sam?