After a long day filled with meetings, paperwork, more meetings and a bit more paperwork, you could be forgiven for questioning why you chose to enter the career you’re currently in.
This article is part of Community Care’s Stand up for Social Work campaign. We’re standing up for social work by being honest, offering support and providing inspiration.For our Stand Up For Social Work campaign, we asked a group of social workers to reflect on the reason they became a social worker and what led them into their careers.
So take a minute, put down the paperwork and today’s 17th coffee and think: Why did you become a social worker?
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I have been a service user and my social worker helped me completley turn my life around and made me believe in myself. I want to be able to use my experience and have the same impact on at least one other person in my life/career. As I know how important and valuable it can be to have just one person who believes in you. I am a strong believer in equality of opportunity regardless of background and diversity and I cannot wait to implement that in my work.
I work with people. I do not care for the title “Social Worker” simple.
Perhaps this is the problem with the question “Why did you train?” Why did i train – it was not to become a social worker, but the language and the skills of the degree were requirements that I needed in order to better use my self as a resource for those that need my insight, knowledge, energy etc. To me over the years you know yourself you can contribute better to your community if you are better trained. I chose social work over becoming a Priest.
Altruism is a fallacy we all do things for something however the social work label makes it very clear that I work to a prepared script. Labelling people social workers is in my view laudable but if it helps to empower vulnerable people then i accept this lesser evil.
My answer is simple if you took away the protected title “social worker” there would still be a need for people whom have a social conscience whatever you call them to want to be involved with their communities.