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A senior lecturer and admissions tutor for social work at Anglia Polytechnic University, Clare Seymour's teaching interests include communication and interviewing skills and the legal context of social work. Before joining Anglia she had experience of local authority social work, most recently in child care.

Until recently few attempts have been made to market social work as a career. The government claims to have had some success in increasing the number of applicants for social work training by adopting a new approach to advertising and introducing the bursary scheme. But evidence from a survey of current social work students suggests these measures alone may not provide a quick fix.

Last December, three months into their social work degree, 112 full-time and part-time students at Anglia Polytechnic University completed questionnaires.

Four-fifths had been thinking about social work as a career for more than a year before applying for the course, while more than a third had been considering it for more than four years, suggesting a need for more medium to long-term marketing strategies.

The main factor in deciding to apply for social work training was previous work experience, followed by a desire to make a difference to disadvantaged people or to take up a rewarding and challenging career.

The remaining 37 per cent of students gave a wide variety of reasons, including having a disabled child, a family tragedy, being impressed by social workers in action and being brought up within a dysfunctional family. Not a single student felt that advertising had influenced their decision to apply.

Most students were prompted to apply when they reached a particular stage in their personal circumstances, such as having children in full-time education or completing an access course. The bursary was mentioned only once, although an employer's offer of sponsorship had encouraged 8 per cent of students.

Having decided to apply for the course, 90 per cent of students found it easy to obtain the necessary information. For nearly half, Anglia Polytechnic University was the main source of that information. Practising social workers, employers and college tutors were the nextmost important founts of information.

Practising social workers who present a positive view of the profession are clearly a valuable marketing tool, as are colleagues in further education colleges. The Social Work Admissions System, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and careers advisers were used by about 20 per cent of the students, but the General Social Care Council was mentioned by only six students.

Ironically, less than a third of respondents were aware of the government's national recruitment campaign, which raises questions about the value for money it represents.

Those who knew of the campaign rated it most effective in providing information about what social workers do and how to access training. They judged it least effective in improving the public image of social workers and providing information about pay and conditions - the two factors seen as crucial in encouraging more people to take up a career in social work.

The single biggest factors that encouraged students to apply for a course were personal determination (21 per cent) and a desire to become qualified (9 per cent). Again, the bursary hardly featured - it was mentioned by only two students. What discouraged people from applying were the admissions interview, the paperwork involved in the application and financial pressures, including child care costs.

Nearly 40 per cent of students had seriously considered giving up their aim of qualifying in social work. The most common reasons given were the demands of the programme and financial pressures. A minority of students also expressed apprehension about the demands of social work as a career, including bureaucracy and personal risk.

Those who were more likely to have considered giving up were the 42 per cent who started their course feeling they had no realistic knowledge of the nature of social work. Nearly 80 per cent liked the idea of short planning or taster courses to give information about what social workers do and the training requirements.


The Guardian was the most popular daily newspaper, read by 50 per cent of students, followed by the Daily Mail, read by more than a fifth. Least popular were the Independent, Daily Express, Sun, The Times and Daily Telegraph, each read by 6 per cent or fewer. A quarter did not read a daily newspaper at all.

Finally, students were asked how more people might be encouraged to consider social work as a career. Unsurprisingly, more than half thought higher pay would make the most difference, followed closely by better media coverage and public image.

Other suggestions included more funding for training, effective support and supervision in the workplace and better working conditions. There was also support for more careers information in schools and more public awareness of what social workers do.

Key study findings    

• 40 per cent of social work students were motivated by prior work experience. 
• More than a third had spent more than four years considering doing a course. 
• Advertising had not influenced any student to apply. 
• Only 3 per cent of students mentioned the bursary as an incentive. 
• More than two-thirds of students were unaware of the government's recruitment campaign. 
• Government advertising was considered ineffective in improving the public image of social workers. 
• Nearly 40 per cent of students had seriously considered giving up. 
• More than 40 per cent felt that at the start of the course they had not understood what social workers do. 
• A quarter did not read a daily newspaper. 
• The Guardian was the most popular newspaper among social work students, followed by the Daily Mail. 
• Higher pay and a better media/public image would encourage people to consider social work as a career.   

Abstract

A survey of students following social work qualifying courses at Anglia Polytechnic University shows that advertising and the new bursary scheme have had little effect on students' desire to train for social work. Previous work experience was the biggest motivator, while the most common reasons for dropping out were the demands of the programme and financial pressures.

Furhter information

The General Social Care Council at: www.gscc.org.uk
www.socialworkcareeers.co.uk
www.socialworkstudent.co.uk 

Contact details

The full survey report can be obtained from Clare Seymour, senior lecturer in social work, Anglia Polytechnic University, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford CM1 1UH. Phone: 01245 493131 ext 4755. E-mail c.v.seymour@apu.ac.uk