A student asks in The Independent today: I will be finishing a BA in public service management in December, and would like to go into social work, but I have been told a Masters degree is the only way. Is this right? Or does my (relevant) degree give me a shortcut?
It's a good question, but I found the advice slightly misleading.
It explains the Masters route, then says: "The only way to circumvent [the two-year full-time Masters programme] is to secure a role as a trainee social worker, in which case you will be seconded to a relevant course and will be learning while earning a reasonable salary."
The word "circumvent" implies that there is a route into social work that does not involve completing a degree. But a degree is required before you can register as a social worker with the General Social Care Council or similar bodies in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
I have been working for the Youth Offending Team now for the past ten years and believe that people who want to work in this profession should not bother doing the three-year social work degree, staying up studying until the wee hours, taking on a government loan that takes the rest of your life to repay, joining the GSCC whose only purpose seems to be to halt people from doing what they love with no bonuses, no magazine, no badge of pride, no support.
Within Youth Offending Teams, one can do a NVQ 4 and receive all the joys of a fully qualified Social Worker without the Government loan, or the chance of being struck off by the GSCC. They can and indeed have go into management and even supervisory roles as senior practitioner.
I have just finished an NVQ 4 and am thinking of putting my social work qualification on hold and using my NVQ. In this way I save £30 a year, and can practice with out the risk of being struck off. I also do not have to do update training each year.
Is this the way forward to make our profession more professional? Is this what the Government means when it states that it is downgrading on consultation to save money. Is it a wonder that more and more children are being put at risk?
hi i have an interview for trainnee social worker degree programme anybody any idea what type of questions they ask
Hi Grice,
This sounds like a good question for our career clinic, which is running throughout June. Click on the link below, post your question and a representative from Brighton and Hove Council will get back to you.
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/carespace/forums/do-you-have-questions-about-your-careers-7575.aspx#30550
Kirsty
Hi Grice,
This sounds like a good question for our career clinic, which is running throughout June. Click on the link below, post your question and a representative from Brighton and Hove Council will get back to you.
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/carespace/forums/do-you-have-questions-about-your-careers-7575.aspx#30550
Kirsty