Dissertation - Please Help - 'Do young Social Workers Face Age Discrimination'

Hi,

I am a final year Social Work student currently completing my dissertation my topic is: 'Do Young Social Workers Face Age Discrimination?'

I would really appreciate people's views and oppinions on this...as there is no exsisting research on this.

I also have created 2 questionnaires one for social workers/social worker students who qualified at the ages of 18-25yrs or students between 18-25years. The Link is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YT5PBPY

The other questionnaire is for social work lectures and or social work tutors etc that work with or have worked with younger social workers - 18-25yrs. The Link is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YXX3QQK

Thanks in advance

Anna Attah

 

 

 

 

 

• Filed under: social workers, practice teachers, practice assessors, student, GSCC, Teachers, newly-qualified social workers, age discrimination, Social work degree, local authority, newly qualified social workers, nqsw, research, independent social workers, supervision, discrimination, Royal College of Social Work, young people, graduates

I am 35 , so I;ll say No to your question.

Remember that guy on TV (a young social worker aged 21) that couldnt cope with his job.

people younger than me are working as social workers with no experience . I think I am facing the discrimination.

 

i too am not young - 33 so cant answer with "user experience" but you could look at other careers such as teaching where im pretty certain nqt's get paid less - this means that they will fairly regularly be chosen over someone with a lot of experience (and they are always higher up the pay scale in teaching- you get a pay rise just for being in the job)- dilemmas you could explore as it means nqt's are guaranteed a job but older people get discrimated against.  You could also look at the safeguards that are put in or should be put in for this system - I know that if a school is in special measures then they cannot employ nqt's. 

Rules and regulations always exclude people and reduce the choice and flexibility of all systems and Im fairly anti regulation as a result but nqt's are unlikely to struggle getting a job whereas the pages of cc tell a different story for nqsw's.

How many words? its  an invesigative study Im guessing and how are you doing it?

seems a really difficult dissertation that does

jus realised that im actually talking about experience as opposed to age with regards the nqt so ignore all that lol

very funny, seriously. 

But it's a good topic. You can find out more about "if they do get discriminated..." is due to:

1) lack of life/work experience

2). Age gap with other social workers/colleagues

3) service user's views on young social workers

4) different values and beliefs - don't forget some social workers in the profession have different beliefs about social work 

The question is " are we moving forward with social work practice or using old fashion ways of working"? ie an older social worker knows more.? 

 

 

I am older than 30 and a potential student SW. I don't feel discriminated against... I just don't fit the criteria of the "target group". Is there another survey you want answering?

It might be an interesting angle to explore that years ago you could not do a social work qualification until you were 21 (taking you 3 years of study) qualifying at age 24 and if you do what I did take a 'baby year out' you would be 25. I also think doing this degree has added a few wrinkles and think its their mission to stress us out to make us look older too =D

I dont look 18 but I am working with a client group that is older than I am and constantly presuming I am much younger than I look I was even being referred to by one service user as 'the little girl' I am 30 and have children and believe me its a barrier. I dont feel like I should have to tell people my age and the fact that I am a mother to be but if it gets the job done and me taken seriously then I will.

soz 4 typos

I'm in my 30's but it's constantly assumed that I am much younger. Service users do ask my age all the time and seem to be happier when they find out I am older, but it should have no impact anyway and I find it really annoying that I keep having to justify myself etc. However, I think that su's would just find another a problem if I didn't look young, like asking if I have children. I think that they are always going to be looking for reason to dismiss what you are saying, whether it's because you are too young or don't have kids etc.. Now there is another angle where I think that younger sw's can be discriminated against -by other professionals! Ive lost count of the number of conversations I have overheard or been involved in with other workers commenting that someone is immature or too young to really know what their doing etc. There has always been a lot of discussion around the issue if whether there should be a starting age for social workers - 25 etc and the degree has made this worse as people can now come in straight from college and are qualifying at 21, which some people do have an issue with. I remember speaking to younger students when I was at uni and one person saying that they were not very vocal during lectures because they felt that no one took them seriously and they didn't have enough experience ....

I'm 21, and about to graduate. I worked in education services and children's services since my 18th birthday as I had to wait. I have always had the whole 'age' thing to contend with. I can't recall ever having service users make comments, but can give a list of professionals (inc social workers) who I guess you could say have discriminated (some intentionally and others not)

I think I would always be told I don't look my age. Trouble is I can't remember what it is.

I qualified when I was 23 after completeing the Masters. Went straight into Children and Families (children with disabilities and then child protection), I can't say I've ever faced any discrimination despite looking younger than my years (got asked if I was 21 yesterday, Im actually 26).

I remember discussing this with a mate over a pint once, he asked how parents respond to criticism and advice from me where they might be significantly older. My experience is that 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating' - I may look underbaked but families and professionals alike will find that my practice is of a high standard. Being reliable, fair, analytical, compassionate - there is no reason why the acquistion of these skills should be directly linked to age. I also find that it helps if you're transparent about what you can or cannot directly relate to, tell it like it is, I've told a Father quite explicitly 'no, i dont know what its like to be nearing 50 with health problems and having 3 small children running riot in my home - but there are no circumstances under which it is acceptable to for a grown man to beat a small child'. He appreciated my honesty and the fact I wasn't trying to pretend that we're the same, we went on to have a productive conversation from that point - but even if he didn't appreciate it, the most important thing is that I am advocating on behalf of the child and keeping them safe.

If clients of professionals want to make assumptions about me based on my age then fine (although in all honesty I dont think they do), the bottom line is that as long as I have integrity in my practice and Im doing my absolute best to keep children safe and happy then age should not be of any concern.

I am 25, in the middle of my SW degree, but have been working within Adult Social Care since I was 19. Agree with AndyPandy and supersonic - haven't had many comments from service-users (mostly older people) - maybe I haven't aged very well! I agree with thinkpink about the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I don't ever pretend to know exactly what it is like to experience health problems in your 70's/80's/90's - but then, not many social workers do?? (although my generation of SW's may well be working into this age group!). Compassion, empathy, rapport-building etc are skills/qualities that people of all ages can possess and can build on through training. Any comments I have had from s-u's I hope have been refuted by the commitment I have shown to supporting them.

But, as others have said, I have received many comments from co-workers about my age, or about young social workers in general, always citing 'life experience'. I feel it is unfair to speculate about anyone's life experience compared to your own. A young social work student who has come through the care system for example could be considered to have more relevant life experience than a 50 year old student who has never experienced anything like this. What exactly is it that you should have 'experienced' in life to be a better social worker? Younger students than me have faced these kinds of comments from work based supervisors and practice teachers.

And, final point! I am not the youngest person in my course, somewhere in the middle really, but feel the younger people on my course and me to some extent, are more easily 'moulded' in terms of social work values and ethos, maybe sometimes a lack of 'life experience' can be beneficial?

Sorry for long post.

You have chosen a difficult area of social work to research as most of your questions will be answered subjectively. It is ineviable that younger people in social work will feel rightly or wrongly that older colleagues, clients and the general public will be questioning their knowledge and ability to help vulnerable people. As a supervisor for many years it is the ability of a social worker of any age to engage in an open and caring manner that is the most important quality, a willingness to admit when you dont know the answer and take the time to find out. Use supervision to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully to have a supervisor who will give you sufficient freedom to build up your self confidence and will be supportive when you run into difficulties. Obtaining a social work qualification is just the start of a long journey. Know when to say no and set clear boundaries for yourself.

Hi Aattah, I'll do your questionnaire in a minute, hope others have done too.

I qualified at age 22 in the early 1980's, following a four-year combined BA/ CQSW course that had many students older than me on it. Putting it bluntly, my childhood was spent growing up in poverty (no monty python jibes please, they're tiresome when you've actually had to live through it). By the time I got to University, I'd seen more of the real world with all it's dangers, neglect, abuse, domestic violence, substance misuse etc., than I really wanted to - unlike the majority of my fellow students of all ages. When it came to our placements at the end of the first year, the shock in the eyes of some of my older fellow students was sobering. 

To your point, yes I was discriminated against because of my age. However, as others have pointed out, I was able to overcome initial scepticism by the way I approached my work and, hopefully, the quality of that work.

I'm saying that youth versus age isn't the only issue, it's the exposure you've had to the real world that matters - and I don't believe you've had to live it personally. Just being aware of what is really happening out there is far preferable !

Hi Flowergirl2011, i am quite agree with you on the reason which you have given so far into your post and i also thinks that discrimination happens when the other community fails to understand you or your working style or when they just can not accept the way we do work so they always seek any kind of way to put us down. at last same as you said in your post whatever happens we should always try to move forward and  in last i want to say yes question asked by aattah.

i will say yes in response to the question being asked by you but i am also pretty much agree with the post by Flowergirl, reasons she mentioned in that post for age discrimination are quite correct in my view. i also thinks that age discrimination will happen in case when other community does not like the way you work or you can say they people do not like the modern approach.

I suppose we have to be careful about using the word 'discrimination' when it comes to people expressing an opinion about the experience or life experience of young social workers in general. Expressing an opinion in general terms that new entrants into the profession who have more relevant practice and life experience, will generally be better prepared to cope with the diverse range of problems they will encounter, for example, is not discriminatory, it is an informed opinion base on particular experience. Granted, there are some younger entrants who may have a greater range of relevant practice and life experiences than the average 23 to 25 year old but they are the exception.

Younger entrants, themselves, would agree that they will get better and more confident in the job with experience both in practice and in life, but that is not to say they are not competent to do the job to a high standard. Some of the cases which social workers come across can be quite harrowing and I can say now that I can cope with and respond to situations far more confidently at 50 than I could at 28 when I entered the profession [despite having several years experience in the homeless sector before qualifying]

Generally speaking young people of 22 to 25 are not mature enough to work as independently with some of the high stress situations a social worker can encounter, such as coming across suicides on a routine domiciliary or organising an approved social work admission/assessment in a highly volatile and violent domestic situation. Even the police prefer slightly older entrants with a bit more life experience. There is nothing discriminatory in that. Perhaps the older more experience entrant is able to answer hypothetical questions better at interview because they have more experience to draw on?

aattah:

 'Do Young Social Workers Face Age Discrimination?'

I suggest that usage of the term "Young" is, as and of itself problematic.

Me too... For example, Romeo need to recognise that at 33 he's a mere spring chicken...

Age is relative only.

"Generally speaking young people of 22 to 25 are not mature enough to work as independently with some of the high stress situations a social worker can encounter, such as coming across suicides on a routine domiciliary or organising an approved social work admission/assessment in a highly volatile and violent domestic situation. Even the police prefer slightly older entrants with a bit more life experience. There is nothing discriminatory in that. Perhaps the older more experience entrant is able to answer hypothetical questions better at interview because they have more experience to draw on?"

That is very narrow minded and negative view of younger social workers.  I am 26 and qualified last year.  I work in the busiest children and families team in my city and so far have been able to deal with situtations just as well as my 40 year old newly qualified workmate.  You should not make assumptions about what people do and do not know based on their age.  I have met 50 year old social workers who cannot present important information to other professionals or who have an inability to directly address issues with parents for fear of their reaction.