Do you have questions about how to go about finding your first social work job? Or if you are already a social worker, how to make the step up to a more senior role? Or do you want to find out a little bit more about what it is like working for a local authority?
Throughout June, Brighton and Hove City Council will be answering your career questions here in the Careers section of CareSpace. All you have to do is post a question on this thread or anywhere in the Careers section and representative of the council will get back to you. Make the most of it!
CareSpace support
Hi Simeon2,
I am a newly qualified & Registered social worker. I have completed my Master's degree in social work from India. I have made my mind to come to UK to practice Social Work. I have very basic information of Social Work in UK.
I need help regarding how to find a job in UK and would like to sharpen my axe to get in to it, precisely in the childrens & Families service.
I look forward for your valuable inputs in how to get start and what kind of specialization is required for e.g. Legislations...
Thanks in advance.......
Hi there,
I am on the same board. I finished my degree in Poland and went for 3 jobs interviews and nothing. every time I can hear very positive feedback but .... no .
where are you looking for a job?
Some advice for those of us applying for our first jobs in social work would be good.
For example, how to fill in the application forms most effectively and present our skills and experience well, if there's not much of it following placements.
And what to do if you've not had any direct experience in an area required for the job- such as planning care packages within certain financial limits- in my placement within a CMHT, I've not had to do this at all, yet some of the jobs I've considered have it as an essential criteria on the forms. How can I get round this?
And then, how to prepare most effectively for interviews. I've had loads of job interviews over the years, but never for social work, and so I'm quite nervous and I'm sure I'm not the only one!
Thanks for your questions - a representative from Brighton will be picking them up from Tuesday.
Do feel free to post any more careers questions or queries.
I am currently on placement in an Assessment Team and luck enough i had a job interview for a job in another LA and I got the job, this was also my first interview but my point is, i made sure i spoke to a number of social worker and got advise on the type of questions they could ask me at the interview then i prepared myself for the interview.
I made sure i was aware of the legislations used in social care and the current legislation such as working together documents and spoke at length about assessment framework. I ensured I spoke about my values, ethics and equality and diversity. I spoke about anti oppressive and anti discriminatory practice. They asked my reason of wanting to be a social worker and why this particular borough. There was also a service user present who asked me a number of questions. I also ensured in my personal statement I covered all the person specification and more.
My point is that ensure your personal statement is good and even if your interview didn’t go as well, your statement will support your application and whether you get the job or not, always as for feedback. Make sure you know about the role and LA your applying too.
Hi,
I have been qualified for nearly a year now but have not been able to get a social work job, so I have been doing temporary housing support roles. During my course I completed two voluntary placements and am finding that most jobs are asking for statutory experience even if that is as a student, I have not been able to get as far as the interview stage. So would be grateful for some advice in getting my first job.
Thanks
Hi
I have been working as a qualified social worker for 2 and a half years and would like to make that step up in my career to a senior practitioner
My questions are:
1. There seems to be very little scope for social workers to progress unless they want to go into management, which isn't the path all of us want to take. Can you tell me what scope there is for progression and how this is done? I'm aware of the PQ, however there's a huge waiting list in my team and I'll be lucky to get on it by 2015
2. what is the difference between a social worker and a senior practitioner? As in my LA there doesn't seem to be that much difference. I thought that senior prac held more complex cases? however this doesn't appear to be so in my LA, the only difference I can see is that if the manager and team leader are not available (which is very rare) then social workers can ask senior pracs for guidance
thanks
I am a student social worker and will be finishing my degree at end of June 2011, My question is when would be the best time to start applying for my first job?
''Those who imprison themselves within the confines of one model only have the perspective of the keyhole''
As a newly qualified SW how do I progress to level one status? Can this status be achieved outside of SW?
Thanks in Advance
I am currently applying for a newly qualified position within children and families. I do not really know what area of children and families would suit my skills best. Should I work in a duty team or long term teams with children in need and CP? I do understand the differences within these roles but would appreciate some feedback into the skills needed for each team.
Thank you
hello, I have been qualified for 5 years and have worked within children and families teams since that time, initially as a permant worker for 2 1/2 years and as a agency worker, however I have been with the same LA for 2 1/2 years as a agency worker .
I am currently considering once again becoming a perment employee however would like to specalise (child protection & sexual abuse) however roles in my current authority are ill defined between sw and snr prac and the oppourtunities are not currently available outside of sw, snr prac or TM posts.
I would like some advice on how to progress without going down the PQ management route, oppourtunities available, advice on specialising etc
thank you
I have a chance to join the 'Step-up' to Social Work masters course but I am worried that I am giving up a 29 year government career with no guarantee of a job at the end of the course.
My question is whether the odds are good of finding a job in social work at the end of the 18 month masters course?
Thanks.
Hi!
I'm a qualified social worker, but took 8yrs out to raise my family. I worked in the Older Peoples Team and would like to get work in an adult team, but had no luck so far. Most of the jobs going seem to be in Children's services, and any adult teams seem to be full time. I can only do part time due to my family commitments. I feel like I have a lot to offer, but just need that lucky break. I've been told by one agency, I should look for a permanent post as in agency social work post you are expected to hit the ground running - but there aren't any permanent post out there either! Any ideas?
Hi, I have a place on the social work MA. I just wondered what advice you would give to someone starting out on the training to ensure they get the best out of the 2 years and maximise the chances of getting a good job at the end of it?
Hi Sim12,
I found your opening statement very suprising. There are at least 9000 social work vacancies across the UK so I find it very difficult to believe you are a fully qualified social worker struggling to get a job. Just type 'social work jobs indeed' on google (indeed.co.uk) and have a look. Wish you all the best in your search.
Hi Samim,
Thanks for your question and I am able to offer you some initial advice.
To work in the UK, social workers who have qualified abroad need to be registered as a social worker with the appropriate social care workforce regulator. These are:
England - General Social Care Council (GSCC) www.gscc.org.uk
Wales - Care Council for Wales (CCW) www.ccwales.org.uk
Scotland - Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) www.sssc.uk.com
Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) www.niscc.info
It is hard to generalise about the next steps as each regulator has their own guidelines on how social workers who have qualified abroad go about registering with them and their own Codes of Practice that social workers have to abide by. For example, the GSCC and CCW both expect social workers to have completed a minimum of 200 practice placement days as part of your social work qualification, whilst the SSSC expects you to have completed 160 practice placement days.
It is also worth noting that it costs to register with a regulator - see their websites for details - and they have requirements about re-registration and ongoing professional development once registered.
Once registered, you can apply for social work jobs in that country but you will need to get up to speed with the legislation for that country - legislation in Scotland is different to the legislation in the rest of the UK.
It is important for any social worker going into an interview to be able to demonstrate that they are familiar with the relevant legislation. Of course you can always read up on legislation in the UK - for social work with Children and Young people in England and Wales the legislation to start with is:
Children Act 1989
Children Act 2004
Children Act 2008
Adoption and Children Act 2002
Some employers will have a programme of training for social workers who have qualified abroad and once recruited this programme would get you up to speed with legislation, working practices, IT systems etc. If not and you want to do a course to bring you up to speed on legislation then this is going to cost you, I'm afraid. There are dozens of training providers and Universities that provide courses for social workers and I am not able to recommend or endorse any one in particular, but you could research this through the internet.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Hi Orchid,
Have a look at my reply to Samim on this thread.
I hope this helps and good luck!
Hi queenb,
The golden rule when applying for any job is to make sure you address all of the criteria in the job/person specification. Applications are usually scored on the basis of how well you meet each of the criteria and those who meet all and/or the majority of the criteria score the highest and are invited to interview. You need to give examples of how your skills, knowledge and experience demonstrate you meet the criteria and I'd recommend using the criteria as headings in your application - this makes it much easier for the person reading your application.
You cannot 'get around' essential criteria when you do not have relevant experience, instead you should consider transferable experience - the key is to think laterally. For example, you may not have experience of planning care packages within financial limits but you have experience of reviewing care packages and you may also have experience of budget management in another context (e.g. being responsible for a budget in a previous job or for a community sports or social club) that demonstrates you can manage resources within financial limits.
It is always worth applying for jobs even when you are not sure you meet all the criteria. It may be that no-one meets all the criteria and you are short-listed for interview and at worst if you are not short-listed you can ask for feedback on the reasons why so you can develop your application skills for the next time.
When preparing for an interview the first thing to realise is no-one is trying to catch you out! Questions will be developed from the job/person specification criteria. In the case of social work interviews this will cover such things as relevant legislation, assessment skills, anti-discriminatory practice, policies and procedures, referrals and integrated working etc. In the case of Brighton & Hove City Council we would also give you a case study when you arrive for the interview, give you time to read and absorb this and then in the interview ask questions based on the case study to explore the kinds of things listed above and give you a chance to demonstrate critical thinking, reflective practice, professional judgement etc.
Hope this helps and good luck with your job applications!
Hi sim12,
Before we go any further, let's be clear that even if both your placements were in a voluntary organisation setting you would have to have undertaken statutory social work tasks to meet the National Occupational Standards. It would not be possible for you to qualify without undertaking statutory social work tasks in placement, so you do have some statutory experience. What you do not have is experience of working for a local authority and I do accept that some local authority employers may prefer applicants who have experience (even during practice placement) of working in a local authority.
When applying for jobs with local authorities it is important to reflect on the statutory tasks you carried out when on placement in the voluntary sector and show how these are transferable to the skills, knowledge and experience required for the social work post you are applying for (for more advice on applying for jobs and preparing for interviews, have a look at my post to queenb on this thread).
You might also want to consider joining a Social Work agency? This is likely to give you an opportunity to broaden your experience in statutory, local authority settings and moving around different types of teams has the added bonus of giving you a chance to try out a few jobs/teams before identifying the type of work you want to specialise in.
I hope this helps and wish you better luck with your job hunt in future.
Hi jelly_tot04,
Limited progression routes for social workers have long been an issue. In many organisations the only other opportunity outside progression into management would be to undertake additional qualifications (PQ Enabling Learning/Practice Teaching qualifications) to develop skills as a practice educator of qualifying social work students and/or PQ students in childrens services. Although, development of these skills is very valuable, I acknowlegde that this is more an opportunity to develop additional skills than an actual progression route.
Progress is often reliant on accessing the PQ award and it is unfortunate that access to PQ is so limited where you currently work. At Brighton & Hove City Council we are committed to supporting all social worker professionals, from NQSW's to experienced social workers, to Senior Social Workers and Managers to access modules from the PQ Specialist and Higher Specialist Awards.
If you work in children and young people services the CWDC is planning to roll out Advanced Social Work Professional status and you can find out more by going to http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/social-work/career-framework-for-social-workers. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any plans for an equivalent for social workers in adults services. In mental health services the role of Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) is a progression route for social workers.
Beyond the practice educator role I think it is true to say of most organisations that management is the only route available. The Social Work Task Force (http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/swtf/) and recently published Social Work Reform Programme (http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/swrb/) are seeking to address this over the next few years with the introduction of a national career structure that creates new job roles for social workers to specialise as a 'Practice Educator' or 'Advanced Professional'. Some employers are already piloting similar career structures. Employers have yet to be consulted on this new career structure, so there may be some changes but current thinking is that these new roles will be at the same grade as Social Work Manager roles and the new structure in place in organisations from 2014 onwards.
There are lots of differences in job descriptions for Senior Practitioners across different local authorities. Generally, Senior Practitioners have been qualified for four years or more and have built up a range and depth of experience in their area of work and often take on more complex cases. For example, for Senior Practitioners in Children’s Services complex court work might make up the majority of their case load. In some Local Authorities, such as Brighton & Hove, Senior Practitioners (or Senior Social Workers as we call them) might also take on a mentoring and education function within their Teams. This might include contributing to multi-agency safeguarding training, mentoring newly qualified social workers, or acting as Practice Educators for social work students.
I hope this has been helpful.
Hi somewhereovertherainbow,
As ever this is a little difficult to answer. Instinctively I would advise you to start applying for jobs from December 2010 onwards but you may want to wait until you have got a little more experience under your belt in your second practice placement. And of course it's quite possible that your host for your second placement will encourage you to apply for a job with them!
It's worth starting to look around now and get a feel for employers in your area. Many employers will have alerts systems that will email you when social work jobs become available, so it's worth making sure you are registered for these. Some authorities, such as Brighton & Hove, have bursary schemes for final year students studying at local Universities (www.brighton-hove.gov.uk). These schemes offer a financial incentive to qualifying social workers to come to work for us and commits them to staying in a specific social work post for a minimum of two years.
I hope this is helpful, good luck in your studies and your future career.
Hi bobbins,
I am not sure what you mean by 'level one status' can you provide more information?
Hi redbull,
Many of the skills needed to work in either Duty or Long Term Teams would be similar. Both would require the ability to respond to referrals, undertake in-depth risk assessments, liaise with multi-agency groups and devise plans for children on your case load.
However, work within Duty Teams tends to be much more unpredictable, you need the ability to establish relationships with children and their families and gather information from them much more quickly, and make decisions, in conjunction with your line manager, regarding immediate level of risk and need and action needed to address this. If you were to work within a Duty Team you would need to be able to manage not knowing what you might have to contend with on any particular day. Some days would involve undertaking initial assessments where the level of risk might be low and the family welcoming of the support you might be able to provide them, whereas others would involve speaking to children that might have suffered significant injuries and dealing with families who are hostile and do not want social services involved in their lives.
Work in long term teams involves this too, but the families have generally been known for longer, plans for them have already begun and you will have had more chance to work with them over a longer period and to see plans achieve change over time.
I hope this helps.
Hi Brighton and Hove City Council,
Thank you for your reply it was very helpful. Please could I ask one more question? Would a NQSW be best suited in long term team first or would both be equally challenging and hopefully manageable.
I have now been offered a vacancy within a children in need team and a duty position in another local authority. I have been racking my brains to make a decision as i do not want to make the wrong decision for my first sw post.
Hello - I think if you keep looking you will find something
I have just returned after maternity leave no 2 and have reduced my hours and am mentally resigned to having to stay where I am until I feel happy to be working full time again - but that means that hours for my job are being advertised, a colleague of mine also moved on after waiting for 4 years for a job for the right hours in the right place,
I know quite a lot of women who work part time and there are the other parts of the job -
The other thing is that I have decided that although there seems to be a very real sex discrimination out there, I will keep applying for full time jobs and who knows - if I were the best person they may consider me for job share!
I had an idea to log onto this site and to net mums or mumsnet or something and see if there are any people I could job share with.....
I am an adults senior practitioner who is very able and longing to move on to another position (most things considered but not really social work in adults again) london based -( if there is anyone out there )- I am looking for a job share partner - I work 3 days and could not cut this unless the salary or opportunity were fantastic so my ideal partner works 14 hours, -
It is really hard for me to advise you on this. As in every walk of life, every newly qualified social worker is an individual with their own strengths and weaknesses. Some will feel duty is for them whilst others might prefer working in a long term team. Both settings bring their own rewards and challenges.
I understand you want to make an informed decision and my suggestion would be to talk to the manager/s in the teams where you would be working about their expectations. For example, the complexity of cases you would be expected to take on, what support you can expect in terms of training and supervision from managers and/or Senior Social Workers, whether they are taking part in the NQSW pilots (a framework to support NQSWs in the transition from student SW to the workplace) etc. This will give you a feel for what you would be taking on. Then take some time to reflect on what they have said and consider your own skills, strengths and weaknesses.
Ultimately this is a question only you can answer.
Hi Dan,
See my post to jelly_tot04 on this thread for advice on progression routes.
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/carespace/forums/do-you-have-questions-about-your-careers-7575.aspx
Hope this helps.
Hi Taylor,
Local Authorities in eight regions are participating in 'Step Up to Social Work', which is being delivered with support from Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford(http://stepup.cwdcouncil.org.uk/default.aspx). It is work-based in order to provide the invaluable hands-on experience that only comes with on the job training. Brighton & Hove are not participating in this scheme.
The fact that you will be in placement with a local authority throughout the course would I imagine give you good prospects of employment with that local authority or one of the other local authorities in the Regional Partnerships once you qualify. I would suspect, and this is purely speulation on my part, that many of the local authorities who are participating are doing so precisely because it gives them the opportunity to shape students for a career in their organisation and mean that at the point of qualification you can, to coin an oft quoted phrase, 'hit the ground running'.
In terms of wider job prospects, as Aron123 has already pointed out on this thread, there are thought to be around 9,000 vacant social work posts across the country so employment prospects are good, particularly if you can be flexible about where in the country you are willing to work. Have a look at the job sections of local authorities and you will quickly get an idea of the level of demand for social workers. However, no-one can ever give you a copper-bottomed guarantee of employment at the end of any professional qualifying course.
You don't give any details of your previous experience of working with children and young people and you may be more than familiar with what it is to be a social worker. Even so, I think it's important anyone starting out on a social work qualifying course acknowledges that they may discover social work is not for them. For more information about the role of a social worker in children and young people services and whether this is for you go to http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/social-work/becoming-a-social-worker
I hope this has been helpful and wish you good luck in your future career should you decide to take up the place.
Hi jackie1,
Returning to work after a career break can be difficult, no matter what the job, but it's great that you're ready to get back to social work.
In the last eight years there have been a lot of changes for social workers in adults services. Services across the country are remodelling their workforce to met the personalisation agenda and ensure their services are person centred in their approach and ready to meet the challenges of self-directed support. For many authorities this has resulted in a radical shake-up of how access to services, referrals, assessments, reviews, safeguarding etc are managed and the role of social workers is changing as services are reshaped. It seems that for many local authorities this has resulted in a reduction in the number of social work posts in adult services and this may be contributing to the difficulty you are facing finding job opportunities.
It does also seem to be true that there are often more part-time opportunities for social workers in children's services than in adults services and I am not really able to shed any light on why this would be the case.
Whilst waiting for a permanent job opportunity to come up, I wouldn't rule out working for an agency and if you speak to other agencies you may find they have a different take on things. And make sure you're ready to apply when you see an advert. Get signed up for alerts of jobs on local authority websites so you don't miss out. If you haven't done so already, register with the GSCC - at Brighton & Hove we request your registration number on your job application and I would imagine the same is true of most if not all local authorities. For more information on registration go to www.gscc.org.uk. Why not see if you can shadow a social worker or find out what training is available to you to get you up to speed with legislation etc?
I wish I were able to offer more advice, but the key thing is not to give up!
Brighton & Hove City Council Workforce Team,
Thanks for your reply to my particular question. I've also read your other replies with interest too.
Social work has been an aspiration of mine for some time now and I've decided to grab the 'Step-up' offer with both hands. If it turns out to be the wrong decision then so be it. Giving up a secure job is a worry but my gut instinct is that this is the right thing to do and I'm ready for the challenge.
Many thanks.
Hi Brighton & Hove,
Many thanks for the answer to my questions. They were very helpful and will no doubt be very useful in assisting me to achieve my first job!
Hi hound,
The key to getting the most out of any course is to apply yourself to all learning opportunities with energy and enthusiasm and be open to new ways of thinking. Read the texts on the reading lists – if you already have these you could make a start now, if not you could always ask your University for these.
It’s important to make time to reflect on your learning throughout your course. It’s easy to forget to do this in the general melee of an intensive social work qualifying course but this is crucial to embedding your learning in your professional practice
Be prepared to be honest with yourself and others and don’t be afraid to ask questions, no matter how small. No-one minds answering questions and in my experience if you don’t understand something there will be other people in a group who also don’t understand but don’t have to confidence to speak up.
Familiarise yourself with the codes of practice for social workers (http://www.gscc.org.uk/codes/Get+copies+of+our+codes/) as these apply as much to a social worker in training as a social worker in post. For example, section 5 states that you must not “Behave in a way, in work or outside work, which would call into question your suitability to work in social care services”, you should take this to heart and uphold this and all other parts of the code from here on in.
You should expect to receive constructive criticism or advice throughout your course (and indeed throughout your professional career). You are learning something new and it is to be expected that education and practice experts will know more than you. However, don’t be afraid to challenge something in an appropriate way if you feel you need to. The ability to challenge those you work with, both colleagues and service users, is an integral part of being a social worker. Certainly in Brighton & Hove we positively encourage our social workers to challenge when they think something is not working as well as it could, if we didn’t how could we be expected to improve?
There may be times when you experience self-doubt or low confidence. You are learning something very new and there may be times when you are daunted by the prospect of becoming a social worker with all the responsibilities that entails. Take a deep breath and reflect on how you are feeling, why you might be feeling that way and if there is any way you can mitigate these feelings? Talk to fellow students – peer support is incredibly important – and to your tutor. Social work is a profession of reflection, analysis, assessment and judgement and exists in a context of ambiguity. It’s important you look to more experienced professionals for support and advice but ultimately you will have to develop the ability to be comfortable with ambiguity.
Tackle problems early, don’t leave them to fester until they reach crisis point. For example, if you anticipate there may be a risk you will miss a submission date for an assignment or assessment talk to your tutor and find out what steps you would need to take to arrange an extension or submit mitigating circumstances and by when. Make sure you have a plan. The ability to anticipate and manage potential flash points or problems is an important part of social work practice.
Here’s something worth saying loud and clear – DON’T BE TEMPTED TO PLAGIARISE MATERIAL IN YOUR ASSIGNMENTS/DISSERTATION! The skills of critical analysis and evidence based practice are crucial to your future as a social worker. If you don’t put in the work what are you learning, what’s the point? Higher Education Institutions take a very dim view of plagiarism and for most, if not all, this would result in you being removed from the course.
You will need to have/develop excellent time management skills. A social work qualifying degree is a very intensive course and you will have to manage many competing pressures and priorities. As a social worker you should at times expect to work under pressure. Your caseload will be varied and at times complex and you will need to be able to plan and prioritise your work effectively. This is doubly true of your dissertation. I sit on a number of course boards at Universities and student reps are always saying “I wish I’d started my dissertation earlier” – don’t get caught out, start early!
Take full advantage of the opportunity to listen to the views of service users and carers who will be contributing to the learning on your course. This is incredibly valuable as only service users and carers can truly elucidate on what it feels like to be on the receiving end of social work practice. Don’t be afraid if they are critical in their views of social workers and try to avoid becoming defensive. It’s important to realise that in your career as a social worker there will be times where conflict is to be expected and cannot be avoided, so use every opportunity to learn how to manage conflict. Be open to their views, reflect on their experiences and resolve to use this to improve and develop your own professional practice. It is not always easy to analyse, understand and manage your emotional responses but you will need to be able to do this to ensure your emotions/behaviour does not impact negatively on service users.
Of course practice placements are an extremely important part of any social work qualifying course. Build a good relationship with your practice educator (who will be assessing your practice whilst on placement) and/or your work based supervisor. The same advice applies to your practice placement as with all other elements of the course; apply yourself with energy and enthusiasm, take advantage of every learning opportunity, make time for reflection, don’t be afraid to ask questions, uphold the codes of practice, be open to constructive criticism and advice, anticipate problems and tackle them early and manage your time effectively. Whilst you are on placement you should expect to be treated as social worker in training, not an employee.
All this advice will stand you in good stead not just during qualifying, but also when applying for jobs and in your career as a social worker. Learning in all its forms doesn’t stop at the point of qualification, make sure you take responsibility for your continuing professional development.
I hope this helps and good luck on your course.
I have just posted another reply ont his thread, this time to hound, which you may find helpful.
Brighton & Hove,
Thank you - I'm reading all your replies with much interest.
Thank you for your advice in response to my qestions and all the questions posted here, it has been very useful.
Redbull
Ive currently got the last 4 months or so remaining of my masters course (ie the research project phase)...i have struggled with the academic component of the course throughout (very much influenced by a bad experience of my final year undergrad studies). I have sought support around this and have successfully managed to pass everything (even managing to obtain 2 distinctions for my placements) but im now at the stage where ive really had enough and am planning to exit the course with the PG Dip in Social Work...do you think this will hinder my employment prospects significantly?
Thanks in advance.
Hello I'm just wondering whether there has been anymore info regarding the Step-Up programme being continued?
I think the assumed answer is 'we don't know' but I was wondering if you had anymore information.
I am 100% dedicated to becoming a social worker but it's likely to be very difficult if not impossible for me to go it if it means going to university full-time,especially 'cause it seems quite expensive/bursaries are minimal.
I have just completed my UG degree in an unrelated subject also.
Hi RKK,
I am sorry you are struggling on your course at the moment, particularly as the results of your practice placements suggest you have a lot to offer social work.
You don’t say if you are still hoping to be employed as a social worker?
If you are still hoping to be employed as a social worker then it’s important you know that you cannot qualify and register with the GSCC as a social worker without completing your social work degree. This would mean that you cannot be employed as a social worker in any organisation in the UK. So if your heart still lies in social work, then you may need to grit your teeth and push on through this final hurdle.
You say you have been given support earlier in your course. Have you asked for support with your dissertation? I think it’s important to talk to your tutor and give them an opportunity to provide you with the support you need to help you through – if they don’t know they can’t help. They may be able to support you to complete now or you may be able to defer completion to give you a little more time to complete? Maybe you could buddy up with another student for a bit of peer support? Deferment may be an option but it would mean a delay in you getting your qualification and finding paid employment, which I am sure is a consideration.
If you do decide to exit your course with a PG Dip this would give you excellent career prospects in a social work support role. In Brighton & Hove we have support roles in both adults (Care Manager) and children’s (Social Work Resource Officer) services. Both roles carry caseloads of less complex cases. Care Managers are responsible for planning and delivering care packages. The kinds of tasks undertaken by Social Work Resource Officers are family work including assessment and intervention, work with children in long-term placements (direct and life-story) and they may undertake some CP tasks in conjunction with a qualified social worker. Other employers will have similar roles, although they may call them something different, and the annual salary would usually be between £20,000 - £24,000.
These job roles play a significant and often crucial role for adults, families, children and young people, but it is worth mentioning that career prospects can be limited as the usual progression route is to qualify as a social worker.
Ultimately this is a decision for you, but for what it’s worth I think it would be a real shame for you to exit the course now after all hard work you have already put in. Good luck.
Hi domingoo,
I recognise that qualifying as a social worker can be an expensive prospect. I am not aware of any announcements about whether the ‘Step-up’ scheme will run again this year. As this is the first time a course of this kind has been run, it’s important that the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) evaluate the course before deciding to run this again. Added to this, the changed economic climate means that all government agencies are having to review their activity and prioritise available funding. In the meantime, keep your eye on the CWDC website (http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/social-work/step-up-to-social-work). It may be worth checking out local authorities in your area as many run their own trainee schemes. These schemes usually mean that you are employed on a basic salary (maybe around £15,000 a year) in a trainee social worker post and your course fees are funded by the employer. In return you should expect to sign a contract committing to remaining with that employer in a social work post for a minimum number of years after qualifying (usually two to three years). Have a look at local authorities websites or, if you can’t find any information there, try contacting the training team/s direct. Unfortunately, Brighton & Hove does not currently run a trainee scheme, this is because we currently have very low vacancy rates in our social work teams. I hope an opportunity becomes available and good luck.
I recognise that qualifying as a social worker can be an expensive prospect.
I am not aware of any announcements about whether the ‘Step-up’ scheme will run again this year.
As this is the first time a course of this kind has been run, it’s important that the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) evaluate the course before deciding to run this again. Added to this, the changed economic climate means that all government agencies are having to review their activity and prioritise available funding.
In the meantime, keep your eye on the CWDC website (http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/social-work/step-up-to-social-work).
It may be worth checking out local authorities in your area as many run their own trainee schemes. These schemes usually mean that you are employed on a basic salary (maybe around £15,000 a year) in a trainee social worker post and your course fees are funded by the employer. In return you should expect to sign a contract committing to remaining with that employer in a social work post for a minimum number of years after qualifying (usually two to three years). Have a look at local authorities websites or, if you can’t find any information there, try contacting the training team/s direct.
Unfortunately, Brighton & Hove does not currently run a trainee scheme, this is because we currently have very low vacancy rates in our social work teams.
I hope an opportunity becomes available and good luck.