Driving & Social Work

 I've come along for a rant about the amount of LA's blatantly ignoring the DDA and insisting that their posts are 'driver esential'. Grrrrrr

 In the last couple of week of I have seen 3 LA's advertising these jobs, only one post in my opinion would a car driver be essential and that was working with severly disabled children.

 Why when I have been working as a social worker for 8 years as a non car driver is it all of a sudden 'essential'? The authority I work now advertise car driver needed, along with a statement 'unless precluded by disability' but the other authorities wont budge.

 I've emailed them asking why it would be a 'genuine occupational requirement' of the post to drive and not one can give me a satisfactory answer. I'm informed 'the post has been designated as eligible for essential car users allownace, so you must be a car driver'. I explain my own current post has the same allowance attached, which I do not claim due to not driving due to disability. That I am capable of taking a bus or train, these authorities are hardly rural so easy to do.

 I'm disabled not incapable and am getting madder at Local Authority Children & Young Peoples Depts all over the north west are discriminating against those with disabilities by insisting on something which quite clearly is not essential.

What happened to reasonable adjustments?

Write a letter to the EHRC.  They have incorporated the Disability Rights Commission  into a new body.

Ask the authorities to see a copy of their "Equality Plan"         Each Authority should have a Disability Access Officer, dont know what the latest PC title for them may be.      Have a look at their websites.

I've seen a lot of jobs lately that state that a driver is essential, even if the job doesn't actually require leaving the building - not social work jobs, but things like admin work/hostel work. Ever since I started my course I've been constantly asked when I'm going to learn to drive - I would love to but can't afford it on the bursary we get. My first placement involved visiting clients at home, and it would have been a lot easier with a car, but I did it and retained a sufficient caseload as well, I just had to know my bus routes well! You should keep bringing it up with the councils that are advertising, and don't be afraid of applying for the jobs as long as you explain very clearly how you meet their requirements otherwise and how you will cope without a car when travel is required.

for my last placement i got myself a Vespa and scooted around my rural patch seeing service users, i then got a job where for the first two months i was still on my scooter and my manager was ok with this as i was also learning to drive, i have know past my driving test hurrah and i have a car and i love it, so there are ways and means sometimes we just need to be creative.   

however if there is a medical reason why you cannot drive i guess its public tansport which is not always the best depending where you are in the country.

I think there may be slight confusion about the terms used.   It may be that the advertisement has been badly worded.

There is an allowance called  "essential car user"  also another one called "casual car user"

If you are unable to drive because of a disability, then perhaps phone them up and explain that and ask them to check  what the job really requires. 

If you work in a rural area you often won't be able to cover more than one visit per day on public transport. And that may be only on certain days of the week to some places.

 

 

 

Hi Smokey,

thanks for the reply, but it would seem if you haven't passed your test to drive then you cant practise Social work ? I find that not being able to drive and living in a city with decent transport should not mean that I be penalised and not allowed to be considered for a vacancy ?

Most [ 75%} of my previous caseload have users who use the public transport system and I know some of my fellow social workers who have have always driven have said sometimes they have forgotten what it is like to use the public transport system .

 

Which branch do you prefer to specialise in?

There are plenty  of posts which are based in a unit where the clients visit the unit.   Have you thought of Childrens Centres, or Children with Disabilities Units.

Hi Bilabong,

Don't give up hope. I am a qualified social worker in adult services and I have never driven a car. This isn't because I can't or because I have a disability - it is primarily an ethical and economical choice for me. I believe there are too many cars on the road, its too expensive and I don't believe its neccessary. However, I have encountered opposition and prejudice from team managers and colleagues who believe that there is something quite 'weird' if you don't drive. Sadly we live in a society where expediancy is the key, we have to be somewhere quickly. However I know that getting on a bus (and yes they can be late) means that I get to work more relaxed because I been able to read etc and likewise my homelife is better because the bus journey helps me to wind down after work so for me it is all positive. I do emphasise in interviews that i would not apply for a job where I could not travel around the 'patch' effectively. I have even on occassions gone with bus numbers and routes and shown them that it is possible. I am responsible for my own practice and will get a taxi if I need to and so to date not driving has not been a problem. Hospital social work is also good as you do not need to drive. I now work in the north east and am appalled that some local authorities up here, who have fantastic public transport insist on drivers. So what I would say is that, there will be some jobs that are not available to you, accept that and go for the ones which you can , show them that it is your practice which matters - some will choose a mediocre social worker who is a driver over a good worker who does not, however some will also see that it is your social work proactice and experience that matters. Enjoy not being a driver, don't apologise for it and good luck!

Hi

I too have never driven as a social worker, not because I can't or don't have a car but because I choose not to. I cycle for work instead - if it is absolutely chucking it down then I will get the bus.  When I am doing visits with my colleagues, I will often set off after them and still arrive before them as I don't get stuck in traffic and can always find a parking place for my bike.  Yes, there are the occasional punctures but generally it is a good and cheap method of getting around and I even get quite a generous cycling allownce. On the occasion that I need to transport service users then my manager authorises a taxi.

I do work in the city so there is plenty of public transport around and we are provided with Oyster cards we can borrow.

If you can't/don't drive, choose carefully where you work, they shouldn't be able to discriminate against you.

A colleague in London was paid a bike allowance. He probably got round his patch quicker that most of the drivers.

from my own experience, and it is only my own, would second this. having practised both without a car and with, i prefer using a car, at least in the areas i have worked in.  the amount of visits one can get done by car to me outweighs what can be done on public transport (again i qualify that with "at least where i've worked, in areas that to be honest, are so-so to poor when it comes to being served by buses as there are no trains, trams etc).   I don't for one second think that quantity overrides quality, but it is important, when you factor in the sheer weight of office time social workers undertake now, so time management is key.

getting my visits done and being able to drop by frequently on people, sometimes going back later in the day for a complex or fraught situation, transporting service users to essential appointments, can help to manage caseloads. i can plan my visits around service users rather than feeling as if i could offer up visits at only certain times due to having to schedule everything around availability of public transport.   i did not feel this was as achievable when using public transport and given i was setting off hours before my working day started, and getting home hours after my colleagues, the time i had to myself on the bus en-route either before/after work or between visits simply didn't compensate.

Part of my role does involve transporting service users or going from place to place for people, and if you've got a safeguarding case where someone needs transporting to a place of safety asap, without a car to do so you'll end up ringing for back up or a taxi, complicating things further.  also team dynamics can get somewhat fraught if you have to rely on car users for such tasks, especially if you as the non-driver can't take on immediate work for that day because you've already scheduled visits around a non-negotiable bus timetable...

it does depend what team you work for, the location and availability of public transport and what duties you might reasonably expect to perform regularly and the size of your "patch".  when i used to schedule visits when i wasn't driving, i tried to schedule visits around bus timetables. however it was important to me not to let that be the overriding factor as it should be as much about when it is convenient and appropriate for the service user to be visited, not around when the number 67 can get me there for... ;) 

also have had frequent 'hairy' experiences when commuting between experiences, usual anti-social behaviour, non-so usual crimes etc.   Also i feel there are lone-working issues - no matter how much planning you do, some situations have the potential to go against you. when i wasn't driving and have had to leave such visits, have had to take additional precautions - ringing colleagues as i walk, taking alternative routes to ensure could safely catch the bus etc. at least in a car you can lock the door and drive straight away, or call for back up. doing that on the street, not so easy imo.

 

I thought i was in the minority!!!!  I qualified last year and am currently stuck in an office job as apparantly - 'a car is essential for all social work fieldwork posts' .  Never mind that i held a nearly full case load as student ranging from Wales to Kent to Essex without - shock horror - the use of a car.

I too have worked as a Social Worker without a car, but mainly as a hospital Social Worker. However, I did spend around 13 months in the community in a major city, and it is amazing how the discipline of time-tables helps to hone one's time-management skills. I also had a high case-load, and managed my visits by clustering them if at all possible. In some respects, the use of public transport is good as it provides the oportuinty to reflect or simply chill before what might be an intense visit. However, for the past 3 years I have had a car, and I have really appreciated the luxury of that convenience, probably to the point that my time-management has gone out of the window somewhat! However, back to the point in question, it has been my understanding - from my previous time as a Shop Steward - that the need for a car licence is not required if an applicant's disability is such that they are unable to drive.

Ah, and one other thing is that I feel that the quality of the worker is more important than whether or not they drive a car!

Miguel Pro:

I too have worked as a Social Worker without a car, but mainly as a hospital Social Worker. However, I did spend around 13 months in the community in a major city, and it is amazing how the discipline of time-tables helps to hone one's time-management skills. I also had a high case-load, and managed my visits by clustering them if at all possible. In some respects, the use of public transport is good as it provides the oportuinty to reflect or simply chill before what might be an intense visit. However, for the past 3 years I have had a car, and I have really appreciated the luxury of that convenience, probably to the point that my time-management has gone out of the window somewhat! However, back to the point in question, it has been my understanding - from my previous time as a Shop Steward - that the need for a car licence is not required if an applicant's disability is such that they are unable to drive.

Ah, and one other thing is that I feel that the quality of the worker is more important than whether or not they drive a car!

 

 

 

 

 

Absolutely true as a general point, but not necessarily in rural areas, where there is usually no practical alternative to a car (or motor bike!).

 

 

 

 

 

Hmm, yes Surfer, that is a compelling argument.