How to get into residential child care work

Hi all I've recently applied to study an MA Social Work beginning Sept. 09 and want to try and obtain as much social care work experience as I can in the coming months. I've worked in residential care for the elderly for quite some years but now looking to expand my experience out to work with different service users. My key areas of interest are young people under stress, probably falling in the adolescent through to early 20s age bracket, but unsure where best to go looking for work. I am interested in doing this either as full time paid work (preferable but not essential) or on a volunteer basis. Does anyone have any ideas, suggestions, target organisations for the Manchester, Greater Manchester area? Thanks

hi, i have found this a really useful resource whilst looking for voluntary work. good luck and hope it helps.

 http://www.do-it.org.uk/advanced.do

 

• Filed under: voluntary work

Thanks. I'll have a look :-)

hey sam, i've worked/volunteered/done placement in a few child care sectors in the past few years. i would highly recommend you get involved in a youth group/club or something like that first rather than trying to get straight into residential child care. with youth work you're mainly dealing with young people who WANT to be there. you'll mainly have positive experiences with them, while at the same time you will come across problems, relationships between young people or young people with staff. diving straight into res care head first could be a big put off and from what i've seen it can take a while for the young people there to bother talking to you because they'd know you're not staff and so talking to you won't really benefit them. also, depending on the kind of unit you'd work in the young people might not even be there much which is a complete waste of your time if you're not being paid. another thing is that as a volunteer i wouldn't imagine you being allowed to get involved in resolving any incidences. i was in my placement a couple of weeks when an incident happened. i tried helping and was told in the debriefing not to get involved again because i was a student and they'd be liable for me. i'm speaking from 3 years volunteering in a youth club for young people with disabilities, 1 year working 1to1 with two young teenage boys with learning disabilities and i've just done 3 months placement in residential care with 14 and 15 year olds. if you want anymore input let me know. feel free to email.

Hey Sam

I have worked in Residential Child Care throughout my degree. It's worth enquiring with your local authorities to see if you can apply to get on their relief/pool of staff (which is what i did). I know some voluntary agencies recruit relief/pool workers too. You also sound like you have enough experiences of social care roles to apply to work for an agency, you will have gained skills in the work that you have done that will be transferable to practice with children and young people.

Good luck!

Andy