Soon to be newly qualified and considering what to go into...

Hi Everyone.

 

I am coming to the end of my social work training and have almost finished my final placement.

My first placement was in a residential team for looked after children, wnd my second has been in a substance misuse social work team.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to which areas of social work I could try to get into?

Also based on my placement experience would it be difficult to access employment in children's social work?

 

Thanks,

 

 

• Filed under: career advice

Hi,

I had very similar placements to yourself, though was based in a rehab, and  recieved a job offer for children's services.

I guess it comes down to what you want to do and what you want to gain from the next few years! I would never have thought I would be working in childrens services but wouldn't want anything else now.

:)

 

I would suggest you go for what you think you will enjoy. I had no experience in a childcare team on student placements, but I knew this was what I wanted to do, so I went for an interview anyway. I thought it was worth a go and would be good for interview experience and was offered the job. 1 interview, 1 job. It's about demonstrating your transferable skills- you will need to clearly evidence how the families you worked with in i.e substance misuse, are dealing with issues that are pertinent to care of children.

Looked-After children; Adoption & Fostering; Intake & Assessment; Children in Need; Leaving Care / 16+; Youth Offending; Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers; Children with Disabilities; CAMHS; Referral & Assessment; Adult Services, Hospice-based social Work; Hospital-based/linked social work;  etc. etc.etc. -  how do we know what interests you or what vacancies are where in the country?

As a newly qualified social worker I always say try to gain a good and broad generic experience first and specialise later on.

Thanks for the advice!

I am interested in child care social work and have had some experience of it from my first placement. My second placement with adults does have some links to child care social work also. I guess I'm just wondering what peoples experience have been in applying for jobs etc. Afew advertisements which I have seen for children's social work posts have insisted that you need placements on children in need/protection in order to be considered.

I am particularly interested in social work with looked after children, however as my final placement has not been in this area I was just wondering based on my placement experience the chances i would have in applying for jobs in that area.

Hello,

If that is where your interest lies then go for it, make sure you read up on your subject and use the transferable skils that you have gained from your other placements. My last placement was in a looked after childrens team and I found the following books really helpful:

A Childs Journey through Placement - Vera Fahlberg

The Child Placement Handbook  - Schofield & Simmons

The Childs World - Jan Howarth

For a very brief overview of legislation, pathways, assessment etc the Learning Matter book Social work with looked after children - Christine Cocker and Lucille Allain was really helpful, but as I say it will just point you in the right direction for each area, at the end of each chapter there is a further reading and website list.

I hope this helps and good luck with your job hunting.

Laurie

 

Good luck with job hunting Fran. We started MA social work together I believe. You made a post about you being 20/21 when you were applying for MA and you were a bit worried.

It's all about your transferable skills and being confident that all your skills can be linked to any area of social work.

My first placement was within mental health/substance misuse team and my final placement is currently within the looked after children team. I have now secured myself a job within the looked after children team at a different local authority.

How is your dissertation going? How many words do you have to write? 

Hi Yeah I remember speaking to you before. Well done on securing your first job. I would love to work with looked after children!