Social Work

If anyone is in 'the know'...

....or has someone they know with first-hand experience, of gaining the qualification and/or working in Social Care sectors, i.e. mental health, disabilities, substance abuse et al....

Hi there,

My partner is a qualified SW and is currently working in Mental Health. I must say, you must be totally dedicated to helping others who are in need and vulnerable. Most SW that i know (and I know quite a few, through my partner) are in it for the work, passion and not for the money. Yes, the money isn't that bad, if you work out what other jobs, careers are paying and progression is always available, depending on which Council, County or Service you work for.

We are based in Essex and currently there's a lot of changes in the Essex County's Social Services (constant changes), which will mean more work for my partner and service levels will suffer. Because of budget cuts, there'll always be a shortage of posts, which leads to higher caseloads and salary increases which are below average...refer to Gordon Brown's speech a few weeks ago on Public Service Pay.

All in all, I must say I envy my partner for she does enjoy her work and there's something great about helping others. BUT, it can be very stressful work and there's not enough hours in the day to do the work.

If you are in it for the right reasons...then brilliant...go for it. But if not, think twice as not every newly qualified social worker will make a great social worker.

Finally, my partner, is completing her Masters and then plan on doing a PostGrad Diploma in Therapy....she want to move out of "pure SW" and more into Therapeutic/Counselling work. Keep your options open!!!

Good luck with your plans.

SK1

So, a qualification in SW opens alot of doors???

From what I've seen, I'd say yes as long as it is in the Social Care industry. But it is obviously important to ply your trade and get enough experience and skills and competencies as possible. The start may be slow, but say after 5 years of solid SW experience, there'll be a lot more choices open to you.

Because of the Statutory nature of the work, it is imperative to get a good foundation and most Councils, etc will require you to register with the GSCC (General Social Care Council) that will require you to keep up to date with what's going on in the industry and also encourage further personal and professional development.

Just remember the SW field is vast (Probation, Leaving and After Care, Youth offending, Mental Health, Prison Services, etc) and try and find out in which area you'd want to go into. Some are better than others, but sometimes you'd only learn from experience...

The skills you'd pick up will always be transferable and can help you switch over into other disciplines, such as Therapy and Counselling, BUT you'd need to qualify yourself further for that.

What would be your main interest? Where do you see yourself in say 5-7 years?

SK1