Social work masters 2016

Hey Guys, i'm gonna apply for the social work masters next year. But I was just wondering if yous could help me. I don't really have much experience - I currently volunteer at a care home and I have a volunteer placement coming up for a few weeks in a special needs school. Where else could I gain experience? I want to apply to LJMU and they require 500 hours prior experience.

Lots of charities love taking on volunteers. You could do mentoring in a deprived school (which I did for like 2 years), barnados sometimes look for befrienders, befrienders at mental health charities (mind, autism uk, alzheimers), working at a domestic violence charity, victim support (e.g if you're robbed, offer support to victims of crime). Then if you do it regularly, it shows a commitment and brings up the hours.

Hope these ideas are helpful!

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Thank you! This has really helped how would I find a deprived school? Thank you very much

I actually did it through a charity called Reach Out (only in Manchester and London) and they specifically work in deprived schools. I'm sure that there are other organisations that would do it where you are too. Generally looking at the % of pupil premium students is the average indicator. It's a good way to understand the challenges that face those pupils; lower literacy, neglect at home, lack of positive role models etc and then you can reflect on that in your personal statement

Thank you for your help. Tonight I have applied to Reach Out in Manchester and another mentoring organisation. I go to University in Liverpool so Manchester isn't too far. I also applied to a dementia charity. Does charity shop work count as experience because you're not actually dealing with vulnerable people. Thank you again

Ah that's good. I definitely think a variety of experience is good. A lot of mine was child oriented so I tried to broaden it by gaining more experience. I also work for after adoption doing camps for adopted kids but I doubt they're hiring.

I think you have to work directly with vulnerable adults or children. Doing something disability related would be quite good experience though I think?


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i've been accepted by reach out and have a training day very soon I've also got an interview for this autism saturday school in Manchester so I hope i get that aswell! Aw really that sounds really good. Have you had an interview for the social work masters yet?

Yeah I absolutely loved Reach Out when I was uni, they do tutoring but also kinda building character traits as well which I think is important! Oh nice, yeah the autism school would be good cos then you'd have some experience with disabilities.

I sent off my application on monday and I have an interview with Sheffield in Feb and one with Salford in January. Still waiting to hear back from the others but it's only been a few days so I guess I need to be patient!

What's your current degree in?

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Yeah so i'm happy about that experience. Aw thats good well done! How are you preparing for the interviews? My current degree is in Sociology and in September i want to apply to do the masters in social work and I also want to apply to do the social work programme 'think ahead'. Have you heard of it? What was your undergraduate in?

I was super sad and went through the 2015 thread and copy and pasted all the interview questions. So looking through that and finding relevant experience to match those questions.
Plus Uni of Manchester offers alumni mock interviews so I'll sign up for one of them.
I hadn't heard of it but when I looked it up, it says it's for mental health and I ideally want to go into working with families and children (although I did my undergraduate degree in psychology)

Are you looking at any other uni apart from ljmu?

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Aw did you haha, i couldn't find the 2015 thread was trying to look for it oh really, do you have to be a student there to get access to that? Oh yeah that is true, but it qualifies you to work as a social worker in any setting. I'm going to apply for it this year but it is meant to be very competitive.

I do ideally want to go to university in Liverpool or Manchester for my masters, so I am going to apply to LJMU, Hope, Edge Hills, Manchester MET and Uni of Manchester. I would love to be accepted by LJMU though! They ask for 500 hours prior experience.

Hi, I've applied for a social work masters at Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Hallam and MMU. Where have you applied? I'm so nervous, worried I don't have enough experience, but I've done as much volunteering as I could during my time at uni so just have to hope its enough! How much do you have if you don't mind me asking?

That's good. At least you got interviews

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I heard from Manchester today inviting me to an interview next week but I'm at work and it's not enough notice so I'm going to be doing it in Feb! (Same week as the Sheffield one!). Haven't heard anything from MMU though

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Don't drive!! I drove today and despite only living 12 miles away, it took me almost 2 hours to get there because traffic is awful near the hospitals!! And then there is only one car park that is often full and costs a fortune! Wish I'd got the bus haha!

Interview tips for Sheffield..

Arrive early as interview time slots are given on a first come first served basis so if you get there early then you will get an early interview. Otherwise you'll spend half the day waiting around.

The individual interview is fine, just questions like "Why do you want to do social work" and "what qualities do you have that would make you a good social worker" etc.

The written test is also fine, just think of an example where you have put social work into practice (not necessarily in a social work job) eg helping people, and learn that and you will be fine.

The group test/speed interview was the bit I struggled with. You go round the room and talk to various people, a bit like speed dating. They all ask you social work related questions, like what would you consider in this situation etc. I'm not really sure how you can prepare for it, but just be warned haha! Luckily everyone said the same thing - that it was really difficult! So hopefully we are all in the same boat there!!

Apparently they will know who has got places by the end of today but we won't find out for approx 2 weeks, so I assume it'll be the same sort of timeframe for your interviews too! Hoping I get a decision before I get any other interviews because it's my first choice so don't want to go to other interviews if I get into Sheffield!

Hope that helps, but feel free to quiz me if you want to know anything else! x

I can't decide whether to apply for this year, as not sure if I've got enough experience, and don't want to move out of the city I currently live in so Bristol uni would be my only option! Plus I love the school I'm currently working in and don't want to leave.. I'm tempted to wait and see what happens with the Frontline and Step Up schemes.

I've got a pastoral role in a secondary school in a fairly disadvantaged area, have volunteered for a year at an after school club for children with autism and have just started volunteering for a charity helpline for children of alcoholics. Would that be enough?!


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