Thread: Social work

I (perhaps with a massive pair of rose-tinted glasses on) have decided to apply to the University of Brighton and try and get on the Masters graduate course that will lead to be becoming a qualified social worker...

Does anyone have an experience on social work, studying for the qualification, or anything relevant? I currently work for my county council and love the idea of qualifying to work for my community with those in need, but am pragmatic enough that I realise it'll be massively stressful and would like some info/tips/love!

Thanks in advance!

yes in answer to that, PM me if you want. I have worked as as residential care worker in a home for Looked after and accommodated teenagers run by the council for (far too many) years. I work within the social work department and deal with social workers ( both good and bad).At the moment I am about half way through my social work degree which I am doing through the open university sponsored by the council I work for. Basically they pay to train me and after that they own my soul for two years. What I'd say is (not cheekily) how old are you and what sort of life experience do you have, and why do you want to be a social worker? There is a lot of reflective work involved in your studies as you need to really understand your own thoughts and values and why you react certain ways. If you want to work with people and do good, find something else, as a social worker you'll end up bogged down in paper work, with so many clients you won't get much time to do anything other than react to a crisis. You'll constantly have to balance needs against what resources you have and everything will boil down to money not what's best for your service user. over worked, underpaid and everyone will hate you from the service user to the press because when something goes wrong you'll be the first person in the firing line. If I had a penny for every time a social worker had a nervous breakdown and ended up sobbing over coffee just because I said 'Hi -how are you'.....the next comment is usually 'I hate my fffffing job' or 'I've been here two days and I've 14 kids already!"
That said, if you can cope with stress, are good at managing huge work loads, have a good sense of humour, the patience of a saint, ( I tell my kids that when I'm dead they are going to beautify me I'm such a saint- and it's the only way I'll ever be beautiful)and skin tough as a rhino hide, you'll be fine.

I love my job, I love the kids I work with, and it is seriously worth while. You have to look at the little picture sometimes, don't expect to change the world,most of the kids I work with end up on drugs, addicted to alcohol in jail, or dead, but when a child who wouldn't let anyone touch them comes up to you after a year of hard work sits on your chair and puts their arm round you, you feel like a queen, or when a child who shows no emotion suddenly cries in your arms, or when someone they had dismissed as a complete no hoper and psychopath goes on to have his own flat and own job and 3 years later is still holding down his flat and job, and meets you for coffee regularly telling you he wished he'd just listened to you in the first place....

Soz if that removes the rose tinted, but you'll find plenty of love hun, if your happy to say to hell with it and go for it, you'll do okay. Tips on study? at the moment I hate law, just done my law exams nuff said . x

I haven't been a social worker but I have been on the recieving end and ended up doing work experience in a social work dept. From my experience there are some AMAZING SW and some I wonder how they get dressed in the morning let alone look after other people! I think the above advice sounds pretty fair. I would also think about what kind of social work you want to do- We used to foster and we had a social worker to look out for our interests as a family and then one who represented the child- these are very different roles. Then you have adult social care social workers etc personally having been on the recieving side of the "family interest" SW I would never do that role. They are spread sooooooo thinly and really their role is to minipulate the family to take foster children most in need even those outside their stated preferences.

I would say hold onto your hope to help people and try not to let the system make you cynical. In my job I am always told to toughen up and lose my empathy and I refuse to- if I did that I wouldnt do the job I am doing now- I would go an earn a decent wage for a company that has no soul!

No experience with working but I just wanted to say that my social worker is a diamond! From day 1, she has been there for me and my boy and I am enternally grateful that there are people like her in the system.

Stick to your guns

I am not a social worker, but my sister is a youth worker, she is not qualified to get a job as a social worker, despite needing a youth work degree, but does the same type of work, however she says there are alot of differences and she would never go into social work despite it offering better salaries.
perhaps you could also look into that as another route, if you were put off by any aspect of the social work course? Just a thought

Auntylol - I wrote a huge long private message and it wouldn't send! Grr. Basically, it said thanks for your candour - I really appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge. I think the thing I'm most apprehensive about is letting the bad feeling get on top of me - work loads I can cope with, but getting no emotional payback would quickly get me down. I'm hoping that I will be rewarded!
I'm 24, working in the Early Childhood Service for a Children and Family Centre. It's my first proper job since I graduated in '09, so don't have any experience of work-related stresses - I would be going in blind, but I desperately want a community-based job, preferably with adults and their families. I think once I've learnt all the practises and policies I'll be good to go : )

Dizzy Chick and Josephine- I really do aim to always put the families first (I see how crucial it is in my current job) although I'm sure everyone says that at the beginning... my fingers are firmly crossed I'll stay one of the empathetic ones...

Pina Colada - I think the course that I've found will be fine, as I live fairly near Brighton at the moment, so wouldn't be a massive move. Plus, being a graduate, the master's should be at a perfect pace for me! xxx