Becoming a Social Worker

Social workers should be viewed as extremely valuable employees as far as local communities, and society in general, are concerned. A social worker is in part responsible for working with people of all ages who are in some way socially excluded, vulnerable or undergoing some level of crisis. As a Social Worker you may regularly come into contact with the elderly, young offenders and those on probation, as well as people with physical or mental disabilities or drug and alcohol problems.

The role and duties of a social worker are broad and varied, but generally they include the provision of guidance and support, with a main focus on enabling the service user to eventually support themselves as much as possible. Social workers also work in a variety of environments, with some working in schools, local education authorities and hospitals, and others working within voluntary organisations or in the service user's own home.

If you've considered Changing Your Career to become a social worker, then here we hope to provide you with the basic information about what is expected of you, as well as the Skills And Qualifications that are best suited to this job.

What Training is Required?

Social work requires a lot of organisation and a significant level of administrative work. This is because a social worker is expected to assess, review and maintain records of specific cases, all within certain timeframes whilst achieving set standards of care, and providing service users and their families with relevant legal and procedural information.

A career as a social worker is accessible for anyone who already has a degree. The most suitable and relevant degrees however, are nursing, psychology, education, law and social sciences.

For those who don't already have a degree, a diploma or foundation degree can also be undertaken, sometimes followed by an undergraduate social work degree route. In all cases, before anyone is considered as a suitable candidate for a social worker job role, they must hold a General Social Care Council (GSCC) approved qualification.

Previously a Certificate in Social Service (CSS) and the Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW) were the qualifications that were undertaken. Whilst these, alongside the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) are still recognised qualifications for those returning to the workplace, new social work students will now undertake the aforementioned academic degree with integrated work placements.

If you think that you'll struggle to cover living expenses whilst studying, you should also note that there are some bursaries available to help sustain your income.

Transferable Skills

If you're already in a career, there are some Transferable Skills that you could employ, you will need to be:

• Be a positive person
• Have very good problem-solving skills
• Have commitment
• Be socially competent
• Possess organisational, time-management and good communication (particularly listening and analytical) skills

These are all skills that can be transferred from other careers and professions, particularly where you have previously worked face-to-face with different sorts of people. Mediation skills are also vitally important.

Because social workers often work in a team with many other professionals, such as those in healthcare, you will also need to be an excellent team player. In some cases, team leaders will also have their own team of social work assistants, so team leadership skills may also be relevant. You will often have to liaise with a number of different agencies about different cases and individual circumstances, which requires a patience and multi-tasking ability.

In some cases, knowledge and understanding of the law and legal procedures will be of paramount importance. While this can be covered in training, any previous experience of this will be an absolute bonus.

You should also seriously consider the benefits of working in a paid or Voluntary Position in a community care centre or residential home, as experience is always looked upon favourably. It will also help you to assess your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as providing an understanding of just what sort of work is involved in a career as a social worker.

Career Development and Salary

Basically, it is assumed that the more you progress in your career as a social worker, the less practical work you will undertake. Career development in social work tends to veer towards developing a specialism, for instance working in the foster care system, or with drug abusers.

Through additional training there are also opportunities to enter more managerial and team leader positions, or even as a teacher, lecturer or political consultant.

As you might expect, a social worker's salary can depend on experience and qualifications. However, generally a social worker can earn from £20,000 up to £40,000. Management roles will earn you up to £60,000, with senior management roles earning beyond £70,000 for a 37 hour week.

Working in social care can be extremely challenging, stressful and heavy workloads are common. However often the emotional rewards and contributions made to individuals, communities and society can outweigh the stresses and strains.

The Next Step?

The idea of returning to study or training to become a social worker (especially if it's a while since you left college), can be daunting at first, but you can do it! For advice on a Returning to University have a look through our article to find out what is involved.