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Social Workers assist individuals and families during challenging times, aiming to enhance their lives. They safeguard vulnerable populations, such as children and adults with support needs. This dynamic and emotionally rewarding career involves supporting people with various conditions, including learning difficulties, disabilities, and mental health issues.
Daily tasks include assessing needs, working directly with individuals and families to facilitate positive changes, organising support, making referrals to other services, and maintaining detailed records. Social Workers are trained to bring about change and utilise legal powers to protect rights. Duties encompass building relationships, providing information and counseling, creating care plans for independent living, intervening in safeguarding situations, managing risk, attending court, and maintaining records through regular supervision.
You possess strong listening and observational skills. You can effectively assess situations and demonstrate leadership qualities within a team. Your personal resilience and positive interpersonal skills contribute to a compassionate and caring attitude in your approach to your work and to those who you work with.
Experience is an important part of Social Work qualifications. A work placement forms half of Social Work courses with academic learning focusing on legislation, ethics and theory. When applying to study you will need some experience of Social Work, Social Care or working with people in a Social Care setting. This can be paid, voluntary or placement work, or even life experience.
To qualify as a Social Worker you will need to do a Degree in Social Work that’s approved by the Health and Care Professionals Council. Entry requirements for the degree can include A Levels or a Level 3 entry to degree programme (including a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care). Some universities offer part-time studying. There are different Social Work Degrees available from the University of Hull and the University of York.
There are post graduate qualifications and also some fast track graduate entry schemes available. Once qualified you will need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council.
It is also possible to qualify as a Social Worker by the apprenticeship route. You would need to discuss this with your employer and find an appropriate education provider.
We'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to talk to us about apprenticeships and traineeships, email hyp-tr.apprentices@nhs.net
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