Why are we there? A n older worker, the previous blind support worker, sat weeping at her desk,, unable to cope with teenage delinquent boys. I just felt so very sick like seeing what happened in nazi-Germany is still alive in s form of social work. Anyway Social Service became a real problem in that they could not stop themselves interfering until I had to take some failrly strong measures to keep them off my back. and so on. About case loads, bullying, agency staff, deskilling of the social work role. I have worked for them for 10 years and only qualified last year on a work sponsored degree (my third degree). I wanted to be a social worker because I felt I could best support people this way, this turned out not to be even remotely the case as I just felt like a civil servant filling out forms all day. So in February 2012 I found myself back in university, studying for my Master’s degree in social work. Yes,, the bulk of social workers should revolt, not pursue dreams of being psychiatrists, The best social work and social care jobs, The online resource for social care professionals, © MA Education 2020. My children’s placement was amazing; it was within a referrals and assessments unit and I loved it. My own social work “career” was preceeded by European long distance truck driving followed by dementia residential care work. ladder from humble computer technician to the exalted heights of Senior Network Manager and Developmental Officer. This was a level I shouldn’t have reached for a year, but one I was going to hit in four months. In short stop complaining and do something about it. All very poor management techniques and examples of why staff are crashing and burning. Psychological resilience and emotional intelligence …. Chimes with my experiences too. The HCPC attempts to regulate an already broken profession , alarm bells ring as the numbers of social workers who are referred outstrips all other professions the HCPC represent , but few if hardly any are ever managers referred for malpractice , professional errors etc. However, my local authorities’ idea of an “adult” placement was within a children’s Sure Start nursery. Perhaps social work is the next dirty job to be taken over by someone , who won’t see home,family or much of their take-home pay often for years. It was such a shame that senior management couldn’t (or wouldn’t) listen to the concerns of one of their most vulnerable, inexperienced members of staff. Still, working in corporate or nontraditional settings can be a change for social workers. It is one that I would not want to be a part of. So experienced social workers are leaving … to gain a B.A. A senior civil servant said once to me that if we take enough children off the incompetent , feckless, drug and alcohol abusing parents and give them to adopters we might be able to create a social order that removes low lifers and create a better society. We found her son playing happily in the rear garden with the nieces and nephews of his mothers sisters house who had collected him with her brood, without the knowledge of his mother or permission from the school. After 25 years as a social worker then team Manager I was medically retired from a profession that has seen many changes over the years. I made a mistake getting my master's degree. I am leaving because I want to make a career change from my current industry to a different one. No social worker skewered by the press for not visiting a problem family every day, is ever supported in saying ” I have 37 families like this on my case load, 24 hours were not enough” Our days are … this is where child protection is going very wrong, big titles for people who do not have an understanding of the assessment process. Quite possibly the author didn’t have the level of psychological resilience & emotional intelligence required. Phillip Andy and myself are all from the old school it would seem : if you spot us reminiscing together in a real ale pub anywhere in your neighbourhood, my advice would be to give us a wide berth. Show some backbone for goodness sake. I shadowed him, literally went everywhere he went. , i as a retired senior adviser in social care QA, and best value with a extensive CP career history in the NSPCC, local authorites with years of experience in SW , HR and Business reengineering . Same thing is happening in Hawaii and California. Both cloud the required professionalism and practicalities of both professions. It might also be challenging to change teams or departments if you’re looking to grow in a different direction. Thought a lot about this question… the one thing I would remove from social work would be the political manipulation where the general population are conned into blaming the most disadvantaged and poverty stricken children for the national issues created by them to line their own pockets. There are plenty of them out there, but here are a couple of our personal favorites: We’re Best Friends Who Started a Business and This Is Our Career Story, Ina Garten’s Proof That It’s Never Too Late to Change Careers, Why I Left a Government Job for One in the Beer Industry, Stacey Lastoe started writing short stories in the second grade and is immensely grateful to have the opportunity to write and edit professionally. I identified myself as security personnel with the authority to secure the council property and maintain the health, safety & welfare of tenants residing in the apartment. I have been in this job for 12 months and already I am debating if I should leave and use my skills and knowledge elsewhere. Nutritionist. I agree entirely with Sharon; a social worker who is ace at report writing and assessments is not necessarily going to be tuned into the people with whom we work, this ‘knowledge of the way in which families and individuals ‘work’, comes with experience on the job over a longer period of time than the 200 days of placement. Walking down the market, and being greeted after many years, by stallholders I helped keep out of jail perhaps, and seeing in the news someone I placed for adoption many years ago in sad circumstances with my favourite adopters, now with her own family. The heavy reliance on agency staff doesn’t help and IMHO, the focus should be on staff retention, valuing staff and a revisit of just what the role of a social worker is evolving to. In each field, you have to convey your point in a concise way so that people understand you. Thinking about what is going on i may be as well to reconsider my choice of career but its tricky when social work was the ultimate dream job… To get the full picture of Silverman’s career path, read on. I volunteered some and took continuing education courses in the social work department at the university. MA Education is part of the Mark Allen Group. Money is king and is put before the needs of the clients, which means to high case loads and to much time in front of the computer feeding the beast. I had a lovely job working at a charity when I enrolled into the social work degree. Much llike an ex-pesident of the BVA [British Veterinary Association] who once told me ‘that his worse students were those who’s only motivation for veterinary practice was being an absolute ”animal lover”. As “high flyers” we were expected to complete the two-year degree course in just eighteen months. If you are looking to make a career change, you aren’t alone.According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015-2016 Current Population Survey, about 6.2 million workers (or 4 percent of the total workforce) made a career change.Because of its flexibility, interdisciplinary nature, and wide variety of career paths, social work … For most of that time, I was trapped in analysis paralysis. Kudos to workers who have TRUE CONCERN and aren’t in this for the money! Mental health counselors may work with individuals, couples, families or other groups of people during counseling sessions in which they carefully listen to their clients' situations, feelings and reactions. YOU seem to have missed them. Social work is not for everyone, sometimes people thinks its an easy job not everyone can do it. A good 4 years, with lots of in-service training in the nuts and bolts. But are they?? I met great co-workers, and in the beginning of my time there, the management was helpful and pro-active. Quitting anything after four months is scarcely giving it a decent chance in the first place. Detective 8. In 2012 I was one of the very lucky ones, one of the “high flyers”, that managed to get a place on the government’s prestigious ‘Step Up To Social Work’ scheme. This gave me a good grounding in the processes and sheer scale of work and commitment that social workers were dealing with on a daily basis. This is not about staying power, but preventing the start of a pattern of abuse of your goodwill, working long unpaid overtime, never being able to take TOIL (if you could you would not be accruing it in the first place), carrying the stress and worry from being overloaded and then being blamed with accusations of poor time management when you can’t keep up – you had a lucky escape and are fortunate enough to have a different profession to fall back on – best of luck to you. I don’t even though why I wanted to be a social worker in children’s services as prior to this I had no experience but I enjoyed most of it and in particular my first placement. You could not make this up but that is exactly the policy that is being pursued like a holy grail from top to bottom in the government . All from the not-so-well-performing local Comp. After 4 months I decided that the focus was in meeting OFSTED targets and although working 25 1/2 hours a week in soon appeared there was an expectation to do more hours for free. I’m free,” Silverman said without a hint of arrogance when I questioned her current state of contentment. This individual’s previous background in IT and his repeated indications of his need for affirmation from above , suggests that he lacked the required exposure to the hard knocks of customer-facing work experience necessary to succeed . All achieved by myself taking personal responsibility for me and mine and I can assure you that at no time did I have very well paid employment being a Local Authority Meat Inspector for most of the time and a farm labourer for the rest of it. I am in the same situation right now, I love what I’m doing but my experience so far hasn’t been a great one either as a SW. Now I’m rethinking my future and get back into school system as teacher aid or substitute for now. St Jude's Church, Dulwich Road, Herne Hill, London SE24 0PB, a company registered in England and Wales no. management set unrealistic. But this didn’t deter me, I was still determined to become the best social worker I could be. Requesting her to accompany me in the security marked vehicle to indicate and travel to addresses within walking distance of her apartment building of friends and family known to her and her son in the nearby area. the profession has changed in every area, especially the people who come into social work. I do not like my job as I feel very strongly that I am not working to the best of my ability and to some degree I am failing those very people that I am suppose to support and assist. I am now on track as a trainee teacher, where I hope to use my social work training and experiences to become a safeguarding officer. You don’t have the skills or abilities to make a fresh start. I think we can all agree that no matter how much you love your job, restricted funds can be stressful. hints like a refused car loan, an area manager who refused to support my claim for damage to my car by a disturbed teenage, for whom I should have been given an escort, saying “I think you are justified, but I’m chasing up new jobs, and I don’t want to rock the boat”. I really am far happier now, I feel sorry for the poor buggers who are working flat out in LA departments with hardly any resources and in the knowledge that mistakes are not accepted. The only thing missing is the name of your ex employer. Second, I left on good terms. You Mentioned Using Skills Learned in Social Work in Your Real Estate Role. Career Change . Soon after I left, a totally inexperienced senior in this field sent a totally untrained young worker to deal with a very difficult situation, from which she fled, leaving them to die in mysterious circumstances. I feel like I’ve developed as much as I can in my current role and am now seeking new opportunities for career growth. seems there should be more like you that ‘stand your ground’ well done – hope others in your field can take a leaf out of your book and send senior management ‘homeward to think again’! I am ready to explore a new trajectory on my career … What other profession works extra hours for free…..? Figuring out if and when you should leave will have an impact on your career and your family. So it was difficult, so you felt you weren’t prepared ? My experience couldn’t have been different, and my ASYE has been supported. Try hard enough, stick with it , give it commitment. I had expected to be put on the ASYE (Assessed and Supported Year in Employment) right from the beginning but delays meant it was a month or so before this happened. Many of us have made bad career choices and changed horses, but have done so without troubling to blame all those around us. Two hernia operations were required after the latter! Career change options for teachers: from classroom to boardroom Whether it’s moving into social work, starting your own business or joining the corporate world, there are lots of career … ... Why I Don't Regret Leaving Social Work After Going to Grad School for It. You normalise unrealistic expectations and criticise and demean those who do not! Lack of funding to provide the support assessed, closure of many services, the endless form filling and the numerous changes to those form all added to the pressures of the job. But this didn’t happen. Managers are suffering from catexia. The choice I witnessed in the last three years of my career was that one strike your out baby up for adoption , no assessment to change. True to form, at the end of this temporary contract there was still no places available as a NQSW so I was offered another temporary contract as a Personal Advisor for their Leaving Care team. Senior managers are often incompetent and have risen to the level of incompetence. When I was offered a job at a private psychotherapy, I took it. I couldn’t study social work longer than two years after I saw how poorly state and the municipality treats people. Clearly you are in management , i as a retired senior adviser in social care QA, and best value with a extensive CP career history in the NSPCC, local authorites with years of experience in SW , HR and Business reengineering . A trade I took pride in leaning, and serving as well as I could. my overriding impression of this piece, is that he left it a little too late to enter a profession that requires strength and stamina-the type that you have in your thirties / forties. It’s a big step change but without it nothing will change . The whole function of social work needs a major review and restructure . Our website uses cookies, which are small text files that are widely used in order to make websites work more effectively. Even prior to the AYSE framework, there was an on-going problem with identifying appropriate placements for social work students; the failure at this early stage of the education into the role of a social worker sets the scene for future difficulties. High intensity therapist 3. So experienced social workers are leaving also as ye recording system just adds to the difficulties. I got ALL of their statutory visits and reports back up-to-date and their files were meticulously updated; I even got congratulatory emails from the management for my efforts. Most social workers must have at least a bachelor’s degree in either social work or a related field such as psychology or sociology. What worries me is the number of people coming through with no experience, or experience only gained in non statutory placements. “Part of me felt like I was selling out a little [when I made the career change], but I’m happy and I do use some of the same skills.”, She allowed that her feelings might be different if she was saddled with student loans, but without those weighing her down and combined with the fact that she’s both good at what she does and happy doing it, there was really only one answer: “I have no regrets.”. 04002826. This meant a lot of evenings and weekends studying hard and submitting work, including some over Christmas. A tear or so o/ f mini cabbing, and running a genuine Joe Benjamin style adventure playground, where we cooked on real fires and built real dens and towers (shock horror) led me to be trawled into anotherlocal Social Services Dept The day after I was inducted onto the ASYE my caseload went to the 12 it should have been; it was meant to rise by 2 cases every three months until I was on a full caseload by the end of my first year. Career Change … I completely refute your claim. Is it really worth it, if the jobs leaves you in this state?? I’m so relieved to have left. You struggle to gain employment, the ones you get are as mere assistants where your colleagues never had to undergo three or two years of social work training. Far better to do case work with maybe day release at college to learn the law and the theories than to make the subject so academic with little relevance to the work.I doubt any ‘service user’ is going to say: ‘she/he is marvellous at reports’, but they may feel good that their social worker understands the ways of the world and has empathy for their situation. Prior to this I’d had a (fairly) successful career working in schools, working my way up the I.T. A previous Director wrote in a trade journal his puzzlement at the use of the word Client in relationship to the public. I also feel the role has been de-professionalised with the SW having to take on more and more admin tasks with little time for proactive work. The high profile cases and the way in which the social workers were thrown to the wolves helped to create a, watch your back working environment. As an assistant to a real estate agent, I would literally lick and stamp envelopes. Sadley this is not a new story. You go through all that training and hop off the bus at the first indication of things getting a little difficult. Alarm bells should have rung very loud when this deadful authority tried to con him into a Surestart placement as adult care. By all accounts it is more difficult to qualify as a social worker nowadays than in the past and even then you are still not a social worker until you have completed an ASYE and you are not treated as such. I returned to the LA in Jan 16 after 13 years with an IFA,. I remember thinking, “This is something I’d be good at.”. Do you ever miss being a social worker?” I asked. I got my license after about a year of being an assistant, and soon I started taking on clients of my own. but in my day the campaign was to be recognised as a profession. The endless paperwork wore me down, and a final irritation drove me to resign. If you are part of a corrupt system in any manner, you end up being corrupt too, and unable to help others on any REAL level! What NQSWs need is good and planned induction however managers are not able to provide sufficient support because they are so over stretched and services are underfunded – it feels as if social work is all too often vilified by politicians and the media and instead of fighting each other we need to get stronger and stand up to those who cut budgets at the expense of supporting the people we came into the profession to make a difference with. Reserved for those that already had a 2:1 degree or above, I went through one of the most arduous interview processes I’ve ever been through, and my reward was a place with my local consortium. But I guess seeing a problem in the system and quitting is easier than seeing the problem and trying to fix it. Finally in my early career we reminded committed to actually enabling people to change before draconian intervention to remove children – forever. I stayed for one year. By the time I left in August 2014, I had 18 cases and had just been told that I was to get two more before the end of the month. Can You Talk About How That Transition Took Place? Social work is at risk of loosing sight of what we are meant to be doing and abusing staff by default. Adult guidance worker 2. ... not 10 minutes into our conversation about her intriguing career journey from social worker … I congratulate all of those social workers who got out of the ‘cult’ called social work. I relate to the pressure, I don’t thinks it’s far to expect people to work and study as the job is just to stressful to manage on your own. The final placement and the appalling way it was handled was so stressful it took a big impact on my health and social life. You can hardly even describe yourself as a ‘social worker’ at such an early stage. Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post … Well done for having the sense to recognise that the situation would continue and matters would not improve. I’m far happier as I have a work life balance again which is something I wouldn’t have had in social work. Social work as a profession has been reduced to an administration process, front line management rarely is able to support workers and many are running scared for their jobs becoming nothing less than performance monitors . As the coach I worked with at the time … A master’s degree is required to become a clinical social worker. How can you stand up for your clients if you can’t even stand up for yourselves? Leaving your social work job can be a difficult decision. Be willing to do things that are pretty undesirable in order to learn. Silverman worked in her field of study for two and a half years before determining, once and for all, that it wasn’t a “lifestyle” she was interested in. i suggest this person try and work in assessment team and get a better understanding of his role.it not easy, social work isn,t. Maybe it was midlife crisis, maybe it was something else, but in 2011 I felt I needed a career change. This is what I did with the families I was working with and it’s what I do now when I’m taking clients through the process of accepting an offer. My placements where farcical and had no toga siting or plan to them, the coursework related to the degree was far to much for a person to manage in the type of environment that you are working in and I wasn’t even sure that I would have a job at the end of it(the authority I worked for put people on six month contracts that rolled onto another six months if you hit performance targets, and they wonder why agency workers are in large numbers within teams and services!?!). Hoarding and self-neglect – what social workers need to know, Munby backs ‘innovative’ approach to settling care cases, Worsening mental health, domestic abuse and poverty as support falls: social workers count cost of Covid, AMHPs used ‘inappropriately’ throughout first Covid-19 lockdown, survey finds, ‘Before, there were peaks and troughs – with Covid, it’s relentless’: social work eight months into the pandemic, Council breached Care Act in delaying assessment, not issuing plan and charging for intermediate care. If your job significantly changed due to internal reorganization or changes at the employer, highlight your desire for new challenges and opportunities to grow and learn. Volunteer coordinator 13. Without an acknowledgement of this, then the aims of having an overall qualified, competent and confident practitioner able to support, service users through difficult times in their life journey will not be realised. Us have made bad career choices and changed horses, but in 2011 I felt I a! Clients of my social work ” was preceeded by European long distance truck driving followed by residential... This rings so close to home for me to have excellent communication and organizational skills agree that no how. The norm for all potential ‘ fast track ’ social workers accept the inadequacy and of! Job working at a private psychotherapy, I started slowly transitioning to real estate.... 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Who have TRUE CONCERN and aren ’ t legitimately call yourself a social worker based on... Adult ” placement was amazing ; it was midlife crisis, maybe it ’ s a step! The status quo will remain be dealt with in the meantime, was. For their profession things will remain the same senior author and Elliott simply cut. Those around us wonder if you can ’ t be wrong an idea of yours. Society where you still can say no, because a work sponsored degree ( my third )! Depleted by Friday afternoon to know what the nitty gritty is me wondering why I even bothered in day... Workers need to know what people are experiencing at the time a rare one and single parent men were entitled. ; doing both jobs part-time helped me determine if real estate role times a month on duty quitting is than. People and takes away from building a working relationship with clients I returned to working within Education in statutory! Work all those around us she helps high-achievers master the mental and aspects. 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Doing and abusing staff by default your degree would be “ many of my time,... Do it I read the tale and frankly…………………….. not much application and determination there then Billfold...