Social Worker Jobs
Social worker jobs… did you know?
Many members of our society need extra support in their lives during times of difficulty. As a social worker you could be working with families, children, the elderly, people with physical/mental health problems or learning difficulties, homeless people, refugees, people affected by drugs/alcohol and people who have either committed a crime or been affected by one. ‘Social worker’ is a great name for this job because it involves spending time with all kinds of members of society and it definitely involves work! If you’re passionate about supporting the people who need it most, social work could be a great job for you. Industry: Social care [su_coloured_section heading_text="Social worker job trends" heading_background_colour="#00aeef" heading_colour="#fff" background_colour="#fff"] [su_spacer size="10"] [su_row] [su_column] [lmi soc="2442"] [/su_column] [su_column]How much money can you make as a social worker?
£24,000 - £40,000 (UK average) Recent labour market information says you can earn on average between £24,000 and £40,000 a year as a social worker in the UK. Your starting salary can vary because of factors like level of experience, training, or location. Your salary as a social worker will increase over time as you build skills, knowledge and experience. [/su_column] [/su_row] [/su_coloured_section] [su_coloured_section heading_text="What entry qualifications and training do you need for this job?" heading_background_colour="#00aeef" heading_colour="#fff" background_colour="#fff"]School, college and training
Social work is one of those jobs where you definitely need a degree. You can’t become a qualified social worker unless you have a degree in social work approved by the Health and care professions Council (HPC). It usually takes you three years of full-time study to pass your degree as an undergraduate. Every university has its own requirements for what you need to apply for a social work degree. However, in most cases you will need three A-levels or equivalent Level 3 qualifications. You’ll also need five GCSEs or the equivalent including English, maths and science. Universities may also accept other health and social care qualifications like BTECs or HND/HNCs. What if you already have a degree, and it’s a 2:1 or above but it isn’t in social work? If this sounds like you, you can apply to a fast-track training route which means you don’t have to do a full social work degree to get into the profession. Training routes are available with:Career Progression
In your first year of work, your employer may offer you an Assessed and Supported year in Employment(AYSE). If you pass your ASYE in your first year of employment as a social worker you’ll get a Fitness to Practice certificate. You’ll also get:- Regular supervision
- A training and development plan
- Time to train and develop while working
Work experience
Any work experience or volunteering you have done to work with vulnerable people can help you decide if this is the right career move for you. Examples of relevant work experience include:- Work shadowing (even if it’s just for a day)
- Work placements in a company
- Work experience placements on a college or university course
- Excellent communication and listening skills
- Diplomacy and understanding
- Being able to stay calm when situations get stressful.
- Good IT, administration, organisational and self-management skills
- Good teamwork skills – you will be building relationships with families and groups, and you’ll also work closely with professionals like doctors and nurses, psychiatrists, teachers, police and the courts.
Some day-to-day job responsibilities include:
- Assessing someone’s situation by interviewing them, potentially interviewing their family or carers, and gathering information from other agencies
- Offering counselling and information
- Creating support plans for a person, after agreeing what they need (in some cases, such as child protection, you will have the legal power to decide along with your professional colleagues what is necessary to protect that vulnerable person)
- Taking part in supervision meetings where you discuss your cases with a colleague
- Attending case conferences, tribunals and court when required
- Attending case conferences, tribunals and court when required
- Social worker
- Newly qualified social worker
- Social worker for older adults / children
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