Tell me how!? Social work?

[rabbitheadlights]

Can anyone tell me how to become a social worker? The kind who advocates for children after trying to understand their individual family dynamic. I've held quite senior positions in the past in (hse) but I don't think this would have any bearing. Can anyone advise in terms of where to start re courses etc

[pancakepatter]

You can do an undergraduate or postgraduate degree course at university; or the 2 year Frontline leadership development programme could be an option if you're mobile. A wee bit like Teach First, but for social work.

[rabbitheadlights]

@pancakepatter that sounds like a foreign language haha but I will break it down and look into it .... Thankyou for taking the time

[Thepigeonsarecoming]

If being given the names of the courses sounds like a foreign language, then social work isn’t for you

[pancakepatter]

Oh sorry!

Do you have a degree already? An undergraduate degree is just a degree for somebody who hasn't got one yet. A postgraduate degree is a second (or third, it fourth....) degree that builds on a first one and is at a higher academic level. If you do Social Work as an Undergraduate degree, it will be 3 years in England; as a Postgraduate it could be shorter.

If you google the 'Frontline' training programme, it will explain it! It's an on the job training programme for 'outstanding' graduates or career changers.

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/social-worker#HowToBecome

[rabbitheadlights]

@pancakepatter I gained my current position by starting in admin ... I've done courses along the way as advised by my immediate superiors

[rabbitheadlights]

@Thepigeonsarecoming thanks for that insight and understanding. Spectacularly decent of you.

[Thepigeonsarecoming]

Your on the job courses wouldn’t be relevant, you would need to apply for a formal social work course at your local college/uni. Most would be 3 years, although you’d also need A Level or equivalent qualifications to be eligible

[rabbitheadlights]

Thankyou for that @thepigeonsarecoming that's exactly the kind of info I was looking for

[Thepigeonsarecoming]

If you are interested in helping children in need there are other routes though other than social work. You could look at children’s homes and becoming a care worker, actively working with young people daily. Or at fostering agencies, to become a foster carer. All depends on your individual circumstances

[Aclh13]

You could either follow typical social Work route, or you could follow the the family law route eg activism and help support those families in court.

[Thepigeonsarecoming]

You could also look at becoming a mentor to a young person, via a charity for young people leaving care

[Ineedabreak19]

I've just googled social work degrees so have a look at this one to give you an idea of what what's involved:

www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/social-work