If I want to be a support/social worker for children how do I become it?

[WaffleDogg20]

My youngest Dd has started school and Iv been a stay at home mum for years. I’m 30 and have zero qualifications but I want to do something for myself.

I currently work as a support worker and would love to become a social worker/support worker for teenagers etc OR counselling/working with mental health.

How do I even do it? Is it even possible? Or do I just give up now?

Of course it’s possible! You just need to have determination, and an understanding of how utterly stressful (and rewarding) social work can be.

You’d need to obtain some GCSEs via either distance learning, or your local college. Then complete an access to higher education, and then finally you’d need to do a social work degree.

So if you’re full time you’d be looking at 5 years of studying at least 2.5 days a week, more for the degree. You’d also do placements during your degree, which aren’t all 9-5, and may include nights, long days and weekends.

I am by no means an expert at all, so there may be a faster route that I don’t know about it.

Have you considered mental health nursing?

Mental health nursing would be my dream. I have suffered with Mh since a child so would love to give soemthing back iyswim

Look up access to nursing courses. You'd need to do one of those, then do a mental health nursing degree. MH staff are so needed. Im an A+E nurse and I see the shortfall in mental health provision daily. Its shocking considering we pride ourselves on our healthcare system.

Professions that require a a qualification to practice can be a bit of a slog to get to if you have to do GCSEs and the an access course before even starting the training.

I'd strongly suggest trying working as a support worker first to see whether nursing is what you think it is. I'm a MH nurse who loves their job, but there are some terrible bits. It can be very stressful and unsafe at times.

You could consider being a residential worker as another option.