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Original poster

I am aged 49, am single, rent a flat, and have no savings and no pension. I am a newly qualified social worker...

55 replies

Butterflywing · 08/09/2021 19:59

Which is financially best for me: doing an Assisted Year ( AYSE) as an NHS or Local Council Social Worker?

OP posts:
CloseYourEyesAndSee · 08/09/2021 20:01

What the relative pay and progression?
Child protection is the best paid usually.

Original poster
Butterflywing · 08/09/2021 20:03

No I can't go into child protection, too upsetting!

OP posts:
Jayinthetub · 08/09/2021 20:03

Depends on the LA - differing pay rates for ASYE. Not sure about NHS. Children's frontline teams often pay better.

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General money
Original poster
Butterflywing · 08/09/2021 20:04

I want to start saving towards a pension after being surrounded by everyone who has one. I hope it's not too late?!

OP posts:
Original poster
Butterflywing · 08/09/2021 20:06

Does anyone know what NHS AYSE social workers earn?

OP posts:
CloseYourEyesAndSee · 08/09/2021 20:06

Too late for what?
You'll presumably be working now until you retire so you can start a pension. You must start one! It is too late to retire with a lot of money but it will be better than nothing

CloseYourEyesAndSee · 08/09/2021 20:07

@Butterflywing

Does anyone know what NHS AYSE social workers earn?
Have you not looked yourself? Why haven't you applied already? ASYE starts now - you won't get on a programme until next year now
Namechange600 · 08/09/2021 20:08

I don’t know but wanted to say well done on retraining in your 40s xx 🎉

gettingolderbutcooler · 08/09/2021 20:09

In our nhs team the SW are seconded from council, so not nhs pay.

Original poster
Butterflywing · 08/09/2021 20:10

Would I be able to ask a public sector employer to double or treble my contributions from my salary to make up for lost time or doesn't it work that way?

OP posts:
CloseYourEyesAndSee · 08/09/2021 20:11

@Butterflywing

Would I be able to ask a public sector employer to double or treble my contributions from my salary to make up for lost time or doesn't it work that way?
Haha No I highly doubt that
Bobbybobbins · 08/09/2021 20:12

@Butterflywing

Would I be able to ask a public sector employer to double or treble my contributions from my salary to make up for lost time or doesn't it work that way?
I don't think this is possible. But you could do additional voluntary contributions.
Fivefourthreetwo · 08/09/2021 20:13

I can make additional contributions to my public sector pension, but the employer's contribution remains the same

bridgeofslides · 08/09/2021 20:15

Imagine the pension contributions are much the same.
In my area nhs is adult social care and local authority is children.
I'm a children's sw but not nqsw by a long shot.

Original poster
Butterflywing · 08/09/2021 20:15

I didn't know I had to apply for an AYSE early? When I was on placement I was too busy looking after my DC, studying and working, I had no time to apply too!

Thank you for saying well done to me for retraining, it took a huge amount of effort, stress and tears. But I got there and my children are very proud of me.

I am worried about the future though as I haven't been in a position to save or have much time for myself over the years.

OP posts:
bridgeofslides · 08/09/2021 20:20

@Butterflywing

I didn't know I had to apply for an AYSE early? When I was on placement I was too busy looking after my DC, studying and working, I had no time to apply too!

Thank you for saying well done to me for retraining, it took a huge amount of effort, stress and tears. But I got there and my children are very proud of me.

I am worried about the future though as I haven't been in a position to save or have much time for myself over the years.

I'm sorry but saying asye had started already isn't true in my local authority at all. We have asyes coming through various programmes who qualify throughout the year and we have a rolling recruitment system for them. Start and end times for asye are flexible
Garriet · 08/09/2021 20:25

Well done on qualifying. I know how tough it is.

I was one of the first cohort to do the ASYE program when it was voluntary, back then there wasn’t a specific time to begin it, it just started when your employment started - I guess that’s changed?

Regarding salary, it’s best to get online, look at the NHS jobs pages and the local authority job pages and compare. It really depends as well what you’re looking for. In my opinion, what’s most important for NQSWs isn’t the pay - it’s the team, the support, and crucially the management and supervision etc.

Original poster
Butterflywing · 08/09/2021 20:26

I am glad to hear that!

OP posts:
Original poster
Butterflywing · 08/09/2021 20:32

How will I find out all that before I start though how good the management is?

What would doing an AYSE on a Review Team entail?

OP posts:
NoToast · 08/09/2021 20:33

You qualified as a single parent with children?Congratulations you are flippin' amazing!

Kpo58 · 08/09/2021 20:40

If you are in the LGPS, you can buy extra contributions. You can read about it in detail here: www.lgpsmember.org/arm/already-member-extra.php

Original poster
Butterflywing · 08/09/2021 20:41

Thank you! Yes there were a few of us!

Assuming I retire at 65 I have a few years to go before I even get a full state pension, looking after my DC gives me 12 years' contributions I think it is.

Not sure how many qualifying years I need to get a full state pension?

So as you can see I am in a precarious situation but I am keen to work hard to rectify it.

OP posts:
Iris1980 · 08/09/2021 20:56

Congratulations on retraining. I work for a local authority in adults and it’s my understanding that it’s the same pay structure for social workers in the local authority as the nhs. Also my local authority has a rolling asye programme so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue when you start- every three months a new asye cohort starts the programme where I work.

Best of luck! I retained too and I love my job. Stressful at times but so rewarding. Also opportunities to boost your income if you do BIA.

Iris1980 · 08/09/2021 20:57

Also if you train to be a practice educator you usually get paid extra for that too so that’s another option for more money. Think you can train to be PE after two years

Northernsoullover · 08/09/2021 21:02

I'm in exactly the same position as you but a different profession. 49, no pension, graduated in July. I'm working for the LA on 35k and just hope I get enough pension at the end of it. Health permitting I'll work until I expire Sad