Not clever enough to be a social worker

[jamiejames]

I am a band 3 secretary for the NHS and have been in a similar role for 10 years. To me this isn't a career, there is no chance to progress and it just feels like a dead end job. I've fe stuck in a rut for a few years now but haven't been sure how to change this. I struggled at school, I have never been naturally academic and i'm just not a very clever person. I do have my maths, English, science but these are all at grade C. I recently done a level 3 business apprenticeship through work and although I passed and done well I really struggled with it and found it very stressful.

Now that I have an 8 month old son and a family of my own I really think it's made me serious about wanting to have a proper career. I rely on DP too much which I hate. I like the idea of social work and think it would suit me but I keep putting this this thought to the back of my mind because I just think it would be too difficult for me and I wouldn't manage it. I have no idea where I would even start. Can any social workers or if you know anyone who is can you tell me more about how the course was, challenges and whether it would be too challenging for me? And what is the best route to take?

You will need a degree to become a social worker which will take a few years. If you struggled at school and arer not very academic, would you be able to cope with that?

You could also do a degree apprenticeship, if you could find one near to you.

There is lots of info here: www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/wider-healthcare-team/roles-wider-healthcare-team/clinical-support-staff/social-worker

I worked for a charity that worked with children in care, think residential home - built up experience and I’m about to start an access to social work course and go to uni next year hopefully.

I would look at youth/child support worker roles and start there, there is the option to study alongside them sometimes.

You could always do the access course to ease you back into studying - you are clever enough and you can do it!!

Social work isn't the most academically rigorous degree though the expectations are fairly high. It's a good career

Why social Work? It's an intense job and that's before studies with a baby.

What about the apprenticeships? There's OT physio and CSW within NHS.

I have previously worked alongside occupational therapists and this role does interest me also. I wouldn't be able to do an apprenticeship as you need to be in a clinical role for this I believe, not an admin worker. I guess this would also come with the same challenges/stress though?

The careers you're thinking of are going to require a degree.

If you found the level 3 business thing you did a struggle and stressful, then can you see yourself getting through a degree?

Are your English, Maths and Science GCSE or A Level?

I'm 46 and was thinking about doing a degree last year but I was told that I would need to get A Level Maths and English and get a grade A or B in those subjects to apply. As it's been a long time since I was at school and can't remember most of the maths it was suggested that I go back and do the GCSE in those subjects again.

So it looks like I'd have to do an access course which I'm guessing is the equivalent to three A Levels? I'm not sure I could do it with two kids....

How motivated are you? Do you have lots of help with the baby when your studying and doing your coursework? Could you hold off having any more children until you qualify?

Don’t confuse being clever with being academic. You can be either one without being the other.

Hi OP, my daughter is studying social work at the moment, just finished 2nd year. This year she has done about 3 months on placement, an "open book" exam, a case study presentation, a poster presentation (group work), a couple of essays, one more reflective, one more research / literature review and some placement reflective work. (I think this is it). A lot of the work has been online / self directed learning with a few in university skills days.

It is reasonably academic, although not the most densely so and there is a fair bit of work so you do need to get your head down and get on with it at times but she has managed to hold down a part time job (20 hours a week) and have a bit of social life when not on placement.

She did terribly in her A-levels and had an alternative entry route to uni but is on track for a good 2:1 currently. As a mature student it might be worth discussing foundation years / access courses / apprenticeships etc. too.

Hope this is helpful!

I felt similar to you. Had no qualifications and left school at 15. I was a carer which was minimum wage and maximum work. I always struggled with learning despite being fairly intelligent. I found out I was dyslexic and have ADD. With the right help I went onto to get 2 degrees at high grades. I work in one of those fields mentioned and one of the best things I have done. Go for it!

Can you look at other admin roles in the NHS? Our ward managers PA has mystery got a band 6 role!

Well firstly there's a difference between not having the intelligence for something and finding it hard and stressful. Most people find exams/learning/degrees/ GCSES etc hard and stressful . It's whether you're willing to do the difficult stressful thing to get to the end result.

I know from your original post that you are definitely clever enouth to achieve you goal.

Please look at access courses at your local college.

By which I mean don't assume you're not academic because you find education hard. 90% of us find it hard. It is hard.

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You don’t need A levels. I’m a social worker and it’s a good career. An access course would be ideal. Something like this leedscitycollege.ac.uk/courses/access-to-he-social-work-level-3-2/ would help you get back into learning and give you confidence. Good luck!

I got Cs and Bs at GCSE, and I worked fairly hard for those B grades, got C in maths and English, was told at school I wasn’t particularly clever. I got a 2:1 degree and I’m now finishing an MSc.
I think most people of average intelligence can get a degree if motivated. I’m 43 now and feel although I’m not as sharp as I was at 18 I’m able to apply myself in a way I struggled to as a teen.

If you don’t want to go into an academic course have you looked at NHS apprenticeships, could you go into an entry level clinical role first? A friend did this, took a few years, but so would a SW. degree.

There is no reason why you can't progress in the NHS - do any other roles interest you? You will have sound admin skills - look at Executive Assistant roles.
Or assisting in a project. It's about transferable skills. Do you talk to patients? What about a PALS role?

I think there are a few Social Work threads on the Mature Study and Retraining board, here:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students

It might be helpful to browse through some of them, OP. Also some discussions on Access courses.

The Access students are the most dedicated and also the most diligent.

You will do this because you belive in yourself and others.

I absolutely agree that most people find academic work stressful and difficult. I’m currently procrastinate because I’m finding my thesis application really difficult. I’ll definitely be able to get it done though.

It's not the degree I'd be worrying about. DBinLaw has a good degree from a good Uni, and had 10 years management experience in a disability charity before that. The SW training was a breeze compared with the reality of his role making judgements about the risks associated with vulnerable people, almost always with inadequate time and partial information, whilst also trying to hold partner agencies to account against their statutory responsibilities, and handle v challenging situations with clients. He regularly spends his weekends preparing urgent paperwork. I'd be asking what your judgement and decision-making skills are like under pressure? How quickly do you assimilate information? How good are your negotiating and influencing skills? How do you get on with people? Do you want a job that with comes with quite a lot of pressure?

Social work requires a degree, but it's not the most academically rigorous degree.

You'd need to do an access course in lieu of A levels and then the 3 year degree.

I know I’m going to get flamed for this, but I mean it kindly: you could do with improving your grammar with regards to standard English if you want to do a degree. You are expected to write in a formal manner, not the way that you speak. This is easily fixed. Google ‘standard English’ and get a workbook to brush up on your communication skills.