It's interesting that some of the careers that aren't that much on the radar, or have a bad press such as an Adults Social Worker, can be such a wonderful job and so rewarding.
It's a shame the newspapers don't focus on the very good work that is being done to help and support those who cannot protect themselves from harm.
I had no idea what Social Work meant before I retrained. The amount of wonderful work that is being done in such social work fields as Older Adults' mental health, forensics ( working with prisoners), hospitals, fostering and adoption, Community, homeless support etc etc day in day out by dedicated Social Workers often behind the scenes and unacknowledged by the wider population as the focus is always on doctors and nurses.
What social work does is not just asking what is wrong with you, but finding out more such as what happened to you that lead to your situation now? And what do you feel about it and how can we support you to make things better?
Sometimes the answer does not lie with a pill. Sometimes it takes a holistic view of the background and the present situation and environment, social circle etc and barriers that might make someone unwilling to reach out, such as the intersection of substance misuse, childhood trauma and mental health concerns.
It's by connecting the dots that progress can be made to work together with someone and give them a voice.
There is no better job!
I am in the fortunate position to be independently wealthy and do not need to do this work but there is a crying need for social workers so what more reason is there in life if you have the resources to do something to help and support others less fortunate than yourself? that is why I am so passionate about doing the best I can for others. I hope my post will encourage others who may be unfilled in their current roles to retrain! It takes a couple of years and another stint at university but for those who are open minded, bright and interested in ' giving back' I totally recommend it.