Are there any social workers around?! Really need help (Uni Interview)

[InterviewNervess]

Hi all

I wondered if there are any social workers around that could help - I have an interview on Thursday for a BA Social Work course and I’m prepping.

One thing is giving me an absolute mental block - social policy and why this is so important in SW.

I know what social policy is (I think!) and I understand that it is important to have a knowledge of social policy but I am struggling to link it to social work in real terms. I haven’t been in education for many years, this is something I really should know - I’ve written essays on the welfare system, and welfare reform but honestly, my mind is blank when I try and explain why it is important out in the field. I really struggle with this area.

Can anyone help, please?

Social policy is important because it is likely to impact on the people that you are working with and also potentially impact the kinds of people that you are working with. For instance the changes in benefit payments (about 14/15 years ago) meant that payments could no longer go directly to landlords leading to a huge shift in people including families and older adults or those with poor.mental health, being found intentionally homeless which meant that their housing needs them became a social.work issue to fund and address.

Basically, service users aren't a separate group, all policy changes are likely to impact on those already known, as well as potentially impacting on who may need to access services.

Hope that makes sense, please ask if not!

Hiya. Social policy has a massive impact. Eg welfare reform has the power to create more poverty. Poverty makes people’s lives harder. More stress, less money impacts health for parents and children. More stress increases rosk of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse harms the victim (usually a woman) and children who experience it. Ergo… social policy change increases risk to children. As SWers, you’re working in a context where there is more domestic abuse and harm to children.

I like to think that social workers act in the space where social policy meets actual people. So the policy change impacts them, and we try to help them navigate the change to lesen the negative impact. Maybe one day there will be a social policy change that helps instead of harms…. (Wishful thinking)

I wouldn’t worry too much about knowing this in depth. You’ll cover it at uni. They’ll just want to see that you have an interest & ability to consider, reflect on the workings of the world.

From the top of my head it’s useful to recognise the role of the welfare state & how SW developed within this. So going from being a church based thing, to a recognised profession. Read up on beveridge report if you want to impress.

You could Reflect on attitudes on who ‘deserves’ support from the state & how inequalities are often misjudged as people choosing not to work/ to be poor/ lack of opportunities.

I’d recommend reading up on current affairs, in particular demonstrate an awareness of the Valdo Calocane case.

good luck!

Thank you all so much - those are along the lines of what I was thinking of, but I thought I was getting it wrong because they are examples of social policy having a negative impact on the most vulnerable, when I thought the aim of social policy was to improve the living conditions and outcomes of the most vulnerable in society.

I was trying to think of positives, in that social policy can actually improve social work practice, but I’ve clearly got the wrong end of the stick entirely, because I can’t think of anything positive 😂

@magicscares thank you, I am actually familiar with the Beveridge report and the history of social work so I appreciate the reminder!

I think I’m just over thinking/experiencing a bit of imposter syndrome really.

If you want a positive example, universal free school meals for infants could be a good one to use? But ultimately in social work we do tend to be working with people for who the 'system' either doesn't do enough or do it quite right for some reason. So that social policy often doesn't feel very positive

@KnickerlessFlannel thank you, I feel much more comfortable understanding the negative impacts of social policy, and I understand the link to social work much better thanks to these replies.

I had completely got it wrapped around my head trying to link “positive policies” with those accessing services and just couldn’t.

I am not a social worker but I do have some experience of social policy in a voluntary role I do.

Our social policy work involves gathering evidence of problems for our wider national body to campaign on. I tell trainees that it helps us potentially make an impact on more than just our clients.

For example campaigning on carpets in social housing has affected some changes in policy. That helps the people who’ve come in to us because they can’t afford flooring but it also helps other people and may reduce demand on us.

@MichaelBurnhamFan thank you for this perspective, it is helpful to know how policy reform can come about!

What else are you prepping?

The working together to safeguard children www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2 was altered in Oct 2023 and is currently very fresh in SW child safeguarding practice atm. A hot topic,

The nspcc have written a very good article
On the changes to the guidance

The SWE professional standards

www.socialworkengland.org.uk/standards/professional-standards/

And the 9 PCF's BASW would also be a great start too for interview prep

new.basw.co.uk/training-cpd/professional-capabilities-framework-pcf

@tearsandtiaras thank you!!

Prepping -
Social policy
Legislation
Professional standards

Those links are great, I appreciate that.

@InterviewNervess how did it go?

@magicscares I think it went well!

There was three parts, a written test where a question/title was given and we had to write an essay within 30 minutes.

A group exercise overseen by the interview panel and then a formal interview with a panel of three people.

At the end of the interview they said that they wanted me to know that I had given an excellent interview and performed well in the group task which is promising, but you need to pass all three sections to be offered a place so it’s just a waiting game now! They did say they hoped to let everyone know this week.

Sounds like you smashed it then. Well done 👍

I got offered a place!!

Brilliant!

Came to this late but yay well done! Welcome to the crazy world of social work - it's tough but it's absolutely worth it!

Thank you, I am so excited!

Well done @InterviewNervess 👏