Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To think social worker DH should have found a job by now?

65 replies

Cantdance · 29/09/2013 08:30

My DH has a degree in SW and over twenty years experience working with adults and older people in the community and in care homes. But since moving to Liverpool six months ago he has been unable to find work.

We are really struggling to pay for food, housing etc on just my salary and we don't qualify for any benefits. He is only looking to earn £18k+ so not asking for a fortune.

I know he applies for 5 or more jobs a week and has had some interviews but not gotten anything. Is this normal at the minute - are things really that bad in social work and social care in the northwest?

I go back and forth between being frustrated and angry and then thinking bless him it isn't his fault, he's trying. However he hasn't been to the job centre as he says they'll make him work in Tescos (I wouldn't mind that but he wants to stay in his profession understandably). He also won't work in child protection and finally he won't ring recruiters who put their phone numbers in job ads, just email. AIBU to think he should be doing these things?

OP posts:

holidaysarenice · 29/09/2013 11:34

Qualified experienced social workers are on a lot more than 18k.

I signed with an agency and 4 months later I'm still hounded for work as an ahp. Crazy money too.

whois · 29/09/2013 11:37

He should get himself down to the job centre and claim contributions based JSA. Better than nothing and NI credits.

He should join an agency - get some work, cash and 'local experience' then he will be in a stronger position for applying for full time perm jobs.

He needs to get over his issues of phoning people. Not exactly going to be a good SW if he can't even pick up a phone!

Babycino81 · 29/09/2013 11:48

Hi,

I work in social care in Liverpool. Unfortunately, previous posters are correct; your DP has got Bob and No Hope of getting a job with adults due to the decimation face by adults services social workers and the amount of qualified and experienced social workers who are struggling to not be placed into re deployment. If I were him (I appreciate I'm nt and don't wish to patronise) I would take All agency work offered to me, do CP and safeguarding work and do my best to get a 'foot in the door'.

I've got a lot of colleagues who are an have been agency staff for years and years and they are currently working in London and Carlisle as work is a lot scarcer than in recent years. Does he have any PQ experience? He may need to look at unqualified work through an agency initially before he finds qualified positions.

Good luck and networking in all areas will help!

TinyCC · 29/09/2013 12:20

Has he widened his search to outside Merseyside? Adult Services are decimated everywhere in the NW at the moment but there are some jobs coming up in Greater Manchester
www.yourcounciljobs.co.uk/ is a decent resource

EhricLovesTeamQhuay · 29/09/2013 12:25

The job centre will let him claim contribution based jsa for 6 months and will not make him look for jobs in tesco. Unless you have signed on long term you are allowed to be specific about what sector you look in.
Adult social care is hard to get into. I think he's making a mistake by not applying for CP. Once he's known in the local authority he will find it easier to move to other teams (presuming he's a good SW) but at the moment he's untested.

Original poster

Cantdance · 29/09/2013 13:07

Thanks, all. Just to clarify he is happy to phone to ask for things for service users, just not for himself. I know he's excellent at what he does. He was a manager in his old job and all his staff and clients adored him. He had an excellent reputation there, but yes is unknown and unproven here.

Thanks for the agency and website recommendations.

Dash yes I make a good wage but as we have been unable to sell our previous home despite pricing it well below valuation (long story told on a different thread) we are paying mortgage and council tax on two properties which we struggle with. We can just about keep going as we are by shopping only at Aldi, never going anywhere that costs money, being careful with petrol/cycling everywhere etc but its tough. I also have student loans to pay.

DH is currently looking for and signing up with agencies as we speak. Fingers crossed.

Babycino he has over 20 years PQ experience. Thanks for your post which makes it clear how tough it is in Liverpool.

OP posts:

dashoflime · 29/09/2013 18:29

Oooh crap- that explains everything

Original poster

Cantdance · 30/09/2013 17:57

Thanks, dash, thanks all. Feeling slightly more positive today, not for any particular reason except he has applied for three jobs this week already and it's only Monday. Fingers crossed something will come through.

OP posts:

dashoflime · 30/09/2013 18:57

Somethings bound to in the end

LIZS · 30/09/2013 18:59

has he tried volunteering , it may help him make local contacts.

CharlotteBronteSaurus · 30/09/2013 19:08

things are pretty shocking in the NW jobs market
there are very few vacancies locally outside of child protection. most local authorities are not replacing staff who leave or retire.

He needs to get some locum work to get his face known locally. The last three SWs we hired in my office were two previous students, and one from a local provider agency who had worked closely with our service.

Original poster

Cantdance · 01/10/2013 06:06

Charlotte, I've told him about your three latest hires which is a very good reason to try locum work. Thanks that was very convincing. If anyone knows of any more good agencies to try we'd love to hear about them. We live between Liverpool and southport and he has tried Reed but only in response to specific posts. Not quite sure how to sign up with them and others.

OP posts:

KatyTheCleaningLady · 01/10/2013 06:14

He could clean houses or windows. I know four men who do housecleaning. It's not just for women.

KatyTheCleaningLady · 01/10/2013 06:15

Wait, seven men. I forgot my husband and a couple competition.

BikeRunSki · 01/10/2013 06:22

Why will he not ring agencies?
If social work in local authorities is anything like the public body I work for then there may bee two things working against him if he does not ring )

1: We are not allowed to advertise;,this was introduced a few years ago. By us having our vacancies with an agency, they can include our vacancies.
2: Because our funding beyond the end of the financial year is uncertain (every year for the last few) many posts are filled with agency staff, or as temporary posts, which become long term positions as new funding us allocated.

BadLad · 01/10/2013 06:33

Finally- does he pull his weight in other areas? i'd expect a lot of housework and childcare from an unemployed man

The second sentence of this is incredibly unhelpful. He shouldn't have the time to do more houseworkjust because he is unemployed. If he is unemployed, then he should see looking for a job as his job. That means being up and showered early in the morning, and then job-hunting, whether that means looking for jobs online or out of the house, brushing up his CV, working on applications. Take a lunch break, then continue job-hunting until the evening.

Certainly don't let him sit around, but you want him spending the time job-hunting, or doing the housework might become a reason not to job-hunt.

And I agree, five jobs in a week is not many to apply for unless they were incredibly complex and taking application forms.

dashoflime · 01/10/2013 07:34

Oh, C'mon Badlad Yes Jobhunting is a job in itself. Yes he should put effort into it.
But its a also a "job" that takes place mostly in the house at the PC and has no commuting. Its obviously easier for the out of work partner to do more of the housework.
Which OP's DH is doing- to his credit.

dashoflime · 01/10/2013 07:39

And I disagree that 5 jobs a week is too little.

I know from jobhunting myself- a few come up at a time.

If you've applied for them and then dredged around all the usual places and satisfied yourself that there are no others coming up to apply for- then your task is done and yes, you can do some housework. And wait for some more to come up next week.

I really don't agree with wearing yourself out applying for anything and everything, relevant or not just so that you can feel you've put the work in.

As I've stated before- once you step outside of your own field (y'know where you have something to say for yourself and there's some reason for them to hire you over someone else) then the law of diminishing returns kicks in and it becomes less and less worth your effort to do it.

I agree agencies are a good idea- but even then its mostly a case of occasionally ringing them to see if anythings come in and then waiting around.

Turniptwirl · 01/10/2013 08:44

It is really hard job hunting at the moment

But he needs to step up a gear and start phoning , not just emailing company's. Sign on at the job centre , if they try to force him to work in pound land you lose the benefits you've been doing without until now anyway, you'll cope. Try agency work.

If the problem is lack of local experience (which I agree is stupid), then he needs to get some! Volunteer work in relevant fields will help and get him meeting people and making contacts.

Lagoonablue · 01/10/2013 08:49

Adult services tend to be contracted out so he needs to find out which providers are being used and contact them direct.

saintlyjimjams · 01/10/2013 08:53

Do you have any local SW friends, or friends of local SW who he could meet for a coffee and advice (such as lagoon's comment about needing to know which providers are being used)

Preciousbane · 01/10/2013 09:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BadLad · 01/10/2013 09:09

Oh, C'mon Badlad Yes Jobhunting is a job in itself. Yes he should put effort into it.
But its a also a "job" that takes place mostly in the house at the PC and has no commuting. Its obviously easier for the out of work partner to do more of the housework.
Which OP's DH is doing- to his credit.

Well, that's assuming that he isn't going to any interviews.

But I just disagree with the sentiment. When I have been out of work, I have always put in a full day's time into looking for a job, be that touching up my CV, looking for jobs at the PC, or getting out of the house and looking for those opportunities that are harder to find. The more seriously I take it, the more luck I seem to have, hence being totally serious when it happens.

I suppose I just see the "you're not working, so you can do more of the housework" as somewhat dismissive of the process of looking for a job. It wasn't the OP who said that, it was someone else. I also think it risks being something that you can do to procrastinate when you don't feel like getting on with job hunting.

If he is getting interviews, then he must be doing something right.

fairy1303 · 01/10/2013 09:12

The field is tough at the mo. A lot of internal only posts.

I got a low level position, got a personnel number and then got an internal job as a sw.

I feel for him. It is not easy and I also think if you are qualified in something like SW it can be hard to get other work - over qualified, not suitable etc etc.

samandi · 01/10/2013 09:19

He left to move with me for my work so totally not his fault.

Perhaps you shouldn't have moved if you would be struggling without a second wage. Six months is nothing. I wouldn't want to do a job not in my field either in that situation.

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread