Where can an adult go for career advice?

[fiveacres]

I think I have roughly decided that i want to retrain within the next three years and I know (again with rough parameters!) what I want to do.

What I need is advice on the best sorts of voluntary or paid work to aid me in my application, advice on accessing childcare (will have two preschool children) and ensuring my qualifications are all relevant.

As an adult, I don't know where to access this sort of advice! Does anybody?

Oh, hurray, very happy to find someone who is doing it!

Unfortunately, two of my children are of preschool age so will be in nursery. I should have 15 free hours for the eldest by that time.

Are you on placement during school holidays?

Not the long summer ones. Placement schedules vary by institution but in mine, we do 20 days (4 working weeks) 'fitness to proceed' placement in year one, end Jan - end Feb which straddled a half term. I'll be going out in November until March for 80 days this conj go year but get 2 weeks off at Xmas. Year 3 we do 100 days Nov - April.

Ah, so are you doing the three year course? I wonder how that differs when it is two years.

How have you found it so far?

fiveacres do you already have a degree?

I do, yes.

Sorry posted too soon. There's another route to become a social worker here
I've just finished a degree and I'm considering this for next year when I have my results

Ah, thank you. I do meet that criteria - interesting ...

Another link here
I was initially planning on doing a pgce or scitt after I finished my degree but I've always thought about social work and this looks like an interesting route. Unfortunately applications have closed for this year but I'm hoping they'll still be running the scheme next year.

It looks really full on, which is my only reservation.

I trained and qualified as a social worker, graduating in my thirties. It was a very interesting and enjoyable course (BsC, not masters) but i do have to say it didn't equip me that well for the realities of social work. You learn more about that on your placements - so do make sure you have at least one placement (preferably your final placement) in a statutory setting, in your case if it is children and families you are considering, then in one of the children and families social work teams.
I am in CAMHS now, and while it is incredibly challenging (staff shortages, big caseloads, long hours) it can be extremely interesting and rewarding too.
Good luck.

Thanks, Selks, that's really helpful.

Did you have a family when you qualified? How do you find it balances out?

AFAIK the masters crams the placements in a bit more intensely - I think in Wales you have to do 200 days regardless - and there are more teaching days per week (the BSc has 2 teaching days per week when not on placement).

I'm really loving it, I thought I'd struggle with the return to academia but have been surprised how much I've enjoyed writing the assignments. If you go for the course, I highly recommend getting The Social Work Assignment Handbook, it helps you get to grips with reflective as well as academic writing.

Thanks, Welsh, that's really helpful.

So in the next 2 years I just have to have a baby, put her and her sister in nursery, then juggle,like crazy ... I hope I can do this!

My children were 11 and 13 when I qualified. I went straight into a full time job in the same social work team where I had done my final placement. For a couple of years I had to rely on a hodge-podge arrangement of after school clubs, favours from friends and days at their dads (separated) to cope with school holidays and after school, but it worked out ok.
In social work you do get some unexpectedly long days sometimes (e.g. if a child has to be removed from a family in urgent circumstances etc) so you do need a contingency plan in that scenario.
And make no mistake, working in social work can be very tiring and you need to be VERY good at putting work to one side when you get in your car to go home at the end of a long difficult day.