Has anyone studied Safeguarding?

[Anonymouse007]

Hello Mumsnet,

I have 3 kids (aged 1 to 5). I graduated with a psychology undergrad in 2019 (got a 2:2). I took a year out to look after the kids and now I'm thinking about my future.

Currently, my partner works and I'm at home. He's encouraging me to return to academia because I love it and I want to 'prep' for when I can work in the future (maybe another 2-3 years?).

I'm considering a Master's degree in Safeguarding Adults & Children. My other option is Forensic Psychology MSc.
The Safeguarding course is mostly online and would fit around my personal life. The Forensic degree is outside my city.

My main question is, has anyone studied Safeguarding? Should I just go for it? The modules are really interesting and I think I could eventually train as a social worker.

Doing Forensic Psychology would mean I could register as a Chartered Psychologist in the future (and all the fancy frills and trims that come with being chartered) but the degree is less safeguarding and more science-y.

Any advice from you wise women? It's going to cost me 7k so I want it to be worth it!

SHORT VERSION:
Want to prep for future. Should I study MSc Safeguarding or Forensic Psychology? Looking for experiences of safeguarding & its prospects.

Thank you :)

If you're wanting to boost your academic credentials, maybe compromise with a post graduate diploma instead if there's an interesting one? It would be shorter and cheaper and easier to do with young children at home. The masters in safeguarding won't qualify you for anything as such, because you won't have any real life employed experience. Plus many people who sit on MASH teams for example, are already qualified social workers.

Regarding the forensic psychology - have you spent any time in prisons? It would be a very different environment to the previous school experience. You're definitely young enough to go for it if you want to! But not for the faint hearted.

If the safeguarding is the most interesting element to you, many local government roles that involve working with children or vulnerable adults (unfortunately) entail a lot of safeguarding. Or roles in schools such as family support worker.

child protection/an element of psychology and working with children but I am trying to work out what I could work towards. The main thing is I can’t work/study on campus for at least a year or two but I don’t want to sit ‘doing nothing’. I know I sound utterly confused, probably because I am!

I think I lost the start of my quote, but I don’t think that sounds like a lot of direction already. (More than I have!). Some advice I picked up is to put key phrases in to job searches to see what jobs come up. Similarly, them in to Linked in and approach people that come up, for advice.

Finally, you may find the site CareerShifters.org interesting and helpful. I find their case studies inspiring.

Argh! “but I don’t think that sounds like a lot of direction already” should read “that does sound like a lot of direction already”!

Have you considered teacher training? You could spend this next year volunteering and seeing if you like it.

@AdoptAdaptImprove

Without sounding mean, have you checked course criteria for the Masters courses you’re interested in? It’s 20 years since I took mine, but unless things have changed you couldn’t get on an MA or MSc course without at least a 2:1. You might need to look at a more vocational path to a new career.

I have a masters with a 2:2

[quote StormzyInaDCup]@Anonymouse007 let me give you a glimpse of real social work. 60-80 hour weeks are not uncommon. Imagine going into work with your to do list, only two of your 30 cases have been flagged as requiring your attention immediately. Plus you're due in court this afternoon and you have not even begun that statement for court you need to pass to legal in 3 days.

Constant stress about deadlines, the kind that keeps you awake or makes you cry. It's not just paperwork, this is children's safety and lives.

I'm in management now, in a city where we don't have anywhere near enough staff and the staff we have are just about coping. Some are off with stress, some probably should be off. It's a great job when you have good outcomes, but it's truly gruelling as a career.[/quote]
I'm a social worker and have never worked over my 35 hours. I work in child protection. This is an extreme and dysfunctional example of a social work department.

Don't waste £7k on a masters if you want to be a social worker. Do something cheap and spend whatever free time you have volunteering if you can and do the social work masters in a couple of years when you can. It's much better to be a bit older as a social worker anyway.

If you are thinking of becoming a social worker when not just go straight for the social work course? Safeguarding will be included in the course and you will continue to study safeguarding as part of your Continuing professional development.

Masters degrees are often 'cash cows' for universities these days and they will happily give you a place and take your money whether it's the right course for you or not. I would try and find out more about social work and also teaching. Maybe get some experience? Good luck!

the clinical psych route may well be the best one but IME it is very competitive and even then if you end up working in CAMHS etc you may find that it is more about fire fighting than making a difference.

This has sadly most definitely been my experience of working in camhs in the last few years. it's largely a broken system.

If you do want to go down the clin psy route, and have time on your hands to do a masters, then you could do worse than a masters in research methods or similar. It would definitely be looked upon favourably by selection panels. But it's still an extremely competitive training route and I'd think very carefully about why exactly you want to do it.

You can’t be a social worker without a degree or post grad in social work. You could spent the time doing a masters in safeguarding but you’ll still then have the professional SW qualification to complete once your done. That’s a huge amount to spend on higher education.

@CodenameVillanelle I've worked all across the UK. I'm an agency operations manger now, but with the exception of my newly qualified role, this has been my experience of social work.

In 20 plus local authorities, I have never worked 35 hours a week. It's not extreme, its the norm in a sector where finding has been repeatedly slashed.

[quote StormzyInaDCup]@CodenameVillanelle I've worked all across the UK. I'm an agency operations manger now, but with the exception of my newly qualified role, this has been my experience of social work.

In 20 plus local authorities, I have never worked 35 hours a week. It's not extreme, its the norm in a sector where finding has been repeatedly slashed.[/quote]
Well ok but I am actually working as a social worker now and I'm telling you this is my experience, believe me or don't believe me

I work as a DSL in a school (I have lots of student contact and it is definitely not an administrative role). I'm not a qualified teacher and got in to it via pastoral roles in school. I too have a 2:2 degree. Schools and any organisation such as a charity (who I've also worked for as a DSL) require you to have a level 4 certificate in safeguarding, usually specifically thr DSL certificate which we have to re-do every 3 years, they cost a couple of hundred pound (though my school fund mine every time it needs renewing). Spending thousands on a Safeguarding Masters is pointless, you will still need the Level 4 to get an actual job. The Safeguarding Masters won't actually lead to any particular jobs so I wouldn't do it with a career in mind. As others have said, you're better off doing something like social work which will qualify you for a multitude of jobs. You can do a Masters in Social Work with a 2:2, I was offered the opportunity 3 years ago when I worked for the local council, I couldn't afford not to earn a full time wage as I was living alone at the time so didn't take up the opportunity. I'd recommend waiting till you have time to commit to do it rather than wasting thousands on a Masters that won't really have any financial pay off or do the DSL certificate, it's a 2 day course.

@Haffdonga I respectfully disagree, almost all secondary schools will have a non-teaching safeguarding member of staff with that as their follow time role. My current school has 3. One DSL and 2 Safeguarding Officers.

I'm always on the look put for new jobs (I'd love a pay increase and smaller commute) and there are lots of jobs in my area.

@CodenameVillanelle I'm in social work now too. So I'm not sure what your getting at?

I never said I did not believe you 🤔. Just pointing out that (in my experience) you are the exception rather than the rule.

The point is to help @Anonymouse007 with her career decision. It would be remiss to provide her with a sense that social work is an easy 35 hour week. It's not.

Really interesting thread so thank you OP.

I don't have a degree, or even A Levels. After having dc2 I became a SAHM but volunteered at our local Children's Centre doing a couple of roles and getting free training along the way (Safeguarding being one of them as I'm working directly with families and young children). A few years later and when I was ready to re-enter the world of work I've now got a part time job with them and am now exploring different options re: training and qualifications.

So I'd thoroughly recommend volunteering somewhere like that so you can dip your toes in the water and see if it's for you without spending years/thousands of pounds on study.