To ask your honest opinions of social workers?

[founditdark]

I am due to graduate with my social work degree and feel ready yet apprehensive to go out into the working world.

However, over the past 4 years, some people have been less than complimentary when I told them what I was doing at uni. Including my dad who had a bad experience with social workers growing up. He frequently tells me 'I hate fucking social workers'.

Is this the norm? Is it something I'm better keeping to myself when asked what I do for work?

Also if anyone has any words of wisdom for an (almost) newly qualified social worker please do post.

Thanks

I have likes 90% of social workers I have met and I meet quite a lot!

I guess I view them as generally nice individuals, but they are usually so overwhelmed with the amount of work and lack of support they are mostly of no use. Generally those needing support have to harass them to get anything, and they are often a safeguarding risk to rely on for action.

Obviously some have control issues, like with any work, or are really jaded- but mostly they are nice people with a slight zombie stare about them if you try to share any more information with them.

I wouldn’t dream of doing the job, and only wish luck to those who carry it on with it.

@WlNDMlLL

I appreciate they do a thankless job and are massively underfunded, but as a teacher and SENDCO I've found them next to useless.

I'm a foster carer. I've been in tears because of frustrations caused by social workers.

My current one is AMAZING and she realises how much one of my kids (and myself) has been let down down by the beyond useless SENCO at their school.

Basically there is good and bad in every profession!

i would say keep reminding yourself why you have chosen SW. You will be challenged and question yourself frequently . I think your post about your Dad has probably had an influence and you are looking to compensate for his bad experience.
Good luck in the role, hope you are one of the good ones because they are really needed at the minute

I've been an adult care sw for over 30 years. If asked I sometimes say something vague like 'I work in social care ' due to hostility to social workers. Or I will say 'social worker BUT NOT WITH CHILDREN'. People generally don't know the constraints we work under. How many times do you see police/ambulance/ teachers on a tv programme saying ' we have to be social workers in this job ' and I think 'no you don't'. The job has changed massively, but we still do the bits that aren't covered in other roles. But it's been a privilege working with the people I've seen

@malificent7

Don't be like my friend's social worker who was charmed by her abusive ex only to give custody to him. This is the man who gouged out her dds dolls eyes as she refused to eat broccoli. After 4 years a court ruled that the dd did actually have aspergers, the mum wasn't making it up and the social worker had made the wrong decision!

That's is a really sad story. But please remember no one SW makes decisions, there would have been many people involved and ultimately it would be down to court.

I think that if you are there for the right reasons you will do a great job.
In my personal experience I have come across social workers who I’m sure are not terrible people but obviously not fantastic at their job either and didn’t help me as a child when I most needed it, but I have also had a social worker who is one of the most amazing and caring human beings I have ever met in my entire life and I have nothing but good things to say about her.
I think it really does truly depend on the reasons you have gone into the job.
I would happily be a social worker if I felt that I had the right social skills and the time.

I put social workers in the same category as health visitors. Completely useless

Latest experience with social worker for grandson with SEN and Father with Dementia , mobility and visual issues.
One before last SW for grandson went on longterm leave before covid. Was off for 18 months. In meantime we were dealing with "duty" system who were just completely overwhelmed. No meetings or followups could happen because, covid. Last June we were allocated a new case worker. Dream come true. Followed through on everything she said she would, really worked her socks off. Empathetic without being unprofessional. Communicated well with SENCo and other agencies . Burnt herself out within 6 months. Now working in an area of SW where she gets to be the Good Guy (her words) Have met new SW twice. First time, home visit, punctual, pleasant but hadn't familiarised herself with our file. Supposed to see again in 2 weeks, waited 4. Appointment made , again for home visit, given eta between 3.30 and 5. I had a zoom booked with another agency for 5.30. She turned up at 5.40. My oh spoke with her and explained about Zoom. Still no clue about our file, taled about the weather etc for 10 minutes then left. We are not feeling optimistic but will continue to engage. My Dad has had several SW over lockdown. Very difficult to contact. He had 4 visits from carers per day , good relationship with morning carer (male). Lunchtime patchy to say the least. Time of visit between 11.15 and 1.30.Teatime time of visit between 3.45 and 6pm (see any problems there ?) Bedtime visit withdrawn after 2 months due to staff shortage. SW passed us to care service manager who passed us back. Eventually a new SW was appointed who decided , after a formal assessment that Dad needed 24 hour care and organised a part funded package in a wonderful home. So , good luck to you when you begin your career. You don't just have to deal with clients , you will have managers who prioritise random targets. You will deal with other agencies you know your clients need assistance from but are so over subscribed that waiting lists are 18 months to 2 years, you will encounter cases so dark you will despair and some clients who are an absolute joy. You will need to practice self care and count to 10 (or 100) to not lose your mind over some clients. You are a hero for taking on this role, it's never easy but I am told it can be hugely rewarding

Heroes that do a shitty job for no where near enough money and with a fraction of the support / money they need to provide a service.

Useless box tickers.

My sister is a social worker, a good one I think. She does her best.

On the whole social workers do too little where they’re needed and too much where they’re not. I suspect the work wears them down so they get too stuck in with the easy work.

I’m a foster carer and m Fs has had 23 different social workers while he’s been in my care ( he’s 13 been with us 10 years)some have been good, most have been a complete waste of space.
I have found that most of the newly qualified ones come in thinking they know everything, make ridiculous demands and think they know more about my child than I do. Please don’t be one of those. They end up burning out and leaving.
Fortunately at the moment we have an excellent social worker. Shes been with him for a while and is very caring and pro active. She also gets him a card and little present for his birthday and Christmas. ( I was flamed on here once by a social worker for even suggesting that they should do this)
Just be caring and don’t expect too much of people. Acknowledge people when they contact you, even if it’s just a thumbs up text.
Good luck!

OP just ignore all the negativity…you are all people trying your best and fighting budgets etc I think you are so brave trying to fix society and as long as you have done your absolute best ..be proud !! 💐

@nocoolnamesleft

Underfunded, underresourced, understaffed. Overwhelmed. But mostly trying to do their best.

This. I think many of the caring sectors, health, mental health, aged care, disability care, rehab, children's welfare, legal aide etc are in this same position. Unfortunately politicians and to some extent voters place too little value on these sectors and they've been systematically stripped of resources and good staff burn out and leave. The whole system is a mess.

@BaggingTheWainwrights

Useless box tickers.

A very dismissive comment….explain ?

I am a sw in local authority children's services. Its quite a shit show. I have some incredible moments with children and families, but on the whole it's utterly soul destroying. I'm sorry op. The amount of cases and the level of complexity makes it impossible to do a good job, or the job you want to do. As the sw you are the face of a broken system and will get blamed for all the dysfunctions and inadequacies. I get a lot of shit from families but I don't mind that, i understand it. Its the shit from the organisation; the gaslighting, toxic work environment and bullshit red-tape, that feels corrosive. Im on my way out. Luckily a sw degree opens a few doors across the sectors so you will have choices. Good luck and look after yourself

I think the Recruitment process and criteria needs improvement. Too many Social Workers aren't strong enough to be 'up to the job' - so we've got a shortage as so many leave, get too 'stressed out' and go sick, etc.

See this shows zero understanding of the job. Putting ‘stressed out’ in quotation marks is the main clue. Of course social workers need to be tough enough to challenge - but it’s not this which leads to burnout. Social workers leave for many reasons, but it’ll be the minority who leave because they get too stressed out by the bones of the job. I left local authority social work because of the bureaucracy, impossible workload meaning I couldn’t safely do the job I wanted to do, getting blamed for political decision making, and being massively undervalued. I actually enjoyed working with and alongside children and families, and I wasn’t at all afraid to challenge (parents or management) but the culture in the local authority is what got me in the end and drove me to leave child protection work, and I think that’s the case for a lot of my former colleagues too.

I'm a social worker. I try hard to be a good one, and I hope I succeed. I do sometimes receive lovely comments from service users and families so I guess not everyone hates us!

I remember being in a queue in Costa and chatting to the lady in front. I commented that I needed the caffeine to get me through an afternoon of essay writing and she asked what I was studying. When I told her it was social work she beamed at me and thanked me for having the courage to go into such a challenging but much-needed role. It honestly made my year. Your detractors will shout loud (and long) but they don't speak for everyone.

@Thefrenchconnection1

I put social workers in the same category as health visitors. Completely useless

Yeah thanks for that I save lives every day at work but apparently though highly trained and professional like most of my colleagues, I am a waste of space. Please tell that to the doctors and nurses too. good job we don't take on board ridiculous prejudice , you may have met a bad social worker, I'm sure we've all met bad professionals in all areas of practice but that doesn't overgeneralise in any way to some of the most dedicated and hard working health and social cafe professionals.

I don't know why I am reacting to this as it's not worth a moment of my very busy time. I have a family am disabled and work incredibly long and hard hours to support our people in our community, I am adult disability sw .

@Thefrenchconnection1

I put social workers in the same category as health visitors. Completely useless

There was definitely one child who passed across my path who would have died without social services involvement. SWs work in a flawed underfunded system and can obviously be flawed themselves but without them more children would die.

@Welshmaenad

I'm a social worker. I try hard to be a good one, and I hope I succeed. I do sometimes receive lovely comments from service users and families so I guess not everyone hates us!

I remember being in a queue in Costa and chatting to the lady in front. I commented that I needed the caffeine to get me through an afternoon of essay writing and she asked what I was studying. When I told her it was social work she beamed at me and thanked me for having the courage to go into such a challenging but much-needed role. It honestly made my year. Your detractors will shout loud (and long) but they don't speak for everyone.

😍 ♥️♥️♥️

Too many of them blame their uselessness on "underfunding."

@Welshmaenad

I'm a social worker. I try hard to be a good one, and I hope I succeed. I do sometimes receive lovely comments from service users and families so I guess not everyone hates us!

I remember being in a queue in Costa and chatting to the lady in front. I commented that I needed the caffeine to get me through an afternoon of essay writing and she asked what I was studying. When I told her it was social work she beamed at me and thanked me for having the courage to go into such a challenging but much-needed role. It honestly made my year. Your detractors will shout loud (and long) but they don't speak for everyone.

Good for you 💕💕

@Ikeptgoing

In adult social care, many of the informal and comments complaints are because a social workers cannot override their loved ones humans rights and they expect us to behave unlawfully. In most of the cases, this comes because they love their parent/sibling/adult child but they don’t accept the law. I understand the strong desire to protect a vulnerable family member. It’s a very human and understandable reaction. However, we cannot breach someone’s humans rights because their relative is anxious and wants a really restrictive care plan - even if it’s coming from a kind place.

This is a really well said paragraph.

Totally agree. 99% of the conflict I face is with family members who can't accept or appreciate that it's my job to advocate for the wishes of an adult with capacity to make the choice they are making.