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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Becoming a social worker

101 replies

debbs77 · 03/03/2017 21:12

I'm looking to study a BA in Social WORK with a view to eventually becoming a social worker.

I've been a full time mum for 13 years and always wanted to work in the health sector. Always wanted to be a midwife but as a single mum the study and placements etc make it impossible for now.

I'd like to be a social worker and perhaps look further later on in to end of life care.

Have anyone done this? Can anyone recommend somewhere for distance learning?

OP posts:
Original poster
debbs77 · 03/03/2017 21:45

So definitely the BA route

OP posts:
30somethingella · 03/03/2017 21:45

Part time is fine. :-)

Once you qualify there's School Social Worker jobs that are term time, part time positions and hospital social worker jobs which are slightly less fast paced.

Original poster
debbs77 · 03/03/2017 21:46

This sounds great! It definitely feels right

OP posts:
dataandspot · 03/03/2017 21:50

I have a 2:1 but it also says you needs 240 UCAS points. I have a Pgce too.

Perhaps I needed to enter those to be counted too? It didn't recognise Pgce.

Braceybracegirl · 03/03/2017 21:51

Sorry I've been around too long. I thought by frontline you meant frontline social work!

wizzywig · 03/03/2017 21:51

Aaagh you need a 2:1 to apply for Think Ahead.

Original poster
debbs77 · 03/03/2017 22:03

The open university one looks good but I've heard they're over priced.

I'll need to look at funding too

OP posts:
30somethingella · 03/03/2017 22:08

Don't worry about funding. It's fully funded. I paid nor a penny! I got a nursery to cover all costs.

30somethingella · 03/03/2017 22:09

Bursary.

Original poster
debbs77 · 03/03/2017 22:09

Ah that's good to know!

OP posts:
Original poster
debbs77 · 03/03/2017 23:00

I can't see how I can get a bursary as I've already done a degree. From what I can see it isn't available

OP posts:
30somethingella · 03/03/2017 23:02

There's different rules now. But there's a lot of different options for finding a social worker course.
You shouldn't have to pay much towards the cost. :-)

You can phone the social work bursary department and let them know your circumstances and they will tell you what you're entitled to

Original poster
debbs77 · 03/03/2017 23:10

That's a great idea, thank you xx

OP posts:
30somethingella · 04/03/2017 07:21

You're a welcome. :-)

If you really want to do it don't let any hurdle stand it your way. I didn't!

rightsaidfrederickII · 04/03/2017 12:44

Frontline says you need 240 minimum UCAS points.

I have a, b,c and that only gives me 120.

Am I missing something?

They're still quoting using the old UCAS tariff, which changed very recently. On the old tariff, ABC would give you 300 points, putting you well over the minimum.

dataandspot · 04/03/2017 14:49

Right said Fred

Thankyou. I found the UCAS website difficult to navigate!

30somethingella · 04/03/2017 15:44

Data have you got an undergrad degree?

Pibplob · 04/03/2017 15:51

I've always wanted to do social work and did a degree in social care (when I went to uni it was before the social work degrees were around)

However, although I can drive, I'm not very confident and hate driving where I don't know where I'm going. I get quite stressed and anxious about it so trying to think of a similar job where driving all over the county isn't required. Any ideas from anyone would be great.

30somethingella · 04/03/2017 15:59

I'm a social worker and can't drive at all. It's not essential. There's some jobs that would be hard to do without a car (child protection especially) but most adults social worker jobs won't require a car and hospital social worker jobs don't require one as there's no visits outside the hospital or very few.

So it's no hindernce.

30somethingella · 04/03/2017 16:01

You need a 2:1 undergrad degree to do frontline.

Blossomdeary · 04/03/2017 16:02

I am a retired SW - when I qualified you had to have a degree and a post-graduate diploma in SW.

I was mainly in hospital and health related settings. I don't think they are less pressured, especially with an ageing population and no money for care. I found that I was more and more being used as just a financial gatekeeper, spending hours filling in forms with people (because it was a legal requirement), knowing full well that no help would be forthcoming.

I went on to specialise in brain injury and found that interesting an challenging. I was glad to retire TBH - there was such a huge change between the work I did at the beginning of my career, when your intelligence, imagination and professionalism were valued and respected, to the latter years when money ruled. The department I worked in was frankly corrupt, with several managers who should not have been there - not properly qualified and time-serving on big salaries and doing nothing at all.

It is worth talking to the SWs on the ground in any department you wish to apply for - they will tell it like it is!

Gallavich · 04/03/2017 16:14

Don't worry about funding. It's fully funded. I paid nor a penny! I got a nursery to cover all costs
No it's not. Especially not through open university. I think an OU social work degree costs about £7-10k.
You can't do social work through the OU unless you're already working in a social care job and your employer is willing to support you, as you will have to do a placement elsewhere.
The masters is the best option for you, if childcare is an issue I would honestly wait until the youngest is at school because it's extremely time consuming.

Pibplob · 04/03/2017 16:18

Thank you 30sonethingella. I have worked with teens most of my life and I guess I was mostly looking at child protection. It may be worth me looking at other social work jobs as its all I've ever wanted to do. Could you tell me more about your job if you don't mind? Or any other social worker on here can you outkine your day / week. Thanks if you can help.

Original poster
debbs77 · 04/03/2017 16:20

I'm not sure I can get a nursery as I've already done a degree, though graduated in 2000! So not sure that would be relevant now!

OP posts:
Gallavich · 04/03/2017 16:27

Bursaries are completely separate to student loans, but not everyone gets one, and they don't apply to OU courses