Career advice/ health and social care/ childhood studies

[Olindia]

hello all, just looking for any advice or thoughts.
I am in my late 30s and have an ok job which is all I ever wanted to do ( and still enjoy it) but it is pretty dead end and there is no progression.
I had a baby (now 3) and realised that I wanted more prospects so I studied at our local-ish college and completed a foundation degree in health and social care (I got a distinction if it is relevant). I am now doing a top up in childhood studies.
My dilemma is that I live in a very remote rural location, the top up is online. My two nearest towns are 40 mins away which is probably where I’d be looking for work. I initially wanted to aim for social work (would obviously need to do a ma so more study) but I would quite like to work in a pastoral role in a school as well. I just feel like I’d quite like to be qualified as “something” my other interest is speech and language therapy but the nearest uni running the course is a 2 hour drive and it’s attending 2-3 days a week so I don’t feel it’s really doable?
I just wondered if anyone has done similar or does something that I haven’t thought of? I don’t really want to work with children in a nursery/ teaching day to day but would like to solve problems, i really enjoy working in a high pressure environment. My current role can be quiet or crazy and I really enjoy the crazy days with lots of emergencies. Thank you if you have got this far, I have tried to keep it short but if there’s anything else just ask :)

I’m not sure about the necessary qualifications but have you considered being an Educational Psychologist? As you need to study at home I suggest looking at what the OU has to offer.

What is the actual benefit to you in living in a very remote rural location? If you achieve the qualifications you want - how are you going to work effectively? Quite honestly, with the rest of your life to prepare for, and one small child, I would be looking to move to somewhere that makes more sense.

(I once had an even longer commute to a place of study - it was awful, exhausting, stupid. I should have arranged something better.)

Unfortunately moving isn’t an option unless I leave my OH (which is tempting sometimes 😂)
it is true though and my friends (although mostly from my current work so aren’t totally unbiased) ask what the point of it all is but I just feel like I can do more. The two towns that are 40 mins away are population circa. 50,000 and have a hospital and secondary schools which is what I was thinking of when I first started the foundation degree.
Yes thank you, I have been looking at the OU which do run a ma in social work but you need to be employed, I will look into what role etc as that is an option. I will also look at educational psychology as that sounds interesting. Thank you for your replies.

But what will be the use of an MA in Social Work if you’re nowhere near a central workplace?

I understand your ties to your partner - but are they completely happy to have you completely stuck in terms of career progression, doing a dead end job forever more?

I could work as a social worker in my general area though, in one of the two towns. There are people doing the kind of careers that I am interested in but they have generally trained away and then either returned or moved to the area.
short answer, probably yes 🙈 he is very tied to his job and I moved to him originally. I wish I’d done something when I was younger but hindsight and all. I just went straight into doing what I do now (working with animals) and didn’t foresee that I’d want to do anything different. We do have a nice life but I just want to feel valued at work. I only really work because I want to and I want the money to live a better life but we could “manage” without.

I'm currently doing a health and social care degree with the Ou. Afterwards, I am hoping to do the pgdip 'step up to social work' to become a children's social worker. It's a 14-month course where you work and study and qualify as a social worker. Perhaps you may be able to do that near you.

Do you have childcare for your 3 year old? I ask because you could work as a support worker in a residential children's home. It would be good experience if you then decided to qualify as a social worker too. The shifts tend to either start early (eg 7am) or finish late (eg 9.30pm) though, which is why I asked about childcare.

Shivbo- thank you I have just looked into this and it definitely looks like an option, thank you. How are you finding your degree? I did look at that with the OU. I am enjoying my top-up which is distance learning but doing it through Teesside uni.
cheapskatemum- thank you that is something to consider.