Requirements for Social Work

[Tiny2018]

Hi guys 😊
After reading a post this morning about a lady who has been offered a job but does not have a necessary GCSE, I thought I would ask about my own situation.

I have decided that I would quite like to go into Social Work. One of my friends has recently qualified on the Masters Programme and often rings me to tell me I would smash the job. I am a carer, currently awaiting a start date in a care home that provides end of life care. I love care work, but feel at 38 it's time to start thinking long term.

I have an upper 2:1 Degree, and 5 GCSE's at C and above, but got an E in Maths, I am utterly useless at it. The Social Work Masters requires English and Maths at C or above.

I can do a Maths Functional Skills at college in September, but that does not finish until the Masters is underway next year 😕

Is anybody aware of any other route in that can get around my poor Maths qualification, or am I absolutely just going to have to get it done?

I applied for the Probation Service last year but did not make it in, so may well apply for that again when applications reopen.

Your best bet is to ring the uni where you want to study and ask them if they would accept you if you did functional math alongside the course.

Someone on my msc course did their maths gcse alongside the SW qualification. As pp said, best to call the course leader at the uni & ask. Good luck

Thank you for your responses guys.
This is actually what my friend did, but I'm sure I called last year and they said they would not do this (Can't remember exactly as had a lot going on at the time).

Yep, have just checked the universities website and it stipulates GCSE's must be obtained before applying for the course 😢
Is an apprenticeship an option?

There isn't really an apprenticeship route......but some local authorities will find your degree while you work for them as a family support worker. This is normally delivered via the open university and so you are likely to find the same problem. You are young enough to just from your teeth and get the qualification done then apply next year. The other options are to apply via frontline or head start which are employment based routes to qualification. This depends whether you want to work in adults or children!

The experience you will get working on the end of life programme will be valuable and help get you onto the masters. At the uni I went to there was an emphasis put on maths at the interview stage as we had to do a maths test and show a gcse grade c or above certificate. All the different options for getting into social work specify your maths and English GCSEs or equivalent grade c or above as a prerequisite.

Have you looked up at Step up to Social Work? It’s a 14 month work/study based program that you must have a 2:2 degree to access. You do also need a gcse c in maths but you applications for 2024 haven’t opened yet so you could do your gcse whilst applying.

Brilliant guy, thank you so much for your suggestions and advice! Will apply today for the functional skills and will have a look at step up to social work Teapotstan

ednatheevilwitch I have worked in the care field for 5 years now, with mental health, challenging behaviours, learning disabilities and Dementia, so plenty of experience 🥰

guys*