Career progression advice needed - social care history but unable to do social work degree

[fallenbehind90]

I am wondering if anyone might be able to help me with my career options.

I have a First Class degree in English and a PGCE. Following my time in teaching I worked in mental health, in Early Help with children and families and I currently work with Care Leavers. It was my goal to get a Social Work qualification and become a Social Worker - I was hoping to do this through programmes such as Frontline or Step Up as doing a 3 year undergrad degree or apprenticeship isn't financially viable for me.

I had the assessment centre for Step Up today and it went terribly. There's no way I will have got a place and I think now the door on social work has shut for me, which I am pretty devastated about because I love working with vulnerable people and supporting them to make positive life changes.

I now need a new plan for career progression and I just don't know where to start. Can anyone advise on where I can go from here?

Have you looked at the OU social work degree? Work and learn at the same time?

Sorry to hear it didn't go as well as you hoped. You never know for sure, but as a back up does the LA you currently work.for.offer apprenticeships? Mine does and all applicants come from.similar backgrounds of work to yourself.

Hi OP, why do you think that the door is shut on you for social work graduate schemes now?
You have heaps of experience and that's what they like. Now you know what to expect from the assessment centre would you do better next time? It is difficult and if it's anything like mine was there are lots of different scenarios and group exercises. Are there things you can practice? Look at the professional capabilities and try to think about how you would integrate those into your answers or scenarios.
What about think ahead? Otherwise the NHS sometimes offer apprenticeships at about band 4 but it's three years and not specially for graduates.
I would keep going with the graduate schemes and keep learning and absorbing from the social workers around you. Try to develop quality improvement projects and Co- production projects which will allow you to gain skills and evidence your suitability for social work.
Most of all, good luck!

@StudyingLikeMad thank you for this. Studying with the OU would be ideal but I just can't afford the course fees.

@Eggbert12345 my LA does offer apprenticeships, but at a lower rate of pay and I can't afford that for 3 years.

@theresalwaysguineapigcurry well Step Up isn't guaranteed again - it all depends on whether or not the government will fund it again in 2 years' time. Also I am 33 and very conscious of declining fertility etc and if I wait til the next cohort I'll be 35, and by the time it finishes I'll be 37 so I don't really feel that I have time for that. It seems so strange to me that there is a shortage of social workers and such a lack of opportunity for people to become qualified.

Because you have a degree already could you not do the 2 year masters that is covered by the bursary and still work part time?

I did the 2 year masters and also did care work evenings and weekends.

Was going to suggest you do care work. Do you know what type of social work you want to do? The company I work for, which is a charity, runs a family assessment centre & employs social workers.

@bb192 who did you do your 2 year Masters with? I wasn't aware of such a degree with a bursary but I would definitely do this option if I could!

@cheapskatemum thank you. I would like to work with children and families and it seems that the only way to progress is to get a degree.

I did it with Chester university.

www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/social-work-students

I've attached a link for information about the bursary most university's that offer the 2 years masters offer the bursary.
I preferred this option as I wasn't sure if I wanted to go into adults or children's and the schemes like step up or frontline tend to be geared to one sector.
Anyway i am now a children's social worker.

@bb192 thank you so much, I am definitely going to look into this. I really appreciate you taking the time to help

@fallenbehind90 no problem 😊

I work in the DHSC side of things and social work apprenticeship funding is going to be boosted so check out opportunities with local authorities and also the think ahead programme

@fallenbehind90 well the alternative is training after having children if you're worried about your body clock. Although you're still young! There's plus's and minus's to both. I has children, went into mental health and then realised I wanted to be a social worker. It's not easy in terms of childcare when you're on placement, and also I had to wait two years to get a placement which I could commute to from my home so my kids didn't have to move schools. However the alternative would be waiting to have children until after I was qualified and I don't imagine many would want to start their fantastic new career and then immediately go off on maternity leave.

I'm doing think ahead. It's two years until you're qualified with a bursary of around 18k tax free. However it is for mental health, but there are obviously opportunities for you to change to a families and children role in the future.

thinkahead.org/about-us/about-the-programme/how-the-programme-works/

Why do you want to be a Social Worker? I have worked in this sector for many years in very similar roles to Social Workers and get paid more, lower caseloads and less stress without the qualification.

@bb192 sorry, another question! When do you apply for the uni course? I imagine applications have closed for this year. From memory when I applied for my undergrad course, applications were done Jan/Feb time? Unfortunately not everyone gets the bursary and I'm not sure how they go about deciding who gets it but I think I will apply in the hope I will be one of the lucky ones

@mrsbyers thank you for that, I will definitely keep my eye out.

@theresalwaysguineapigcurry I think that may have to be my option although I was hoping that the extra money that comes with the qualification would make having children more doable.

@IhateJan22 I just love working with vulnerable people, engaging them and supporting them to achieve positive change. I enjoy the fast paced nature of it and the way that no two days are the same. Out of interest, what roles do you do that get paid more? From what I have seen I can only get paid more with a qualification

I know nothing about the Social Work career path, but you could progress in any direction you wanted by getting a Government Postgraduate Loan for a Masters degree. (You wouldn’t have to begin repaying until you reached a certain level of earrings, either.)

@WhatWillIWear thank you, definitely something for me to look into!

@IhateJan22 i was going to ask the same thing as also interested 😄

@fallenbehind90 I can't remember when I applied (sorry I've been quailed 4 years now) but if you go to the university's website I'm sure it will say.
My course ran January to January.
All of us on my course had the bursary and I'm also a practice teacher and I've had a few master students and they all seem to get the bursary.
I think if you apply within the right time scales you'd be fine.
I went to my local university's open day (which was Chester) and they gave me lots of information.
Hope that helps.

www.hotcoursesabroad.com/study/training-degrees/uk/masters/social-work-courses/loc/210/slevel/57-3-3/cgory/l19-3/sin/ct/programs.html#search&catCode=L19-3&countryId=210&subQualId=57&parentQualId=3&nationCode=210&nationCntryCode=210&studyAbroad=N&studyOnline=N&studyCross=N&studyDomestic=N&studyPartTime=N&startOnlineCampusLater=N&manStdyAbrdFlg=N&parentCatEngName=Social%20Studies%20and%20Communications&childCatEngName=Social%20work&fastlane=N&restRefineFlag=Y&pageNo=2

I've added a link where it shows all the universities in the UK that offer the two year masters

@bb192 you are AMAZING. Thank you so much!

My friend applied for the masters on the last day before applications closed. She had to ask for special permission to submit her reference late. She was accepted and got her bursary.

@fallenbehind90 glad to help! Let me know if you have any other questions

Totally agree part time masters is best option here. You can do them remotely, and you'd get student fees covered for areas your interested in. Can work part time doing masters. I did one and I didn't think it was much harder than a PGCE. Only repay fees once earning over 28k (?!), and only on % of salary over that.
You are right OP, there should be more supported routes into these - much needed - professions. But meanwhile, use what there is, to get what you want.

Clearing will open soon. Social work has lower applicant numbers this year so you have a good chance of getting on. What area of the country are you?

Get a place and apply for the bursary.