Social Work Explained
Social workers help people to feel at home in their community and can deal with a wide range of stakeholders such as the police, NHS, schools, probation service and an individual"s family. They can work in the user"s home or in the community in places like schools or hospitals.Social work jobs typically involve working with people who feel socially excluded from society or who are experiencing difficulties in coping with life. A social worker"s role is to provide support to allow the an individual to look after themselves.
Despite the personal nature of the work, social workers must maintain a professional demeanour at all times and work within strict legal and legislative frameworks.
Over half of social work jobs involve working alongside young people and their families. As well as youngsters, social workers may provide support to young offenders, people with mental health issues, people with drug or alcohol addictions, the elderly, or those with learning and physical disabilities. Government legislation means that social workers are more likely to work in multidisciplinary teams to help individuals in need.
Typical role activities include writing and undertaking assessments with medical teams; conducting interviews with patients and their families; organising and managing care plans; working with other stakeholders or agencies; giving evidence in court; and going on regular training sessions.
Social workers are professionally qualified staff and as such, entry requirements demand that a prospective social worker will need an honours or postgraduate degree in social work accredited by the General Social Care Council (GSCC). Typically, undergraduate degrees are full time and last three years although part time places are available in smaller numbers.