Working in Social Care not only provides you with the opportunity to support and provide safety for children and their families, but it also provides career progression and incredible learning opportunities.
Kim spoke to us about her career in Social Work so far and the advice she has for someone who is thinking about a career in the sector.
I left school when I was 16 and moved from London to Norfolk. I was working at the local tax office and doing an A level in Psychology at Adult Education at the same time, and I also volunteered with Home Start working with families and children. My A-level stood me in good stead as when I did my BSc degree in 2006 in Psychosocial Sciences, I didn’t need to do the foundation year for university, I just went straight onto the degree course.
After my degree, I started to work as a Family Support worker, working in a Children with Disabilities team. Working with this team really opened my eyes to the world of social work and I knew that was where I wanted to head.
I worked for two years as a Family Support Worker in the Children with Disabilities team in Great Yarmouth. Norfolk County Council offered a traineeship scheme, whereby they would pay your tuition fees for you to go to the UEA and study to become a Social Worker. I thought, ‘I could do that’ and jumped at the chance. I applied for the Masters’ degree and went back to university full-time for two years. During my time I did two placements, one with a youth prevention team and one with looked after children.
When I graduated in 2010, I joined the Newly Qualified Social Worker scheme and worked in a Looked After Children’s team, and then over the subsequent years I moved round a number of different teams including working in a duty & assessment team and then again in a Looked After Children’s team in Norwich.
At this point, I wondered if the grass would be greener being an agency social worker. I was lured by the money as at the time as I was a single parent. I thought I could earn more, and it would be a better way all the way round.
I left and joined an agency and worked for Suffolk County Council for 9 months, in both a Looked after Children’s team and Child in Need team and then back to Norfolk County Council as an agency worker, firstly in the Children with Disabilities team in Norwich, then as a duty worker in the Adoption Support Team.
After two years I made the decision that agency work wasn’t all I thought it would be. The council advertised a maternity cover position as a Safeguarding Audit Officer for Children’s Services, and I decided to come back. After the maternity cover, I got a position working for the council working in Children with Disabilities team, and I’ve been in this team ever since.
The thing I found with agency working is that you don’t get paid holidays or sick pay, there aren’t any in-service benefits such as the physio and counselling, and you don’t get the team environment or the support or feel that someone’s got your back. You never really feel that you belong. You’re only on a weeks’ notice and you could be gone very quickly so there’s a real lack of security and all the things you take for granted when you are a permanent member of staff, are not there.
I studied for my MA in social work at the UEA but as I’d already been working at Norfolk County Council, I didn’t need to learn any of the software systems. I am continually updating my knowledge and even though I have been qualified for 12 years, still find that I learn something new most weeks.
My time is taken up with a mixture of meetings, phone calls and emails, plus spending time visiting children and their families. I see the children/young people at home, in school and in respite settings. Many of our children/young people have complex health needs and behavioural issues and often have a large team supporting them and it is my job to chair ‘Child in Need’ meetings to ensure all that needs to happen for them is going ahead and everyone is doing what they are meant to be.
I’ve got about 10 cases currently and spend a lot of time working with multi-agency colleagues as the children we work with can have quite significant disabilities which necessitate involvement from a wide range of professionals to get the best outcome.
I also work on a number of other projects, which are wide and varied. For example, I’m currently representing NCC on the Autism Partnership Board for Norfolk, looking at how we can improve the service to both adults and children across Norfolk with Autism. I work with both my colleagues and parent/carers groups, looking at how we can improve the service that NCC provide to parents/carers of Children with Disabilities. I am also part of a group working to set up a Dad’s group for Dads/male carers of Children with Disabilities, as they are often isolated.
I don’t supervise any other social workers directly but given my many years of experience, I support our team manager by helping colleagues with complex cases. With some cases there can be a lot going on, especially when there are so many parties involved in the care for one child/young person and some situations are very time consuming. It’s always very rewarding to get feedback from colleagues that they have learned from me and value my support.
I am also working with the University of East Anglia, to interview prospective candidates for the Social Work Degree Course there, so that is exciting. I feel that I am well place to do this as I did my Social Work Degree there and am still currently in front line practice.
I’ve been a qualified Social Worker for 12 years now and continue to enjoy supporting clients and helping my colleagues. With regards to future aspirations, I want to continue to hold some cases as well as support my colleagues, as I feel pleased that I can use my knowledge and experience to support them to do their job. I also want to get more involved in helping to improve the service that NCC provide to their Children/Young People and families in the Children with Disabilities Service and hope to continue to support with different projects as needed.
Sometimes you can come across some very difficult and at times, upsetting situations when you are working with Children with Disabilities, and you need to be empathic but resilient, so you can continue to support those that need you. Also, you have competing priorities, so this can be quite challenging.
When you’ve been able to work with a family that’s in a very difficult and challenging situation and been able to support them to make their life better, it’s incredibly rewarding. Whether it is with regards to sorting out respite care or ensuring all those that need to be involved are roped in to support.
When we close a case and leave the family in a better place than when we first got the referral through, is very rewarding.
There will be days when it’s really hard , but stick with it because at the end of the day, it’s very rewarding and you will be really proud of your achievements. You will continually learn, and you will never be bored!
Find out more about other individuals who have carved out a career for themselves within social care by reading our blogs.
