A social worker is a role with significant responsibility, working with vulnerable people to protect and support them. It can be the most important and influential function in a client’s life.
To become a social worker an applicant must meet several qualification requirements. The UK Government regards social work so highly that most entry-level roles require a relevant degree.
The government regulates the education process and the school qualifications necessary for a social worker role. A degree in social care is the main route in to this work. If you have a related degree a minimum amount of work experience will be required.
Having a Master’s or Doctorate in social work will set applicants apart when it comes to applying for jobs in social care, but master's degrees in other related fields like psychology and sociology will be considered. This will open up many career opportunities.
Certifications are required to become a social worker in the UK. With this active Licence of Practice, an individual can get hired. These certifications need re-registering every two years to ensure a person’s skills are kept up to date.
To obtain a working licence in England an individual will need to go through Social Work England. This regulatory body protects the public by keeping a register of all social workers and their active licences.
To become a social worker, registration to the Social Worker England site needs to begin when an official confirmation is received from a course provider. The ‘How to apply’ process on their website has a simple guide for the steps involved and the evidence needed.
As a regulated profession, the government’s website has all the details on routes to professional recognition. If someone is not a UK national and has trained abroad the details can be found here as to what procedures will need to be completed. They also have details on permits needed to carry out certain activities in the UK.
It is essential to continue with professional development and educational courses once qualified to keep up with industry standards and developments.
From a personal point of view, continuous learning expands skill sets, and increases confidence and industry understanding. From a professional point of view, it improves job opportunities by working towards promotions, career goals and salary increases.
Like many of the care roles we seek to fill, becoming a good social worker requires having an excellent understanding of people.
Being good with people is the starting block for becoming a good social worker, understanding when people want to share and when they need help but don’t know how to ask for it. Critical thinking is about problem-solving and using all the information available to support a vulnerable person. It is a required skill, alongside organisational skills, working independently, excellent time and paperwork management.
Empathy and communication skills are vital in understanding how someone is being impacted by their circumstance. Active listening skills and patience are also important. Building a connection with an individual can take time and effort before they open up to you and begin to share what their situation involves.
The code of ethics for social work is about quality of service, confidentiality, respect and human rights. It is a detailed subject area with a requirement of understanding and professional integrity. It needs to be followed by those who practise social work.
The experience you’ll need to demonstrate will be examples of working directly with service users or those with emotional needs. Most services that help people, like youth clubs, victim support organisations, or advice services are mostly run by volunteers. A search for community services and local support groups can highlight opportunities.
Taking on an internship or doing fieldwork is much like gaining work experience in a structured way. To have done a period of time as an intern will show a prospective employer or educational body that a person has committed to learning about the role and will have had development goals in a professional environment.
Getting hands-on experience in social work can increase a person's understanding of the role. It can highlight the importance of empathy, learning the complexities of medication management, putting different theories in practice, negotiating the child welfare system, and much more.
All work experience, volunteering opportunities and placements can be fantastic for networking as well as clarifying specific interests.
Once an individual has a relevant degree, some experience and a reasonable understanding of the social work sector, there are numerous specialist areas to do further training.
Areas of Specialisation:
Healthcare
Welfare
Substance abuse
Education
Mental Health
Care Inspector
Further certifications and training will be required to specialise in a certain area, which can be a career accelerant.
Register as a candidate today and let Social Care People support you find your next role in social care work.
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