Calling all Social Workers

You can go to google.com or www.ask.co.uk and type in social work recruitment agencies.  There are many.  The one I am going through is called UK-Pro at uk-pro.net.  But I am not recommending them yet as I have not gone over to England yet.  But so far they have been very helpful and the woman is an American MSW who did this herself, and she calls you on the phone instead of all the e-mails.  Which I prefer, being a woman from the South and all.  What are you looking for to work over there?

Hi,

I was reading the post regarding social work in the UK. I have a bachelor of arts degree in Sociology here in the United States. I have experience working in the Social Services Agency here and currently work as a Case Manager for Community Long Term Care Agency for the elderly/disabled and hiv/aids clients. My husband is British and currently living in the Uk at this time. I am thinking of joining him in the UK to live with my 3 children. I wanted to know if I would have trouble finding social work in the UK since I dont have bachelors in SW just bachelors in Sociology. Also I read about social care workers? Are they like personal care aides? Do they make a decent wage and would I have to start out working as a  social care aid even though I have case management experience in the US? If anyone has any information that would help it would be much appreciated.

Delmarvadeli:
     Your best bet is to check with a recruitment agency.  You can check out a couple different websites.  Try www.elitesocialworkers.com or www.uk-pro.net   I am not sure about the GSCC accepting your degree, even though you have experience.  All I know that agencies are looking for people with BSW or MSWs.  The experience can probably help though. 

Hey guys just wanted to let yall know my interview has been moved to April 5th.  There are are 15 of us SW's interviewing for 8 positions.  My recruitment agency is TTM, and they are recruiting for positions in Croyden and the London area for Children and Families.

Does anyone know what I should expect, questions they will be asking and so forth. 

Sheila

I work for a large Local Authority in the S.East and here is an agency I am familiar with some of you might find useful;

http://www.bbtworldwide.com/health_home/Default.asp

Hello. I am going to graduate with my BSW in May and am going on to get my MSW next May. I am obligated to work in the US for 1.5 years after that. At that time I will have several years experience in fostering/adoption and child protection. I have heard that demand for SW's in the UK is great and am checking out the possibility of moving overseas in about 2.5 years. I am filled with excitement at the thought!! Does anyone know what salaries are really  like ? I have heard that MSWs can earn 35-45,000 pounds/year-is this right? What are working conditions like. Do SWs have a good reputation or is it kind of so-so like in the US? I have tons of questions and am so happy to have found this forum to communicate with people with similar interests. Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide.

You should contact a recruitment agency because it all depends on what you are doing to what salary you make.  Locum workers make more money because they are not permanent employees, they are contract.  I am leaving for England June 21st, 2005 and will start my social work job shortly after, so I will have more to say about the situation.  But, there is a recruitment agency that specializes in recruiting American social workers and they have been so wonderful to me!  Linde Grant is the US Director (also an MSW) and she went to London after she graduated and worked there, so she has a lot of firsthand knowledge.  here is the website-contact her for any information that you cannot find on the website   www.uk-pro.net

Thanks for the link, AmericanFox. Unfortunately, I am too old for a BUNAC visa and will require sponsorship for a work permit. I have found some agencies that will provide one. The process of choosing an agency is somewhat confusing as they offer such varied benefits to workers: bank acct. assistance, holiday pay, time off, bonuses and pay rate. Hopefully my social work degree is in high enough demand for me to secure a work permit. Thanks again for the info and I would love to hear about your experiences in getting and working at a UK SW job and all that comes with that-the move, acclimating to a new culture, etc.

I am planning on using UK-pro to work in London also. I met Linde at a meeting at UCF and she was really really nice.  I will graduate with my MSW next May and am already obsessed with looking up info about living and working in the area. This is SOOO exciting!!!!

augie:   
    Don't worry.  Uk-Pro will still work with you if you are not eligible for BUNAC. 

I would really love to stumble across an Intro to UK SW book as well!!  I am glad to hear that we are in demand- even in Florida.  I told my fiance if there are troubles with my UK visa I am moving to Florida because I can't take another upstate NY winter.   

There's some overlap between the social worker and the Immigration Advisor who visits detention centres and handles other non-profit oriented casework.

In the absence of a book, the most reliable place to start looking into UK social issues is the Home Office R&D site.  http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.html

I subscribe so that the new reports are emailed automatically.  Get tea or coffee before linking into the site because you'll be there for a good while...

This is the magazine that Local Authority social workers subscribe to;

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Home/default.asp

Here you will find policy/best practise etc.  They also have the green paper on adult care here too.

hth?

Sheril

Thank you all for your input. I am thrilled to have found a little community of people interested in SW in the UK. My friends here think I am INSANE for even considering relocating; I am more excited about the possibility than I can say!

I'm so glad I found this website!  I am graduating with my MSW May 7 and then moving to London May 24 (I mean 24 May, right?)  I am also going through UK Pro!  If anyone is also going through UK Pro and would like to talk about anything that we can help each other figure out, please email me at alysonlacey@yahoo.com, or we can all just chat on here, I'll try to check it often. 
I am so excited but so nervous!  I am getting married Mary 21, so my husband will be coming with me.  A passport also lasts 6 months, so he can stay the whole time with just a passport.  If we decide to stay longer though I'm not sure what he'll do, does anyone know how he could stay?  Right now we're looking for a place to stay when we get there for a few weeks until I figure out where my job is and then try to find a place near the job - anyone having any luck finding cheap places that rent for just a few weeks?  Like I said, feel free to email me, I'm so glad to have found other people going through the same thing.

Alyson
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

so my husband will be coming with me.  A passport also lasts 6 months, so he can stay the whole time with just a passport.  If we decide to stay longer though I'm not sure what he'll do, does anyone know how he could stay? 

If you're coming over on a work permit, your husband will need the visa for the spouses of work permit holders.  I don't think coming over as a tourist would be the appropriate thing to do since there is a specific visa available for his situation.  If you do decide to stay longer, he'll need that visa anyway.  If he's just here as a tourist and wants/needs to stay longer than 6 months, he'll have to go back to the US to apply for the work permit spouse visa.