Calling all Social Workers

My wife wants to be a social worker in the UK. Generally how long does it take from the time one makes contact with a UK agency to the time they can start working, assuming no passport or visa has been requested yet.

If your wife qualified in the USA and holds a Master's degree in social work that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, she would normally be expected to meet the DipSW requirements to register and practice as a social worker. Bachelor of Social Work degrees are assessed on an individual basis because of the generalist nature of some courses. 

http://www.gscc.org.uk/gscc/Templates/Anchor.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fThe%2bSocial%2bCare%2bRegister%2fApply%2bfor%2bregistration%2fWorkers%2bfrom%2babroad%2fCountry%2bassessment%2bguidelines%2f&NRNODEGUID=%7b104FC2EB-E246-4E82-92FC-43623BE7B2F3%7d&NRCACHEHINT=NoModifyGuest#11

If she holds a related bachelor's degree, I would suggest she consider studying for her MSW. She is most likely then to get GSCC equivalency and be allowed to practice as a social worker here, work permit permitting.

Here are some good links about social work here:

http://www.socialworkcareers.co.uk/

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_types_of_jobs/Types_of_Job/p!eipaL?state=showocc&idno=88&pageno=1

Best of luck!

Yes, it looks like she'll have to get her MSW because her BA is not accredited with CSWE, which according to the GTC website, they won't accept without the CSWE accreditation.

I don't suppose there would be any way for my wife to get an internship or something and take courses in the UK?

She could do her MA in Social Work in the UK, but it may not necessarily be transferable to other countries, should you return to the US or go elsewhere. BA (Hons) and MA's in Social Work both have two 100 day placements in the UK.

Look at for courses and lots of information:
http://www.socialworkcareers.co.uk/

If it is possible for her to take a course here while working, I would stress taking a social work law course to aid with practice. See, for example, 
http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01K269
http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01K207

She may be able to do courses via her employer, but this is really dependent on the strict rules of whatever visa you enter on. This is really a question for the visa section, I think, as I don't know the ins and outs.

However, to maintain social work registration here, she must do 15 days or 90 hours training and learning every three years, for which this would likely qualify. See http://www.gscc.org.uk/Training+and+learning/Continuing+your+training/Post-registration+training/

I am a licensed masters social worker from the United States with about 10 years experience in social work at the Bacjelor's level and newly licensed at the Maters level.  I will be moving to Nottingham, UK the first week of September 2008, as my husband will attend a Masters program at the University of Nottingham. 

I did not score high enough on the points system for Tier 1 Highly Skilled, as I am over the age limit for points and did not make very much in earnings last year, as I did not receive my social work license until recently.  Although I worked fulltime, I live in a poor area of the United States and the earnings did not convert high enough into pounds.

I know that social work remains on the occupation shortage list.  I am a bit confused about which work permit program I should apply for.  I read about the Tier 2 skilled workers program, but it appears that I can't apply for that until the fall? 

I also have been starting to look for actual job openings, as I am sure I will need a job offer to even apply for my visa. 

Any suggestions you may have would be most helpful.
Thank you.

Regards,
Cathy Franklin, LMSW
(New Mexico, USA)

sorry, not a social worker, but cathy, you can get a visa as a student dependent (which allows you to work) if your husband is going to be a student in the UK.  If you're planning on staying in the UK long term,  getting a work permit in your own right will probably be more beneficial, but you shouldn't have to worry about not getting any visa at all.

Angstkatse, apply for registration through the GSCC while you are still in the US and have your contacts close at hand.

I would imagine on a visa as a student dependent you would be eligible to apply to agencies in country and get locum jobs. That would be waaaay more desirable to test out what jobs are out there than getting a work permit and being tied to a job you don't like. It wouldn't be too hard to go from temp to permanent if there is a job opening. The best part is locums get paid more by the hour.

agreed--go check out the visas section of the website.  You'll find that you can come with your husband without finding your own means into the country--and locum work pays really well.

I also back up what they say about getting your GSCC while still in the states.  I put it off because it sounded like a pain and so many of the words were different than the ones we used in the US so I was a bit lost, and it ended up being a total pain getting my registration as a social worker here.  Okay, so it was more about the fact that I was stressing about my wedding and immigration before the GSCC, but I still wish I hadn't put it off.  Registering in the US would have been so much easier since they have to sign and verify they have seen all your copies of documents and identification.  The international verification can take a really, really long time, so you will want to get it done ASAP.

Best of luck though!  I love it here in the UK!

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. I was lucky enough to hook up with a QSW from http://www.qswuk.co.uk/ [nofollow] who has graciously helped me through the process.  I have completed the first part of the GSCC application and it is completely verified and endorsed.  My employer was kind enough to let me use the folks they use for background checks.  I got a complete federal and for all three states I have practiced social work in.  I also got a complete credit report and added all this to my application to help save time later. 

Then I looked at the second part....Yikes!  Very overwhelming amount of evidence needed here.  I understand why they do it, but it kind of sucks given I have been in the field for 10 years and just went through a very intense 3 years for my LMSW.  Anyway, I am looking at it to see how I can best give them all the evidence they want in the smallest amount of paperwork so that they won't spend years on processing my application.

My husband starts his student visa soon and I am so glad I can just work on his visa, especially given the changes in the immigration there lately. 

On thing I was wondering though, is exactly what I should tell Manchester customs when I arrive in September?  Should I tell them I am in process for the GSCC Register and that I plan to work as a social worker?  Or should I just tell them that I am planning on finding work for the year that my husband is in the UK?  If you don't already have a job lined up, don't they require you to have the funds to support yourself for a whole year, or is that just for other Tiers? 

Anyway, thanks for helping me through a very difficult process.  I have had to take off work several days so far to complete this crazy application.....

Then I looked at the second part....Yikes!  Very overwhelming amount of evidence needed here.  I understand why they do it, but it kind of sucks given I have been in the field for 10 years and just went through a very intense 3 years for my LMSW.  Anyway, I am looking at it to see how I can best give them all the evidence they want in the smallest amount of paperwork so that they won't spend years on processing my application.

Get copies of official course descriptions and any official training you have done in social work placements and social work jobs - these are the hard evidence type things they want. The same documents may be able to prove more than one competency. Number them and see how they match.

Hope the following helps to give you an idea!

For example:

Competence(s)

Core Competence 1: Communicate and Engage
Practice Requirement(s)

1.i Ability to form and develop working relationships with children, adults, families, carers and groups.
Commentary

In my social work education, XXX course provided me with a background as to why forming relationships with clients is important within the context of the social work profession, as it introduced me to the ethics and values of social work. XXX course  gave me an insight into client circumstances which would factor into how relationships would develop in my professional capacity (for example, issues of poverty which may affect development of relationships and factors related to working practice). My XXXI course provided an insight into factors related to working with XX population, which would relate to developing relationships and being reflective in my practice, whereas XXXII course focussed on issues related to XXX groups, so that I was able to develop reflective practice in working with disadvantaged populations, which would assist in developing working relationships.

More recently, I have completed Makaton (a form of sign language) training which helped me improve my ability and skills to form and develop working relationships with XX population and my XX training has reinforced the importance of reflective practice when working with diverse groups to aid in forming and developing working relationships with in my profession, within a context of equality and respect.

In my work experience, I have worked with XX population during my first placement. I had to form and develop working relationships with them in order to be able to assess their needs, make referrals and develop a resource manual directed at services for XX population for access by both colleagues and the XX population, based on needs they identified, which required me to develop relationships with XX population to highlight their needs for service.

In my first job with the XX service, where I was responsible for delivering XX service within an inclusive policy framework. The main purpose of the post was to assist with the maintenance of XXI population, which required me to work jointly with families, other community professionals.

My ability to form and develop working relationships with children continued whilst I worked for XXI service as a XX. In order to assess the needs of XX population, I had to be able to be able to form relationships with them and their families, to identify needs and to arrange suitable provision and support packages, working together to identify needs, put services in place and review circumstances. This involved forming relationships with families and other professionals to be able to address familial circumstances.

As these examples show, I am able to communicate effectively and appropriately with a range of different client groups.

How this shows my professional values

As my courses XXX, XXXI and XXXII demonstrate, they have provided me with the educational opportunity to challenge dominant thinking about disadvantaged groups, to identify and question my values and prejudices, and their implications for my practice as well as to gain a respect for the uniqueness and diversity of people and the ability to recognise and build on strengths.

This foundation has assisted me in building on and developing anti-discriminatory practice, which does not stigmatise or disadvantage individuals, groups of communities.  My XX training reinforced and built upon the practice of questioning language and reflecting on practice, values and prejudice.

Documentary evidence

Document 5: XXX course
Document 5: XXXI course   
Document 9: XXXII course
Document 18: Makaton Certificate
Document 21: Reference Letter I
Document 24: Reference Letter II
Document 23: Reference Letter III
Document 20: XX training certificate and form
Document 22: Personal Development Plan, XX service

Thanks for that example!  For some reason, that made a lot more sense than the one I read in the actual GSCC packet.  So then, the "statement" that they ask for is basically what you sampled for us above?  A little write up on how we have met each of the 6 core competencies? 

Or is the personal statement something separate from the explanation of our mastery of the competencies?

Basically, you have to write a blurb like above, more or less (i.e. 1 blurb per practice requirement under the core competencies) for each of practice requirements of the core competencies.

Where you can identify overlap with Core Competences and Practice Requirement(s), based on your evidence, you can do so. The evidence can be used for more than 1 practice requirement and once you can the hang of it, it can be like a copy and past and edit job.

Evidence can be: course description, placement plans, policy documents from workplace(s), training course descriptions and proof of enrolment, standardised forms in the workplace, reference letters, etc., proof of project work on the job etc. etc. The key is to number the documents for ease. Gather evidence like above and see how it fits under the practice requirements of the core competencies. Then write your Personal Statement of the practice requirements of the core competencies, seeing how evidence matches or ties in with each practice requirements of the core competencies.
 
Core Competence 1: Communicate and Engage
Practice Requirement(s)
1.i Ability to form and develop working relationships with children, adults, families, carers and groups.
1.ii Ability to communicate and engage with people in communities and seek to minimise factors which cause risk and need.
1.iii Ability to network and form effective working relationships with and between individuals, agencies, community resources, volunteers and other professionals. 

Core Competence 2: Promote and Enable
Practice Requirement(s)
2.i Ability to promote the rights of children and adults at risk or in need in the community.
2.ii Ability to provide information and advice to individuals, families, carers and groups.
2.iii Ability to provide opportunities for learning and development and enable children and adults to function and participate.
2.iv Ability to enable people to use their own strengths and expertise to meet responsibilities, secure rights and achieve change.

Core Competence 3: Assess and Plan
Practice Requirement(s)
3.i Ability to work in partnership to assess and review people’s needs, rights, risks, strengths, responsibilities and resources.
3.ii Ability to work in partnership to identify and analyse risk of harm, abuse or failure to protect.
3.iii Ability to work in accordance with statutory and legal requirements.
3.iv Ability to work in partnership to negotiate and plan responses to assessed needs, rights, risks, responsibilities, strengths and resources.
3.v Ability to work in partnership to develop packages of care, support, protection and control.

Core Competence 4: Intervene and provide services
Practice Requirement(s)
4.1 Ability to contribute to the management of packages of care, support, protection and control.
4.ii Ability to contribute to direct provision of care, support and protection.
4.iii Ability to support and sustain children, young people and adults through the process of change.
4.iv Ability to sustain and maintain working relationships with children, young people, adults, carers and groups.
4.v Ability to contribute to the care, protection and control of people who are a risk to themselves or others.

Core Competence 5: Work in Organisations
Practice Requirement(s)
5.i Ability to demonstrate capacity to work as an accountable and effective member of the organisation in which placed.
5.ii Ability to contribute to the planning, monitoring and control of resources.
5.iii Ability to contribute to the evaluation of the effectiveness, efficiency and economy of services.

Core Competence 6: Develop Professional Practice 
Practice Requirement(s)
6.i Ability to use supervision effectively, agree priorities and manage own work schedule.
6.ii Ability to exchange, process and report information.
6.iii Ability to contribute to the resolution of professional dilemmas and conflicts, balancing rights, needs and perspectives.
6.iv Ability to respond to unexpected opportunities and problems.
6.v Ability to make decisions.
6.vi Ability to contribute to the maintenance, critical evaluation and development of own professional practice, knowledge and values. 

If it is any consolation, I struggled to understand what was needed until a British trained Diploma in Social Work colleague showed me what she had done for part of her diploma - British trained social workers are required to do this as part of their training. Once I saw a real example from the 'world of social work', it fell into place.

I hope my example 'North Americanises' the Personal Statement, which outlines how the practice requirements of the core competencies can be met.

Hope that helps.

 

That makes perfect sense!  Of course, now I understand why people say this thing is a monster.  I'm wanting to make this thing as concise as possible, but with a total of 26 practice requirements (!), I don't know how concise it can be!  But as you said, I'm sure it will fall into place somehow.  I don't graduate until May of next year, but I've already started outline what I'm going to write, and hope to have it completed and ready to mail off by January.

All of my evidence will be school based - specifically, course descriptions from the course catalog (as you mentioned), official transcripts, official practicum placement descriptions, copies of my final evaluations from my two practicum placements, and reference letters from my practicum supervisors and instructors.  I'm thinking that will be enough evidence to cover everything - hopefully, since as a MSW student, that's all the evidence I have.   

As for a verifier/endorser, I'm wondering if the Field Practicum Director in the social work department at my school would be acceptable.  She's usually the only "higher-up" that is easily accessible, and she's an LISW - if that makes any difference. 

Sounds like you're doing well gathering the evidence now - have you had any training or project work in your placements and have paper evidence of this? Don't forget any policy documents or form documents from placements, either. More evidence is better than less!

As I say, at least you know Brits aren't exempt - they just do it as part of their degree. The monster is for everyone.

Perhaps they are testing the social worker's ability to deal with bureaucracy?   

Haha!  As long as the Brits have to suffer alongside all of us non-Brits, then all is well.   

As far as my placements go, I have done a wide range of things - attending workshops and seminars, participating in meetings, planning and conducting my own social skills/life skills groups every week, intakes with individual clients, so on and so forth.  However, I have no hard evidence of having done any of those things.  The most I'd be able to get are letters from my field supervisors in which they confirm that I did all of those things while placed at their agencies.  But I don't know if that would count as real evidence.