Calling all Social Workers

Ok...thanks for the advice. I removed it.

Anyone able to talk to me about moving to the UK...your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

FYI

It's still in the post where Jewlz  quoted you.

In the US we tend to label ourselves with our degrees and/or licenses. Social workers don't do that in the UK so it was very necessary to distinguish the people who trained as social workers from those who just got a job in the field.

I have a BSW and a MSW and had a license to practice in schools but here I am just a social worker... no comment on whether that was at degree or diploma level let alone master's level.

Most local authorities will give an experienced foreign social worker a higher level on the pay scale but they do recognize that you are foreign and therefore 'newly qualified' on those grounds. Some LA are setting up schemes to protect the caseloads of NQSW so if you are offered a low pay grade make sure you ask whether that is in place, not likely but I've seen most LAs to be flexible with what pay grade they start you on.

I know someone that has 2 DUI's from 4-5 years ago and they are interested in finding a social work job in the UK--will this effect them getting a job?

I know someone that has 2 DUI's from 4-5 years ago and they are interested in finding a social work job in the UK--will this effect them getting a job?

Assuming they want to work in England, here is the policy on convictions from the GSCC:

http://www.gscc.org.uk/gscc/Templates/Anchor.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fThe%2bSocial%2bCare%2bRegister%2fApply%2bfor%2bregistration%2fRegistration%2bpolicies%2f&NRNODEGUID={70F68D95-EAF4-47F7-9648-C278F5F8E86A}&NRCACHEHINT=NoModifyGuest#1

I would suggest that registration and discussion with the appropriate care council take place prior to looking for jobs and being clear on disclosure policies prior to job hunting.

[MOD NOTE]

Off Topic posts has been split and moved here: http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=59629.msg847204;boardseen#new

[MOD NOTE]

Off Topic posts has been split and moved here: http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=59629.msg847204;boardseen#new

Uhmmm thanks I think...but I figured people would have the answer to this question being that many are in the process of moving to the UK for social work--that is why I asked in this forum. I am asking regarding the process in finding social work employment in the UK regarding work permit and bank account statements.

Uhmmm thanks I think...but I figured people would have the answer to this question being that many are in the process of moving to the UK for social work--that is why I asked in this forum. I am asking regarding the process in finding social work employment in the UK regarding work permit and bank account statements.

You're likely to get faster more accurate answers in Visas.  This is a 44 page thread and specific questions get buried. 

You're likely to get faster more accurate answers in Visas.  This is a 44 page thread and specific questions get buried. 

Ok thanks! :- )

Hi All,

I just wanted to update you that one of your American colleagues has accepted a post with Hackney as a Consultant Social Worker.  We are very excited at the prospect of her arrival. 

We still have a number of posts available to dedicated and professional social workers at different levels.

See more details below:-

I work for a Local Authority in Central London who are looking for Qualified Social Workers with GSCC registration.  We already have a number of Consultant Social Workers and Social Workers from the USA and would be delighted to hear from anyone who is interested in advancing their career in the UK.

To enable the highest level of professional practice we offer:-

● A dedicated administrative resource within each unit, so practitioners can focus on direct work with families – not paperwork.
● The support, resources and culture which give you the autonomy to make key decisions.
● A bespoke learning and development programme delivered by leading academic institutions.
● Clearly defined methodologies to ensure the best for our families.

We also award a very competitive salary and generous relocation expenses.

If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to get in touch or visit our website. www.hackney.gov.uk/reclaimsocialwork [nofollow] .

I am also happy to help with queries relating to working in the UK.

Hope to hear from you soon.


Sandra Segal

From the On the Job thread To all of you looking for a job....

Maybe under Calling all Social Workers thread, there needs to be a stickied thread about registration. Understanding registration seems to be the biggest barrier for overseas qualified social workers coming to the UK.
 

I just wanted to peep in and say I definitely agree with that, especially since GSCC registration post-October 2008 is now completely different from the way it was pre-October 2008. Or simply having a more streamlined, updated "Calling All Social Workers 2" thread, but I reckon that line of talk goes in the actual CASWs thread and not this one - so I apologize for going a bit off-topic.

I'm glad to hear that registration processes have been streamlined. Does that mean GSCC has done away with the personal statement using the competences framework? What about Wales, Scotland and NI?

I'll post something in the CASWs thread about these two suggestions.

Not sure about Wales and Scotland, but the GSCC of England has indeed done away with the personal statement/"explain how you meet the competencies" piece. Now they do it based on what country your MSW/BSW is from.  For USA MSW holders, you just have to send verified/endorsed copies of your MSW certificate along with a copy of your passport, birth cert, etc.  If you have a USA BSW only, then you also have to have several years of social work experience under your belt as well in order to be accepted to the register.

Anyone who wants to know about the process in great detail (basically how to apply to the GSCC, what docs need to be sent and who should verify/endorse the application) should read the handy little guideline manual they put together. It can be found here as a PDF:

http://www.gscc.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8504665F-CCCE-45A6-BC42-B4E34F5CFE94/0/82920GSCCGenGuidance_W.pdf


One thing I'm curious about is how (if) the field has changed post-Baby P. I have heard and read a lot of things about how councils are completely changing the way Children and Families services are conducted, making caseloads more manageable and ensuring staff have the support they need in order to be effective social workers, yet I haven't read any accounts from social workers in the field regarding these said changes.

So I guess I'll open it up to all of you - have things changed in your council/agency since the Baby P incident? Are changes underway? Or is it just business as usual?

As for making real changes to Children's Services, I'll believe it when I see it.

Out of curiosity, Why can't newer BSW's qualify when they have more training than many social workers here?

Please don't take my word on this, but I think the strictness with the BSWs might have something to do with the recent change in UK social work training - something about doing away with the UK social work diploma and now having everyone obtain an actual social work degree before they can call themselves social workers.  But I could be wrong. I don't know if it's actually been changed or if it's all reactionary talk in light of Baby P...

I have (yet another!) question for you guys, as I know you've all been in the same boat as I am now: How in the world did you pay your initial GSCC application fee?

The application says to pay the 155 GBP application fee with a sterling bank draft, however, when I asked managers at both my bank and my credit union about getting one, they both acted like they had no idea what I was talking about. I showed them the GSCC paperwork, and both institutions said they can only do a direct wire transfer, an international money order (in USD for the equivalent of 155 GBP), or order 155 GBP in cash.

So I emailed the GSCC and told them what both financial institutions told me - that my only options are the wire transfer, the money order or the actual cash (also letting them know that I refuse to send cash through the mail; they wouldn't have accepted it anyway). GSCC wrote back and said they cannot accept any of those options and that I would have to pay with the sterling bank draft.

I don't even know what to do at this point. I've worked too long and too hard just to get snagged on a little hangup like this. It's just that if both my bank and my credit union are telling me they don't do foreign drafts...I'm not sure where else I can go. Any pointers? How did you guys handle the fee?

PS: I know there's also the direct debit, but as far as I know, that's only if you have a UK bank account, which I do not. Would make life so much easier if I did. 

When I applied to get registered, I got the sterling bank draft from my bank (it's a pretty large bank in the area that I live).  When I walked in and just asked the teller about it, they definitely looked at me funny and then tried to tell me they didn't do it. I was persistent though and eventually I got to talk to someone that knew what I was talking about.  My bank charged me all sorts of fees and it didn't happen right away (they had to send off for it) but I got it eventually. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is, be persistent and go above and beyond the tellers at the front desk.  If you use a small community bank, you could try using a bigger, different bank.  Just be prepared, they charged me all sorts of fees to do it. 

When I applied to get registered, I got the sterling bank draft from my bank (it's a pretty large bank in the area that I live).  When I walked in and just asked the teller about it, they definitely looked at me funny and then tried to tell me they didn't do it. I was persistent though and eventually I got to talk to someone that knew what I was talking about.  My bank charged me all sorts of fees and it didn't happen right away (they had to send off for it) but I got it eventually. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is, be persistent and go above and beyond the tellers at the front desk.  If you use a small community bank, you could try using a bigger, different bank.  Just be prepared, they charged me all sorts of fees to do it. 

Thanks! Yeah, both my bank and my credit union are local community institutions. I dread the thought of opening a bank account at a larger bank for the sole purpose of possibly getting a sterling draft...unless I could just walk in with the cash to cover it and the fees and just request it without having an account (wouldn't it be nice?!)

Please don't take my word on this, but I think the strictness with the BSWs might have something to do with the recent change in UK social work training - something about doing away with the UK social work diploma and now having everyone obtain an actual social work degree before they can call themselves social workers.  But I could be wrong. I don't know if it's actually been changed or if it's all reactionary talk in light of Baby P...

See, this is exactly why I'm annoyed by it.  I'm a BSW and an MSW, so I'd be okay, but social work has been a four year bachelor's degree in the US for way longer than it has in the UK.  Why should their changing their degree make the US degree any less relevant?