Calling all Social Workers

Liz,
That is GREAT Info.

My biggest concern with the move is what area should I live in.  I HATE to say this because I do not want it to come across wrong so I hope all will understand what I mean when I say I am very concerned about WHERE to live since I have an 11 year old that will be with me.  I know in the states there area areas that I simply WOULD NOT move because of the issues in the area.  This bothers me to say since I am a social worker and I am so against labels and such and know that GOOD PEOPLE live in "bad" areas.  I however am unsure how living arrangements are in the UK.  Are areas similar to areas in the U.S. where there is a concentration of crime and lower education levels?  How do you find out where would be good areas to live and bring up a child in the UK? 
If it were just me I would and could live about anywhere.  I think had I been living in the days of Jane Addams I would have been content and loved to be right in the middle of Hull house, even today I would love to live right in the middle of inner city Chicago and work from "the inside" and be where the clients are but times are not the same and I do have a childto think about.  Kind of makes you feel even more passion for parents who struggle that live in such areas.  However, with the move to the UKI do have a child coming with me who is coming to another culture that I have to think about as well. 
Does anyone understand what I am getting at?  It is not that I think I, nor my child is to good to live anywhere...it is hard to put into words and not sound like a snobby American.  I know it is hard to express online but trust me when I say nothing could be further from the truth about me as a person.  I just feel overwhelmed with trying to figure out how things work in the UK with living and education and just everything that goes with it.  I want to make this move a positive experience for both myself and my child.

I will be moving to Swindon in two months (EEEKKKKK) and am starting to look for places to live.  My recruiter (TTM) gave me suggestions of what parts of town were okay to live in, and where I should NOT look. She was very upfront with not wanting those of us who will be working with Children and Families to be living in the same "area" as our clients. Her guidance has helped immensely. I am also in contact with a social worker who works for the agency I will be working for, and she has also provided me with information about housing. I reccommend anyone working in the social service field, especially those working with involuntary clients, connect with someone familiar with the community for advice. On line I have found inexpensive places to live, only to find out that this is not a good location for a social worker.

Cheryl

That is an excellent point, Cheryl. I do enjoy looking online just to see the housing possibilities and to see what UK housing looks like, costs, etc. 

Cheryl, thanks for redirecting me to this board. Lots of good info here. Hello, everyone, I'm Paula and my target date for relocation is 2/1st. I'm a BSW with five years of experience working with Developmental Disabilities and Family & Children. I've wanted to move to London for a very long time and decided that if I don't do it now, I probably never will!

I've sent my CV to BBT& Reed Co. Can anyone give me feedback on them? I've also been glued to the computer for the past two weeks researching everything I can think of relating to the move.

It looks like I'll likely be working in the East End of London so I'm looking at housing in the North London boroughs. Anyone living there (Barnet or therabouts)?

I'm thrilled that I can link with others who have either been through the process or are going through it now. Have a feeling that the next seven months are going to either drag on or fly by....or maybe both!

Hi everyone!

Hope everyone is doing good after yesterday.

I wanted to get feedback on two different topics.

1) If you work in London what Borough do you work in?  Are there any boroughs you have heard good things about, are there any you would never work in?

2) If you work directly with children, how are they handling the bombings?

Thanks,
Josh

I will be working in Croydon when I come over in Jan.  Have done alot of research and seems to be a really nice area.  More specifially I will be in Thornton Heath which I am guessing is like a suburb of Croydon. 

When are you going over and what company is sponsoring you?

I just found out that I will be working for the Children and Families 16+ team in Swindon. I may start a new thread on this as I am interested in hearing from social workers who work in this area. Any insights, resources, links, etc. are welcome. Cheryl

Not sure if it's been posted before, but here is a good site for local statistics

http://www.upmystreet.com/

With all the SW's coming from abroad, one of you needs to set up a SW relocation company for the UK - Seriously!

ND, thats a great idea, wished I thought of that.....Well my husband will need a job, maybe this could be our start up company .

Hey Joshua.  To answer one of your questions, I walked through Hackney because they were putting a lot of social workers there and found myself very scared.  If I had a car, I think I would have felt better (more protected) but if you rely on public transport and your feet-then maybe think twice about working in this area.  However, I remember someone on this board stating Hackney wasn't that bad-but the part I saw was. 

ND, thats a great idea, wished I thought of that.....Well my husband will need a job, maybe this could be our start up company .

Go for it, I have often thought about it! I'll start on in the U.S, you do this end, hey presto, a sound business idea that makes emigrating SW's feel more confident and not end up homeless!

Thanks Joshua for redirecting me to this board!!!! Hi everyone! I'm Badette, a social worker from BC Canada. I was able to get a job offer from the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham as a social worker through TTM!!! (great recruitment company) We will be relocating by the end of August.  Is anyone working for this Borough? Any info will be greatly appreciated! Please give me any idea about the location and cost of living in this area. Thanks.....

The Poster "MeShell" kindly posted a link to a SW position available on the Isle of Man for you all.

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=15382.0

Excellent thread, you guys!  Very informative.   

I have a question, which you may or may not find silly, but here it goes.  I still have three years until I get my BSW, but once I'm finished, I would love to get into the SW field in the UK.  So my question is, how is the demand for social workers in the UK?  I know currently it's high-demand, but is it on the rise, dwindling down, or pretty stagnant?  I'd want to try to get in through one of these agencies, but it's going to be a while before I get the chance.   

I don't think it is going to change a lot in the next 3 years although 10 maybe.  The rate of pay is higher now, so that is better.  But I wouldn't worry-the world always needs social workers, trust me.