Calling all Social Workers

Congrats on the new job and GSCC registration.

Maple, I watched the Dispatches on 4OD... shocking!!

I wasn't shocked so much by what I heard or necessarily the practice (appalling of course!) but how easily this could be filmed undercover. A stark reminder, on top of everything else, of how we have to be professional at all times and how what we say can be used against us when we least expect it. It is very difficult to do when under pressure, feeling stressed and unhappy. They glossed over this point a bit and I think the general public wouldn't necessarily catch on to that feeling.

Scary, no wonder people have negative ideas about social work!

I mailed my application on 28 May which was a Friday at 5pm. The GSCC got it on the the June 1 or 2 and I was approved TODAY! It has only been about a week! I am so excited now I just need to get my provisional drivers license and get insured on my new car... It is in my DH's name since the company won't put me on unless I have my provisional. Do you all know if West Sussex would hire someone for a children and families job if they have little to no experience in it? I am just tired of working with the elderly and want to work with children and families.

Thanks so much for your thoughts!

Congrats on your GSCC registration and your new job! There is a shortage in Children and Families generally, so I don't see why limited experience would necessarily be an issue, but it generally means child protection.

You could try volunteering to gain experience:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Gettinginvolvedinyourcommunity/Volunteering/DG_064405

For example, like Barnardos:
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/

Contact a Family:
http://www.cafamily.org.uk/index.php?section=861

or Action for Children:
http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/

Congrats on the new job and GSCC registration.

Maple, I watched the Dispatches on 4OD... shocking!!

I wasn't shocked so much by what I heard or necessarily the practice (appalling of course!) but how easily this could be filmed undercover. A stark reminder, on top of everything else, of how we have to be professional at all times and how what we say can be used against us when we least expect it. It is very difficult to do when under pressure, feeling stressed and unhappy. They glossed over this point a bit and I think the general public wouldn't necessarily catch on to that feeling.

Scary, no wonder people have negative ideas about social work!

Agreed - the other issue sad & frustrating part is that the senior senior manager seemed to only be concerned about, hm, certain kinds of stats. I know ex-colleagues who have worked in that region. Wonder how they are feeling about their employers today?   

How can one do any preventative and effective work? Sigh. The kids suffer the most for this.

Government orders review of child protection in England

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/10280710.stm

'Ministers want the review to examine the most successful systems of child protection in place in other countries.'

and

'Hackney model
    * Small units of five people; one social worker focuses on the child while others look at the adults' needs and administrator does paperwork
    * Means shared decision-making and shared stress of difficult decisions. Relies on instincts of a group, rather than individual
    * Number of children in care fell by about a third, bucking national trend, says Prof Munro'



Though in principal these types of changes appear a positive move, I wonder how this might be implemented in the context of economic cutbacks in the public sector? 

It was the administrator doing the paperwork bit I was curious about--how many administrators do they have?  I could spend all day doing paperwork easily and never see a client the way we are required to do it.  Not to mention having to do everything in multiple places in the computer database and then printing it all out to keep a paper copy.

It was the administrator doing the paperwork bit I was curious about--how many administrators do they have?  I could spend all day doing paperwork easily and never see a client the way we are required to do it.  Not to mention having to do everything in multiple places in the computer database and then printing it all out to keep a paper copy.

Then we could get back to social work! 

It was the administrator doing the paperwork bit I was curious about--how many administrators do they have?  I could spend all day doing paperwork easily and never see a client the way we are required to do it.  Not to mention having to do everything in multiple places in the computer database and then printing it all out to keep a paper copy.

Each Unit has one administrator called a Unit Co-ordinator.  The Units are made up of a Consultant Social Worker, Social Worker, Children's Practitioner, Clinical practitioner and the Unit Co-ordinator.  Unit Co-ordinators do the administration for the unit including regular activities like ordering taxi's, typing up minutes etc.

More details can be found at www.hackney.gov.uk/reclaimingsocialwork [nofollow]

Please let me know if you have any further queries.


Sandra Segal
Recruitment Manager
London Borough of Hackney

Hi all fellow American Social Workers in the UK!
I moved to the UK last year and have been working as a Child Protection Social Worker at a Local Authority since September 2009. It has been quite an experience of both moving to a new country and learning their social care system! My specialty was HIV/AIDS services as well as adult mental health and substance use so as you can imagine I've had a steep learning curve.
I went down many routes of finding my current job. Started going via the whole agency route but then ultimately decided to apply directly with a Council. 
Anyway, if anyone that is looking to work as a social worker here and has questions about the whole process don't hesitate to contact me!

Welcome Holmgirl!

You may want to look into getting Approved Social Worker status, if you decide to stay and the employer supports you if you are in mental health. Where are you practicing?

http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Find_courses_and_research_gs/p!eefXfmd?keyword=approved+social+worker&filter=subject%2F2042&selfilter=location%2F50%2F51&action=addfilter&offset=0&2waynocompress=1

Also for substance misuse:
http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Find_courses_and_research_gs/p!eefXfmd?keyword=drug+substance+misuse&filter=subject%2F2042&filter=location%2F50%2F51&selfilter=subject%2F2042%2F2160&action=addfilter&offset=0&2waynocompress=1

Otherwise, you may wish to consider social work law or mental health courses through the Open University to help you with your learning curve:
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/qualification/b59.htm
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/k270.htm
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/k272.htm
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/k225.htm

Keep in mind any visa restrictions or international fees for which you may be liable.

http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/faq.aspx?t=S&cat=1-1GSQZC
http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/fees_student_support.php

HTH. 

Okay, this seemed like the most appropriate place to post for some input.

I have a Bachelors Degree in Social Work from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. With that I have approx. 490 hrs of internship experience most of which (420 hrs) was during my senior practicum in a state mental hospital. After graduating I moved to the UK to be with my spouse. I applied to the University of Dundee for an MSc in Social Work and I've been accepted for the fall term (6 Sept).

However, in researching this degree, I've been unable to figure out a few things.

1) What is the difference between an MSc in Social Work and a Masters in Social Work? Are they just different names for the same thing? Or is there really some big difference I'm missing?
2) If I ever decide to move back to the US (unlikely) or to move to Canada (more likely, as the husband's whole extended family lives in Canada) would the degree transfer? Or would I be starting at scratch (again)?

Thanks I'm trying to decide if I should accept the place at Dundee or not. I *really* miss uni but I don't want to spend £20,000 if it's not going to be worthwhile for me.

Okay, this seemed like the most appropriate place to post for some input.

I have a Bachelors Degree in Social Work from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. With that I have approx. 490 hrs of internship experience most of which (420 hrs) was during my senior practicum in a state mental hospital. After graduating I moved to the UK to be with my spouse. I applied to the University of Dundee for an MSc in Social Work and I've been accepted for the fall term (6 Sept).

However, in researching this degree, I've been unable to figure out a few things.

1) What is the difference between an MSc in Social Work and a Masters in Social Work? Are they just different names for the same thing? Or is there really some big difference I'm missing?
2) If I ever decide to move back to the US (unlikely) or to move to Canada (more likely, as the husband's whole extended family lives in Canada) would the degree transfer? Or would I be starting at scratch (again)?

Thanks I'm trying to decide if I should accept the place at Dundee or not. I *really* miss uni but I don't want to spend £20,000 if it's not going to be worthwhile for me.

Congratulations on your acceptance at Dundee. Regarding the title of the social work degree, it doesn't matter so much whether the degree is a MA in Social Work, a Master of Social Work or a MSc in Social Work, but that it is recognised for registration by by the appropriate Social Work Council, in your case, the  Scottish Social Services Council, which it is. As long as the degree is recognised by the appropriate social work council, it is a degree to practice as a social worker.

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/social_work_msc.htm

ETA: regarding moving back to the US or to Canada:

As you have an American Bachelor of Social Work degree, I'm not sure the issue of 'needing to transfer' is necessarily relevant: only if you want to do clinical practice, you may have to do an advanced standing MSW.

I'd check with the Illinois Division of State Regulation,
http://www.idfpr.com/dpr/WHO/sw.asp  

Regarding Canadian social work practice, your American BSW should transfer for generic practice. If you want to do clinical practice or whether or not a UK Master's degree in Social Work would be recognised for advanced jobs (where I would anticipate this being an issue might be for hospital jobs, as they often ask for an MSW with clinical practice and this is where social work education between Canada and the US are very different from the UK), you may or may not have to repeat.

For example, see http://works.workopolis.com/customers/vcha/search

Regarding Assessment of Foreign Trained Social Workers' Degrees in Canada, see:
http://www.casw-acts.ca/

Also check with the social work board on the province / territory you are considering living in:
https://www.datapathdesign.com/ASWB/Laws/Prod/cgi-bin/LawBoardWebsiteDLL.dll/EXEC/0/0ucez3v0ngajv311grc8p1hz91ul
http://canada.gc.ca/othergov-autregouv/prov-eng.html

Information about social work in Canada:
http://www.jobfutures.ca/noc/4152.shtml

On the positive side, for Canadian residents, if you moved there, Dalhousie does a part time distance education MSW, as does the University of Calgary and Memorial University and Memorial's MSW is in advanced clinical practice:
http://socialwork.dal.ca/Educational%20Programs/Distance%20Education/
http://fsw.ucalgary.ca/students/msw/distance
http://www.mun.ca/socwrk/master/  

You would likely get advanced standing for a one year (full time) MSW due to your American BSW.

The bottom line is, your American BSW allows you to practice in the US and should be easily transferable to Canada (partly due to NAFTA!) and the MSc in Social Work at Dundee will allow you to practice in Scotland and should be easily transferable to other parts of the UK. The UK Masters in Social Work may be more of a challenge to get recognised in the US / Canada, as it differs from US  / Canadian social work education quite a bit: social work is a culturally inculcated profession.

Is this move to Canada just a thought? Are you planning on staying in the UK a while? I think if you want to work in the UK, I'd go for it.

Is there no way you can work unqualified in the UK and get your employer to sponsor you to do a qualifying Masters, when you are eligible go for home fees?

PM if you want to discuss it further.

HTH.  

Just checking as I'm not sure of the qualifying laws in Scotland, but have you checked to be sure that your BSW from the States doesn't qualify you here to do social work practice?  My understanding is that it depends on other factors--mainly how much practicum time you had.  If you can get your listing with a qualifying board and plan to stay in the UK for now, I personally don't see a reason to fork out that much money for a masters here when it makes NO difference in the UK if you have a masters or a bachelors.  Personally, I had enough time with my BSW work that I believe I'd have still qualified as a social worker here even without my masters. 

I'd personally really struggle to justify paying those kinds of foreign tuition fees.  I'd rather wait a few years and go back if I really wanted to then.  If people cared about BSW vs. MSW here like they do in the States, it would be different, but a masters makes no difference unless you can't get the board to accept your bachelors.

If I remember rightly, Brandilynn has had issues registering with the Scottish Social Services Council as she is a recent BSW grad and does not have the practice hours for her BSW to be recognised.  Apologies if this is incorrect! 

If I remember rightly, Brandilynn has had issues registering with the Scottish Social Services Council as she is a recent BSW grad and does not have the practice hours for her BSW to be recognised.   Apologies if this is incorrect!  

Completely correct! I do not have enough hours to become qualified with SSSC. And making up the missed hours involved a headache and I never did properly figure out how to make them up.

Thanks for the insight, both of you. I'm going to have a conversation with my husband when he gets home and we'll decide on the best decision for us.

In fact, if you got an unqualified social work post, could that not count towards your hours for Scottish Social Services Council registration? If so, then problem solved! 

In fact, if you got an unqualified social work post, could that not count towards your hours for Scottish Social Services Council registration? If so, then problem solved! 

Yes, but the problem lies in getting such a position and also SSSC never quite said which positions do and do not count. I spent many hours of my life in communication trying to get it sorted and all I got is a migraine.