Social workers? Pull the other one!!!!

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 29 November 2006 15:06:05

Ok. This is where I start to grumble!

As part of my job I work as a practice assessor for social work students and this morning I went to a workshop for assessors at the university. I should also mention that I sit on the assessment board and therefore look at all the portfolios that are submitted after a student has done a placement. A couple of years ago the format of social work training changed from being a diploma course to a degree course. The job also finally gained a ‘professional' status and there was also a requirement that all social workers were registered. This is no bad thing as it means that social workers can be struck off for bad, dangerous or unethical practice. All good so far.

However, one of the problems with social work training becoming a degree course is that we are now in the situation where we are being presented with newly qualified social workers who can write a fab essay, but have absolutely no idea how to engage with clients, carry out a risk assessment etc. Also, now it is a degree course the universities have to accept students who are just out of school... which leads me to ask... how can an individual who is 18 have enough life experience to be able to work as a social worker who is required to relate to a broad-spectrum of people, many of whom are struggling with extraordinarily difficult life situations? I am fully aware that there will always be the exception to the rule, but I struggle with this whole issue. I mean, I qualified when I was 25 and I was the youngest of my year, but I had already done a degree and a variety of different jobs. I was still young, but social workers can now qualify at 21. I hardly knew who I was at 25 let alone 21! Grrrr.... can you tell I am frustrated with this?!!!

I love my job, but I find it unbelievably stressful, tiring and frustrating. I don't want to do anything else, but I didn't become a social worker to be able to write an essay. I became a social worker to make a difference, and yes it helps to be able to write a decent assessment but the reality is that engaging with clients is the stuff that makes a difference and brings about change. The ability to relate on a personal level is crucial, and that means I need to know who I am as this impacts the job I do. I am now not really sure why I am writing this... maybe I just need to reaffirm to myself why I do what I do and to remind myself that the job is about people not academia!

Anyway... back to writing up my assessments!!