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The role of a social worker is to support families and individuals through difficulties and ensure vulnerable people of all ages are safeguarded from harm, and to improve the conditions in which they live.

Social workers can generally work with the followings groups:

The elderly
Young offenders
Homeless
School non-attenders
People with learning and physical disabilities
Drug and alcohol abusers
People with mental health conditions

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FAQs

FAQs

What does a Social worker do?

A social worker's daily responsibilities can be hugely varied, depending on the nature of the case they are looking after. Some typical day-to-day responsibilities might include:

Arranging care, resources and benefits for clients
Attending or contributing towards court cases
Conducting interviews with individuals and families for assessment purposes
Offering information and support
Participating in training, supervision and team meetings
Undertaking and writing up assessments (sometimes in collaboration with other professionals), which meet specified standards and timescales
Writing reports
Offering advice to clients
Budgetary and managerial administration
Maintaining accurate records and preparing reports for legal action
Organising and managing packages of support to enable people to lead the fullest lives possible
Liaising with, and making referrals to, other agencies
Communicating with relatives, colleagues and other professionals
Making decisions about the best course of action for a particular person or family

Skills & interests required for a Social worker

As social workers will often be working with vulnerable people, or those in acute situations of need, they need to display sensitivity and tact when working with clients. They also need to be aware of a variety of different legal and procedural policies which might impact their clients' circumstances.

Social workers are often the very first people to notice something wrong - they need to have the confidence to report situations and make on-the-spot assessments. Social workers are highly likely to witness traumatic or unpleasant circumstances during their working lives, and a good level of emotional resilience is a must.

What hours does a Social worker typically do?

Social workers normally work around 37 hours per week. Occasional evening and weekend work may be necessary, depending on the social worker's caseload.

What environment is a Social worker based in?

Social workers are predominantly based in an office, but may also have to visit service users' homes, care homes, hospitals or courts.

How much does a Social worker travel?

Social workers will need to travel frequently when they are required to visit service users' homes. They may also occasionally have to travel to court.

How much does a Social worker get paid?

A new qualified social worker can expect a salary of £22,000 per annum. With experience and further responsibilities this can rise to around £40,000 per annum.

What qualifications does a Social worker need?

To enter a social work profession, a degree or postgraduate degree in social work is required. The degree will need to be approved by one of the four regulators. These are:

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) - in England Social Care Wales - in Wales Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) - in Northern Ireland Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) - in Scotland

There are degree apprenticeships available in social work, in which you can gain practical, hands-on experience of the work while also completing your qualification and earning a salary.