Careers advice
What does it mean to be a social worker?
- Social care is about working with people – it is that simple and that complicated. It is a challenging and rewarding profession, which brings you into contact with a diverse range of people and provides good opportunities for career development.
- Social care workers are supporting people who because of mental health problems, learning disabilities or other life challenges find it hard to cope with every day life.
- Social care workers also support vulnerable children and young people.
- Within Oxfordshire there are approximately 8,000 people employed in social care and nationally Social care is one of the major areas of employment.
- Social care employers in Oxfordshire include the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors, these sectors are committed and work together to ensure their staff are appropriately supported and trained and have access to gaining qualifications.
- Career Pathways are facilitated in social care and in Oxfordshire staff can progress from NVQ level 2 to degrees and professional qualifications while providing an essential and valuable service.
- Social care is growing in status and the government are committed to ensuring that the workforce is appropriately qualified to nationally recognised standards. All social care workers will be required to register and demonstrate continued professional development.
Entry
Workbased route:
- Apprenticeship schemes exist for 16 – 18 yr olds who are employed to work in a social care setting while gaining their apprenticeship qualification. Download the leaflet below.
- Support workers and care workers are employed in family centres, supported living schemes, home support, residential homes and day services.
- No formal qualifications are necessary to enter a career in social care but you will complete Common Induction Standards and an appropriate NVQ at level 2 or 3.
Higher Education route
- You can enter social care with an appropriate professional degree, e.g. nursing, social work, or occupational therapy.
- Locally Oxford Brookes University and Ruskin College offer the 3 year Social Work Degree.
- Ruskin College offers particular opportunities to candidates who may not have significant previous academic experience. Ruskin also offers the Foundation degree in Care Management.
- The Open university offers the Social Work degree to people in relevant employment within social care using a distance learning route. Some of the modules can be accessed separately. K100 (Understanding Social Care) is an excellent starter.
- Further afield Reading University and Buckinghamshire New University also offer the Social Work degree.
- There is currently no postgraduate route available locally. However Warwick and Brunel Universities offer this route.
- Government sponsored bursaries are available
Progression:
- Having obtained an NVQ level 2/3 through your work place, progression is possible to a higher level NVQ either in social care or Management and also provide access to a professional degree in a social care related field.
- This will also open up the possibility of a wider range of positions with additional responsibilities, across the range of social care settings. These may include the following:
- Family support workers, reviewing officers, community mental health workers, supervisors, assistant managers, managers, social workers and occupational therapists.
Tips for entering the social care workforce if you are:
Under 19:
- Consider work experience with a social care employer through your school or college, or voluntary work in your local community.
- Consider carefully your subject options at school with your careers advisor. A new diploma in Society Health and Development will be available from September 2008.
- Consider applying for an apprenticeship scheme. Download the leaflet below.
18 plus:
- Consider a taster session through the Adult Learning Service – see your local adult learning brochure.
- Consider carefully what life experiences you can bring to a job in social care and use these experiences to help you to apply for a post as a care or support worker. Gain experience through voluntary work.
- If you are interested in a more academic route but are uncertain of your academic ability consider brushing up your Maths and English skills and also doing the K100 – Understanding Health and Social Care through the Open University. It counts as a credit towards the Social Work degree through the Open University and costs about £400.
Train to Gain will help your organisation improve its workforce skills and business performance. It provides free and subsidised training at a time and place that suits you.
For more information
Contact Association of Social Care Communicators in Oxfordshire. Email or telephone 01865 854447.
You can also download this leaflet on the Oxfordshire Social Care Apprenticeship Scheme. (.pdf format, 22Kb)
