It is that time of year when many final-year social work students make the transition to qualified practitioner and take their first steps on the social work career ladder. Social work practice, especially on statutory local authority teams, is becoming increasingly pressured and demanding as budgetary constraints tighten and workloads increase. Here are some key things that I have learned that may also help newly qualified social workers survive in challenging times.
- Look after yourself – I was fortunate when I started out to be part of a close-knit supportive team who looked out for each other and recognised and stepped in if one member was struggling. Mobile and flexible working has unfortunately made this more of a rarity. Develop your own support networks and know who to go to for help and advice, both for casework and on a personal level. It’s OK to say no sometimes and don’t give all of yourself all of the time, save some of yourself for those you love and care about outside of work – they need you too.
- Be a team player – respect everyone. Everyone has a part to play and all parts of the team are vital, from the manager to the administrator. You may have a shiny new qualification which means you have worked hard and achieved a lot to be proud of, but it doesn’t make you better than others. Make friends with the administrators, they’re often the ones who really know what is happening on the team.
- Make the most of learning and training opportunities – after two or three intense years at university and the prospect of an assessed and supported year in employment, this may seem the last thing you want to do, but post-qualifying learning keeps learning and thinking fresh, recharges batteries and opens the doors for career progression. One of the things I love about social work is that is continually evolving and you never get to the point where you know everything. If you think you have, it will more than likely change next week.
- Take time out to reflect – this is essential both to ensure good practice and maintain your own sanity and wellbeing. If you are continually pedalling fast with your head down, you’ll become blinkered, stop questioning and risk missing something vitally important. This doesn’t have to involve huge amounts of time; it can be something as simple as stepping away from your desk for a walk, or talking over a case with a colleague over a cup of tea. A different perspective and fresh eyes can send thinking and approaches in different directions.
- There will be cases that keep you awake at night – however, you will come through these. One of the beauties and strengths of social work is team and multi-disciplinary working so you should not be making or carrying responsibility for complex and difficult decisions on your own.
- Be prepared to champion the profession – people will assume that you work with children. If you work with adults you will have to learn to explain to Joe Public in accessible, jargon-free terms what you do. Avery good friend of mine said, after I’d been qualified for about five years, “I know you are a social worker, but what is it that you actually do?” Sometimes though, it is absolutely OK to just say “I work for the council”.
- You can change things – you just have to talk to the right person. The difficulty can often be determining who the right person is, and how to access them.
Despite the challenges and difficulties that the job brings, I have always felt that social work is a privileged profession: we are able to meet a vast range of people and situations and no two days are ever the same. Although we see people at their worst, we also encounter the best in them and see real strength of character and determination; this is one of the things that makes it all worthwhile.
