Going back to university to train as a social worker was not a decision I or anyone else on the course undertook lightly. Returning to full-time study on a graduate course at Sussex University meant giving up work and monthly pay, reverting to life on a subsistence level grant and returning to the libraries and lecture rooms that I thought I had abandoned for ever. All this for a profession which seems destined to endure a bad press until the crack of doom.

Nobody seems to want to remember a good social worker: politicians seldom refer to social workers when they talk about public sector workers, and social work does not attract high-profile recruitment campaigns. Often the only awareness the public have of social workers is when the media question their professionalism and ability to do their jobs. They are subject, repeatedly, to trial by media and public inquiry.

Despite all this, I would strongly recommend either the masters or diploma in social work as the first step in an interesting, enjoyable and extremely valuable career. Many people on the course worked previously in the voluntary sector and wanted a professional qualification in order to improve their skills and career prospects. I had worked for charities for two years and wanted to have more stable hours instead of shift work and weekends – and better pay and career structure – without having to move out of the social care field.

Don’t be put off, however, if you don’t yet have lots of experience – personal values and beliefs are also important, particularly a commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and to equal opportunities. Put simply, the people on my course share a strong desire to work with people and feel they can make a genuine difference to those who are socially, economically and politically disadvantaged.

The course is two years full time including substantial periods as a student social worker on placement in both years of the course. The vocational training is an invaluable opportunity to hold cases and attempt to put the theory learnt in the classroom into practice. The first year offers a broad overview of the subject matter, ranging from child development and observation through to mental health law, treatment, and older people.

The first-year placement can seem fairly daunting, especially if it’s in a field in which you have no previous experience – you don’t get to choose where you are placed. Each student has a practice teacher, an experienced social worker who will see you through the placement experience and offer you support and learning opportunities. But remember, while you are weeping on their shoulder, that they are also constantly assessing you, in order to write vast reports measuring your professional competencies.

In my case, one of my first-year placements involved working with a five-year-old boy called Ian who had been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. My role as social worker took in the needs of his parents and the other children in the family. Ian’s behaviour had become increasingly challenging, which had a knock-on effect on the youngest child, because of the amount of parental attention that Ian required. The rest of the family was also suffering: the older child, and the parents, whose relationship was under increasing strain. My job was to recruit and provide services to help the children and alleviate the parents’ stress – this was made more difficult by the family’s frustration over changing social workers, and their feeling that social services had so far let them down.

I was able to achieve some improvements for the family: nursery fees, sessions for the older child with a community family worker, and contact with a support group. I managed to secure a sessional worker to work in the family home one night a week to let the parents spend some time together. Ian himself has now been referred to the Link Scheme, which aims to match Ian with a temporary foster placement, to offer him and his family overnight and weekend respite. I arranged an occupational therapy assessment to help them rearrange their house to make it more practical and safe for Ian. Another organisation aims to offer practical support and techniques for coping with his behaviour.

The luxury of being a student social worker is the time allowed for you to discuss your own work, both practical and academic, covering subject issues and personal concerns. There is lots of supervision during your practice placement, as well as three separate tutorial or “intervention” groups facilitated by a course tutor, which meet each week to discuss issues raised by the course or our practice placements. The course aims to teach counselling skills, and an understanding of empowerment issues and group dynamics.

Social work is interesting and challenging – so much so that the work and the emotional involvement can threaten to overwhelm you. Whilst at times it may seem daunting, it really is worth the commitment it takes. Employment prospects are good: there is a national shortage of social workers so you may be able to choose where you work, and there may be scope to negotiate starting salaries, relocation grants and one-off starting bonus payments. The field is undergoing interesting changes at the moment, with ideas of incorporating social services into the health, education and police departments.

If you want to make a difference in people’s lives, and help shape a better society, social work might be for you.

John Child is a first-year Master in Social Work (MSW) student at the University of Sussex

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