Social worker
Social workers help to protect vulnerable children and adults from harm or abuse, and support people to live independently.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a social worker, your duties will depend on the age groups you work with. For example, you might:
- meet individuals and families to review their needs and make support plans
- give emotional and practical support to clients
- build trust and confidence with young people to support their wellbeing
- help clients develop and maintain independent living skills
- keep clients safe and take action to protect them when necessary
- work closely with communities, health professionals and other agencies
- keep accurate records, write reports and review cases with your supervisors
Working environment
You could work in an office, in the community, at an adult care home, at a children's care home or in an NHS or private hospital.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
Career path and progression
During your first year as a social worker, your employer is likely to offer you professional development, like the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE).
This includes extra support such as:
- regular supervision
- a tailored caseload
- training time to complete professional development tasks
With experience you could:
- become a senior practitioner, mentoring new staff and dealing with complex cases
- become a practice supervisor or service manager, supporting a team of social workers
- specialise in a particular area, such as substance abuse, mental health or child protection
- move into research, teaching, consultancy and policy development
Explore roles in child and family social work to find out more about career progression options.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- a desire to help people
- sensitivity and understanding
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- active listening skills
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
You might need a driving license and your own transport.
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- a graduate training scheme
You could do a degree in social work approved by Social Work England.
You could also do a postgraduate degree in social work, if you have a degree in another subject. A postgraduate degree normally takes 2 years.
You might also be able to get a social work bursary.
Some universities offer a combined master's degree in nursing and social work (MNSW). You can check Social Work England to find information about approved courses.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
More Information
You could apply to do a Social Worker Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
This takes around 3 years to complete and is a mix of work placements and academic study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
More Information
You'll need experience of working with vulnerable groups or children to apply for most courses or jobs.
To get skills and experience, you could:
- apply to be a social work assistant or family support worker
- work in the community through a charity
- find volunteering opportunities through the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and Do IT
Graduate training scheme
You could do an intensive, work-based training programme to gain a master's degree or postgraduate diploma in social work. To apply you'll need at least a 2:2 (second class) degree.
Current programmes to support children and families include:
Registration
- you'll need to register with Social Work England
Professional and industry bodies
You could join the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) for professional development opportunities and to build up your network of contacts in the profession.
Further information
Get more detailed advice on the ways to qualify as a social worker. This can be useful to compare which route might be best for you.
You can also find out more about working in social work from:
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This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.