s a second year social work student, I’m still asked by many people what service user group I
intend to work with once I become a newly qualifi ed social worker (NQSW). It seems to me that they believe social work students must have a preferred client group before they’ve even completed their UCAS form. As well being a full time mature student, I also have two relief jobs and two voluntary jobs, giving me the opportunity to experience working in four diff erent settings. One of my paid jobs involves working with adults who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia in a residential unit, while my second job involves supporting children with learning and physical disabilities in the community. My two voluntary positions, which are both as important to me in terms of gaining experience as my paid jobs, include working with adult off enders in Barlinnie prison in Glasgow and volunteering with homeless youths in a temporary supported living unit. On top of all this, I have university work
placements each year. To be able to apply your newly acquired knowledge base to service users who have diff erent needs is an invaluable opportunity that all social work students should try to achieve. For me, it wouldn’t be possible to be a truly eff ective social worker if you stayed within the comfort zone of the service user group that you had long ago decided on. So to answer the question ‘what service
user group do you plan to work with?’, I always reply that it’s impossible to say as I’ve yet to work within all settings. The questioner usually looks puzzled, but how many other social work students began their studies knowing what future social work job they wanted?
Dan Mushens is a social work student at the University of the West of Scotland.
6 SOCIALWORKMATTERS MAR12 BLOGLOG
CONTENTS Thoughts from the College blog
Being seen as a “profession” isn’t an issue that people
should spend time considering or worrying about. If practice decisions are well informed and credible, this will look after itself.
For me, ‘enabling’ is not just about an individual doing
It wouldn’t be possible to be a
truly effective social worker if you stayed within the comfort zone of the service user group that you had long ago decided on
what they want to do, it is also about recognising power relationships and planning for crisis to enable the individual to have a say about what they want to happen when they are unable to make their own choices or are at signifi cant risk
Reports written whether for court, case conference, or decision making and sharing, are best written succinctly and simply, without being an academic assignment and a presentation of intellectual prowess.
MIKE
DAISYB
GM
You will have time to fi nd sources and put in references
as well as write your assessments in day to day social work life? Methinks not!
Why then do so many of the social workers I know roll
their eyes and look thoroughly uneasy when integration is discussed? It’s because we fear it means being swallowed by the organisation and management approaches that so
often accompany the health service. ETIENNE
Working on rolling out a personalised service to
service users, as a support worker, I feel it has been proven to work towards service users gaining independence, but the funding is only for two years!!