In this episode, hear Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a question we received asking how an adults’ social worker can secure a role working with refugees or co-ordinating disaster relief.

This episode is hosted by Kirsty Ayakwah, senior careers editor at Community Care. If you have a question you’d like our experts to answer or if you felt their advice has helped you secure your next social work role, we want to hear from you.

Click here to read the transcript.

Listen to “#5 Ask The Experts: How do I secure a role working with refugees or co-ordinating disaster relief?” on Spreaker.

Send us an email at: careersadvice@markallengroup.com You can follow all the Ask The Experts questions and responses on: www.thesocialworkcommunity.com

Read past questions from social workers with a career question and read the responses here.

In this episode, hear Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a question we received asking what the pros and cons were of working in a local authority versus a trust?

This episode is hosted by Kirsty Ayakwah, senior careers editor at Community Care. If you have a question you’d like our experts to answer or if you felt the advice has helped you secure your next social work role, we want to hear from you.

Listen to “#4 Ask The Experts: What are the pros and cons of working in a local authority versus a trust?” on Spreaker.

Click here to read the transcript.

Send us an email at: careersadvice@markallengroup.com You can follow all the Ask The Experts questions and responses on: www.thesocialworkcommunity.com Read past questions from social workers with a career question and read the responses here.

In this episode of our ‘Ask The Experts’ series, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a question on how to secure a new job after receiving a negative reference.

This episode is hosted by Ruth Hardy-Mullings, head of content at Community Care. If you have a question you’d like our experts to answer, or if you felt the advice has helped you secure your next social work role, we want to hear from you.

Listen to “#3 Ask The Experts: How to secure a new job after receiving a negative reference” on Spreaker.

Click here to read the transcript.

Send us an email at: careersadvice@markallengroup.com

You can catch up on past episodes of ‘Ask The Experts’ on The Social Work Community.

Welcome to The Social Work Community Podcast’s mini-series, ‘Ask the experts’, where we put your careers questions to three social work experts.

In this episode, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a social worker who has lost enthusiasm and motivation in the area she works in.

This episode is hosted by Ruth Hardy-Mullings, head of content at Community Care.

If you have a question you’d like our experts to answer or if you felt the advice has helped you secure your next social work role, send us an email at careersadvice@markallengroup.com.

Read past questions from social workers and our experts’ responses here.

Here is a clip from the podcast where Ruth reads out the letter from the social worker.

Listen to whole episode on The Social Work Community.

Welcome to The Social Work Community Podcast’s new mini-series, ‘Ask the experts’, where we put your careers questions to three social work experts.

In this episode, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a practitioner asking for advice on how to secure an interview for an assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) role.

This episode is hosted by Ruth Hardy-Mullings, head of content at Community Care.

If you have a question you’d like our experts to answer or if you felt the advice has helped you secure your next social work role, send us an email at careersadvice@markallengroup.com.

You can follow all the ‘Ask the experts’ questions and responses on The Social Work Community.

Read past questions from social workers and our experts’ responses here.

Here is a clip from the podcast where one of our experts, Claire Barcham, gives her advice:

Listen to whole episode on The Social Work Community.

We asked you to share your social work career questions with our resident expert, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly. In our ask the expert column, Dame Lorna answers queries from practitioners looking to advance their social work careers. Check out our previous ask the expert columns for advice on other topics.

If you would like some careers advice from Dame Lorna, send your questions to careersadvice@markallengroup.com.

Dear Shirley*

Thanks for your letter. In responding, I have drawn on my many years of experience as a social worker/senior manager and a presiding magistrate in the criminal court.

As a social worker called to attend court for the first time, you may find this very daunting.  However, you should not be doing this on your own.  You should have had the opportunity to discuss the “case” in supervision with your manager or a senior social worker.

You will also normally be required to prepare a report/statement for the hearing which must have been checked by the legal department of your employer.

It is the lawyers who will be responsible for filing all required documents with the court, prior to the application for a court order. Your application may be, for example, as a result of you being the allocated social worker, or being on duty in the case of an application for an “emergency protection order”

Prior to attending the hearing, you should ask the lawyer for your employer to go over the statement with you. They should also talk you through the likely questions that you will be asked by the lawyers representing the other parties, especially the parent/carers and the child/children. Preparation is key when you appear as a professional in court.

On the day that you attend the court, arrange to be early and to meet the lawyer (normally a barrister) representing your employer to discuss and read over your statement/report.

Remember that this is not a social event: do not be drawn into casual conversation by the lawyers for the other parties, as they may remember any comments you may have made and refer to this in cross examination of you.

The lawyer representing your employer should be present during any pre-court discussion that the lawyers may wish to hold in relation to the application that is being made by you for an order. If you are approached for a discussion before the arrival of your lawyer, politely decline and explain that you will need to wait and discuss with your employers’ lawyer when they arrive.

As a witness who is a professional, you will normally be asked to establish your credentials when you take your place in the witness stand, once you have taken the oath or affirmed. The lawyer representing your employer will normally lead you in these questions to establish your credentials in making the application.

It is important that you maintain eye contact with the magistrate/judge and the lawyers, as this can build trust and confidence. Try to address your answers to the judge or magistrates (rather than the lawyers).

Ensure that you know the correct manner in which to address them. If you are speaking to a magistrate, you should address them as “Your Worship, or Sir/Madam”. If speaking to a high court judge, you should use “My Lord” or “My Lady”. District judges, are addressed as “Judge”.

It is important that you learn the etiquette of entering the court and the appropriate dress for the court. I am reminded of the number of occasions when I have had phones go off in my court room during a hearing, and of professionals having conversations in sight of the bench.

Need help?

Send your career questions to our resident expert, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, to get more clarity and guidance on your career progression plans.

Dame Lorna has over 30 years’ experience of leading and developing social care services. She has an unparalleled level of insight into frontline social work and is well-versed in the issues that affect practitioners today.

You can take a look at previous questions and answers on our ask the expert page.

Questions can be sent to careersadvice@markallengroup.com

We asked you to share your social work career questions with our resident expert, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly. Here, Dame Lorna answers queries from practitioners looking to advance their social work careers. Check out our previous ask the expert columns for advice on other topics.

If you would like some careers advice from Dame Lorna, send your questions to careersadvice@markallengroup.com.

Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for writing to me. You have clearly had a number of difficult years following the completion of your social work MA.

I am sorry that you did not enjoy working in children’s services. I do acknowledge that working in this area of social work can be challenging; however, whichever statutory area of social work that we work in carries its own level of challenge.

You ask for advice on which area of social work would not compromise your wellbeing. It is difficult for me to answer this question without understanding what triggers your anxiety.

I wonder if you have had the opportunity to engage in counselling. If not, I would encourage you to seek counselling to address the issues which led to the “burnout” that you experienced in 2020.

There may well be opportunities in the education and charity sector in which your social work qualification and knowledge may be useful. However, I do know from my own knowledge of these sectors that these roles will also have related pressures which can be challenging.

Reading your letter suggests that you did not complete the ASYE and the window for you to do so has now closed. If you have not maintained your Social Work England registration, legislation stipulates that you will be unable to obtain a role which requires a qualified social worker.  Therefore, I would encourage you to maintain your registration with Social Work England.

I acknowledge that my reply may not have been the reply you may have hoped for but I do believe that it is important that you consider other career options that may well be outside of social work.

I wish you well and hope that you are able to progress your career successfully.

All best wishes,

DLBK

Dear Amma,

Thank you for writing to me and congratulations on obtaining your first role in social work following your qualification.

This year, as a newly qualified social worker, it is important that you use the 12 months of the assessed and supported year in employment to continue to learn and gain experience in your chosen area of practice.

I can understand your desire to use your legal qualification and to combine this with your social work practice. A thorough understanding of the operation of the law is an important asset which all social workers should have.

My advice however, would be to give yourself a year post-ASYE to gain further extended professional development, either in your current team or in the adult safeguarding services. You should use your supervision to discuss your career progression and explore what opportunities there are for you.

You may also wish to seek further UK legislative training as part of your continuous professional development. I’d suggest exploring areas including the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in adults’ services and, for children’s services, learning around the Children Act 1989, including amendments since it was first enacted.

Each local authority has a team of lawyers and assistant lawyers. I would advise you to make contact with the team in your local authority to discuss your specific area of law and to see whether there are any opportunities which may be upcoming, either through a secondment to the legal team or applying for a role in the legal team.

Alternatively, you could consider seeking mentoring from one of the lawyers in your local authority to support you in your development as you seek to find ways to use your legal expertise in your social work practice.

All best wishes,

DLBK

Send your career questions to our resident expert, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, to get more clarity and guidance on your career progression plans.

Dame Lorna has over 30 years’ experience of leading and developing social care services. She has an unparalleled level of insight into frontline social work and is well-versed in the issues that affect practitioners today.

You can take a look at previous questions and answers on our ask the expert page.

Questions can be sent to careersadvice@markallengroup.com.

Find out more about how to book a space at this year’s event, which takes place on 10-11 October in London.

We asked you to share your social work career questions with our resident expert, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly. Here, Dame Lorna answers queries from practitioners looking to advance their social work careers. Check out our previous ask the expert columns for advice on other topics.

If you would like some careers advice from Dame Lorna, send your questions to careersadvice@markallengroup.com.

Dear Amanda,

Thank you for writing to us. Your letter is concise and to the point. You tell us that you had a recent part-time secondment working for a local university.

Clearly this was a very rewarding experience for you as you now wish to move into the field of research in social work and producing written material.

I was reminded of a previous mentee of mine who is now working as a part-time social work lecturer and researcher at a university.

Reflecting on my mentee’s path and your wish for the future, I would suggest that you contact the university where you recently worked part time and explore employment with them.

State clearly that you wish to move into research and explore if there are any opportunities for you to do this with them. If there are no opportunities with this university, you should widen your search.

I am a member and trustee of the Association of Child Protection Professionals (AoCPP), which has several researchers among its active members.

I know that many of them have been involved in social work research and regularly contribute to ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions for the AoCPP.

It is not the role of Community Care Careers to promote any particular association and there are a number of professional associations which you could reach out to. Becoming a member of these associations will expose you to helpful individuals from whom you can learn.

All best wishes.

DLBK

Pexels/Abby Chung

I have the skills but not the ‘right piece of paper’ to prove my experience in this country

Dear Dame Lorna,

I am an internationally qualified social worker and graduated in 2013. I also completed a master’s in advanced social work practice in 2018. In my country of origin, I did additional practice-based learning and became what is known as a mental health social worker.

Back home, this enabled me to work privately as a therapist. However, I’ve now lived in the UK for six years, primarily working in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), and have worked my way up to a very senior band 8a position. I provide assessments and therapy as part of my day-to-day work.

Because of my lack of postgraduate certification and training in therapies, my understanding is that I can’t really practise privately here, which was to be my next career move, alongside part-time NHS work.

I understand many social workers here retrain to become systemic family therapists, but I cannot afford that.

Can you advise on how I should proceed?

Renae

This is a shortened and edited version of Renae’s letter.

Dear Renae,

Thank you for writing to us.

We have enjoyed reading about your training and the career pathway you have taken in your country of origin and in the UK.  I was reminded of the very happy years that I spent working in child psychiatry (the predecessor of CAMHS), although I was formally employed by the local authority, not the NHS.

In your longer letter, you talked about the accreditation process for mental health social workers being practice-based in your country, while it is university-based in the UK.

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) supports the registration and accreditation of counsellors and psychotherapists who practice using a range of models and training.

The minimum requirement to practise in the UK under BACP registration is currently completing a level 4 diploma, undertaken through a course accredited by the association, or passing its certificate of proficiency.

The qualifications framework is currently being reviewed and the BACP and other leading UK professional counselling and psychotherapy bodies have come together to agree on a system of qualifications and competency for the future.

This review is called The Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) and information on it can be found here.

You talked about having the relevant skills but not the relevant certification to prove it. 

I would suggest having a conversation with the BACP to ascertain whether any of the modules completed as part of your qualifications may contribute to modules that would need to be completed in line with UK governance in this area.

You asked if there are any options through employment that is common for social worker training/ certification in therapies that you may be overlooking.

I am afraid I don’t know of any, but that isn’t to say that there aren’t any!

My best suggestion here would be to look at third sector therapeutic organisations that may have more flexibility around employment criteria.

They are likely to have individual projects that will benefit from an experienced mental health professional with cross-cultural experience and expertise, along with a good understanding and working knowledge of UK systems.

I am grateful to my colleague Helen W. from the Association of Child Protection Professionals (AoCPP), who has supported me with the information that I have given to you.

I do hope that our reply will be useful to you. If you come to Community Care Live 2023 in October, do let us know how you are getting on with your planned career change. Sign up here to be notified about our career clinics and how to book a slot.

All best wishes

DLBK

Send your career questions to our resident expert, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, to get more clarity and guidance on your career progression plans.

Dame Lorna has over 30 years’ experience of leading and developing social care services. She has an unparalleled level of insight into frontline social work and is well-versed in the issues that affect practitioners today. For the last two years, she has delivered careers clinics to social workers at Community Care Live.

We will publish answers to the questions you send in to Dame Lorna every fortnight. You can take a look at previous questions and answers on our ask the expert page.

Questions can be sent to careersadvice@markallengroup.com.