Social Care work or Teaching Assistant???

hazza04

Hi there, I last posted back in August 2008 after i was made redundant about a change in career. I'm still out of work like so many people unfortunately are at the minute. I have however been doing voluntary work for Victim Support, Literacy volunteers and at my sons school helping with 6 to 7 year olds.

After months of not knowing what i was good at or enjoyed doing, i now do - I enjoy working with people / children, in particularly when they are vulnerable or have learning difficulties or just not getting much attention at home etc - I feel it brings out the best in me and its rewarding.

So I've narrowed it down to 2 Careers - Teaching Assistant or Social care work. Both are roles which i can take an NVQ in whilst doing voluntary or paid work and both are roles that have progression in, if wanted, as in to teacher or Social worker - this will mean a few years of training, and i want to get in to work as soon as.

Anyhow i just would like recommendations on which route people would think will be best, as in the amount of available work or the most rewarding etc? Im a 32 Year old single dad if that makes any difference?? Thanks!!!! :cheesy:

alwaysonthego_2

Social care work is demanding and it is a 24/7 job, whilst teaching assistant work you would get school holidays off. You could go in to social work if you did TA job as you will have done relivant work experience of worknig with young children.

^!£$&

I'm a Learning Support assistant I took this job after gaining a degree in social care but being unable to find a job in that field!
I work mainly with autistic children and really enjoy my work, there are also options to progress my career whilst being supported by my school such as a child counselling or play therapy course!!
One thing I would say is I dont do it for the £££ because its pretty rubbish, but then I finish work by 4 everyday & I get long holidays especially in summer which is great!!!
I think its really important to do something you enjoy and I'm happy in my job which I value over ££ anyday & I hope you will be too whatever you decide!!

magic57

Hi

I'm a Learning Support Assistant and have been doing the job for 10 years. I absolutely love it. At present I work with a braillist. The money is rubbish but the job satisfaction I get makes up for that (well almost!;) )

I did NVQ3 and HLTA on the job. I do not wish to train as a teacher as I love my job as it is but some others on my course are now doing a foundation degree to allow them to get QTS.

I think you would be snapped up very quickly as there are not enough male role models especially in Junior schools. The big advantage is getting school holidays off which might be important if you are a single dad. Most authorities don't pay you for holidays though.

You might also like to consider the role of Learning Mentor. This involves working with pupils on their attendance and achievements. They are usually the ones having severe problems due to non-attendance etc. You also work with other agencies and parents. If you google Learning Mentor you will find lots of information.
Best of luck in whatever you do.

squirrelchops

Well work in social care always seems abundant and with personal budgets becoming more widely used there are even more jobs on the horizon.

I worked for 5 years in a residential childrens home for 11-18year olds with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Very challenging work but I learnt a lot. I then left and am now in second year of social work degree. This has been a fab learning curve but again very challenging in terms of the work and commitment required.

hazza04

A big thanks for those quick replies, it certainly is pointing towards the teaching assistant side of it at the minute. I realise that the money wont be the best but i want to look back on my life and realise i made a difference to people rather than look back and realise that i helped a global company make millions of pounds for example. Im booked on a makaton course in may and i have paediatric first Aid. I am starting an open university course in june ( understanding children ) and could possibly take a teachers assistant course starting in the new term. the open uni do one and i know local colleges do - i presume they are the same and give you the same qualification at the end of it??

hazza04

You might also like to consider the role of Learning Mentor. This involves working with pupils on their attendance and achievements. They are usually the ones having severe problems due to non-attendance etc. You also work with other agencies and parents. If you google Learning Mentor you will find lots of information.
Best of luck in whatever you do.[/quote]

I've just googled learning mentor - That's definitely something that appeals to me - i presume the best way in to that tho is through the teachers assistant route? Thanks for suggesting that

lilysgarden

I'd have to agree with what another poster has said about social care work being 24/7 while you at least get the school holidays off when working as a teaching assistant. But I think you need to consider the pro's and cons of the jobs your interested in before deciding which you'd rather do.

I finally started my first role at the start of january as a children and familes social worker after graduating last summer and the majority of my work is frontline child protection stuff. Yes my job is extremely stressful, tiring and emotional. There's already been more than one occasion when I've gone to my manager crying over some of the things I've seen or heard. But I absolutely love my job and really wouldn't want it any other way! Although the cases I often deal with are upsetting and traumatic for everyone involved, I get a huge amount of satisfaction in being involved in protecting the most vulnerable children in society.

As for jobs, the Governments having a huge drive to encourage those made redudent in the current crises, to re-train as teachers, so there will be an awful lot of competition for any teaching jobs that become available. And volunteering there doesn't guarantee you a job. A friend who is a teaching assistant at a school, applied for their sponsorship to be trained as a teacher through the school. The job went to someone else. It's going to be very competitive for those roles for quite a while yet!

However, depending on what kind of social care work you want to do with children, you could have better prospects. The Government goes through stages depending on it's need for qualified Social workers, whereby it pays the tuition fee's at uni for you. Contact your local LEA to see if this is paid for you and what other costs you might be able to claim. During the degree, they often pay alot of childcare costs if you need it, plus you get a mature student grant and a bursary from the NHS which doesn't need paying back. And I can pretty much guarantee, if your willing to work in frontline child protection work, you won't be short of jobs! Contact local social care agencies to see what sort of social care/social work jobs are common in your area. It often goes through prases, but Local Authorities are almost always screaming to children and families social workers!

Sorry it's a long post, but I hope it helps a little. And whatever you decide, GOOD LUCK!!!

magic57

I think most people who become Learning Mentors do start off as Teaching Assistants but I don't think you have to be a TA first. Most Learning Mentors are in secondary schools although there are a few in primary now.
As for courses, the TA course I did was City and Guilds NVQ level 3 for Teaching Assistants ata local college. Then I got Higher Level Teaching Assistant status (it's not a qualification) so I could take whole classes and it counts a bit towards a foundation degree. But my real love was giving individual support so I went back to be Learning Support Assistant. I think there are different TA courses some are run by CACHE and some are Btec.
If you get a TA job in school they will send you on short training courses. I've been on loads. Child Protection, Literacy Special needs etc.

I think you will love the Makaton course. I did this a bit and as a bonus it means you can have a conversation in a noisy night club as long as you have a friend who knows Makaton. :rotfl:
It came in really useful when I had to work with a child who could speak no English. I was able to make myself understood at bit.

Good luck

ipswichblade

I've just started work as a teaching assistant and I love it. The school has been brilliant, I'm going to uni to do a teaching degree later this year and it's the perfect experience. I'm on a temporary contract but even so they have offered to send me on training courses. The school even let me start early so I can finish early to fit around my other job as a playworker.
It took me ages to get a TA job with no qualifications (apart from GCSE's and A-levels) despite the fact I had loads of classroom experience and I work with kids every day in my other job.
Go for it!

hazza04

Thanks again the the new replies - All the posts make me realise that whatever route i take im sure it will be rewarding challenging and worthwhile. Lily'sgarden - thanks for your post - child protection is what ive been trying to find more out about, ive just brought an online NSPCC course on child protection - Its something i feel really strongly about - the stories you read and see on the news are shameful - What with high unemployment at the minute there is sure to be more tension in families, and inevetebly some children will be affected by this - it's worrying.

Magic57 - I've realised myself in the last few months that the individual support is what i enjoy the most as well. the nightclub conversation sounds fun altho im getting old so i have to be in bed for 1!!!

ipswichblade - thanks! it sounds like you have done well out of that and it certainly gives me some hope!