BA Honours in Social Work OU Starting Advice

danz0l

Yes its looking like i need to sit these first although will await the reply of Hull uni on the final outcome. However i need to do research into this from the get go so what is the best distance learning centre i could use to do GCSE Math, English, Science ?

Theboys!

You could probably get them free or for little cost at your local college if you could do an evening course?

danz0l

Yes agreed but its likely to take longer that way where if i did a distance learning course i COULD potentially complete quicker ready for the potential for Uni signup. Just trying to be a little forward thinking but maybe not as forward thinking as i think i am (ok confused myself now ).

Theboys!

Is there anyway you could fit in a part time Access course around your work, some colleges do them in the evening? that would tick all the boxes you need before uni !

But if distance learning is what will work best for you go for it!

danz0l

Not actually sure what an access course is to be honest but will certainly look into it. There is a college in the area but its looking likely I would need to attend adult education classes instead which is hard as i work shifts and they are different each week. My employer can be flexible on occasion but if i ask too much its likely to come rolling down on me Such is the problem with social care, its a 24/7 rolling job.

clio2008

Hi, well i say gd luck with the course if thats what you really feel u want to do.
I was one of the last to finish the DipSW in my uni *deferred course and returned to finish last year*
I personally feel that the BA Honors in Social Work is a slight rip off on students when compared to the DipSW..This is because the work load on students is soooooooooo much now compared to when I done my course. Not too long ago, infact only in 2002 all that was required for social work was a diploma, hence to study it at uni one had to combine it with something else/a degree - Family and childcare, Criminal Justice Studies, and Community care were the options. Many of the students I was in class with during my last year in 2007 were extremely stressed because not only did they have a placement every year of the course *I had one in first year and second in my last year* triple the workbooks to hand in and to top it off if they failed their placement then even if they got good grades in thier assignments all they could aspire to is a position as a Social workers Assistant. I thought it was a real bomber when I learnt that I could still walk away with a Degree in CJS even if I failed my placement, which covered the DipSW..Having said that there is work out there for social workers but if you feel or are able to cope with the bureaucracy, politics and extreme 'backstabbing' that goes on within the industry then you will last long....something i hear often which rings very true is this - Universities all over the UK churn out hundreds of Social Workers on a yearly basis, the fact that there is a constant cry out for more workers in this industry or a lack of them trully says it all...just incase this might help - areas where there is always work is in mental health, children and families and work with young offenders and homeless.

Gd luck again.

danz0l

Thanks for that insight clio2008 and its more valuable than you would realise.

Due to certain learning and financial barriers being in the way (mind everything that is worth doing has to have some difficulties) I have been giving thought into whether this career move is as wise as i first thought.

I'm a dedicated care officer and could work my way up through the field in vocational training using the NVQ system. I have completed my NVQ Level 2 Health and Social Care and have the opportunity to start my NVQ 3 training very soon. Your response on the state of Social Work has given me food for food on whether its better for me to work up through the fields of Social Care vocationally or whether accademic is the way forward.

I know i don't want to remain a care officer for the rest of my life as i feel i have more to give than that and need to be in a position of authority to help change things that i see wrong everyday. Social work would allow me to do that whilst commanding a good wage but would risk my current finiancial situation a great deal. However the choices I make will have to be soon as i'm not getting any younger I could make Level 4 NVQ certified as well as intrim youth experience as well as either keeping my job or working towards a better career in likely as quick a time as being a BA undergraduate in Social Work. What with the likelyhood now that i will need to take a year to get my GCSE Math, English and Science and then 3 to 4 years in University i'm completely unsure on my career path (although was completely positive until yesterday).

I guess i need to give this a great deal more thought before complete commitment. The truth is that the workload doesn't scare me anywhere near as much as the time-scale and financial implications.

Theboys!

Although I appreciate your concerns about age and time implication there are people in my class that will be almost 50 when we graduate next year. If you can work things out financially do not let the time scale put you off.

It will have taken me almost six years to qualify when I finally do. Two years Access, one year off then three years at uni!!

That to me is better than the alternative which was plodding along in a job I enjoyed but would ultimately lead me nowhere in life.

On the work load front I find it manageable, I have friends on different degrees and Social work seems no harder than theirs.

Regarding the negative aspect of social work, the recent press coverage doesn't help matters. I think Social workers will always be damned if they do and damned if they don't and as long as you understand that many people will question you quite negatively about your reasons for doing it you will be ok!!!

Also I think there is often a high turn over of staff within the Statutory sector, budgetary constraints, lack of client contact and huge amounts of paper work being just a few of the issues!
As long as you don't go into social work thinking you can save the world you will be fine

As you can probably tell I am hugely pro education - at any age, as life is too far too short to be unhappy! and if you are nearing 50 on graduation, so what?! you will still have a good 20 years to practice

Oldernotwiser

danz0l wrote: »

and need to be in a position of authority to help change things that i see wrong everyday. Social work would allow me to do that whilst commanding a good wage

.

Although I'm sure you have contact with social workers and they certainly earn more than you currently do, I'm not sure that most would feel the above statement to be true. I really think that you need to research the role of social workers and come to a fuller undestanding of what they actually do.

danz0l

Theboys! wrote: »

Although I appreciate your concerns about age and time implication there are people in my class that will be almost 50 when we graduate next year. If you can work things out financially do not let the time scale put you off.

It will have taken me almost six years to qualify when I finally do. Two years Access, one year off then three years at uni!!

That to me is better than the alternative which was plodding along in a job I enjoyed but would ultimately lead me nowhere in life.

I guess this is where i currently am. I know that the current career path will not improve unless i do something and do something now. This is why i am looking to retrain and obtain a qualification that really does allow me to further my career.

Thanks again for the insight. I'm really at a crossroads and not 100% sure which road to take. I have a lot to think about but feel positive in doing something. I have some emails out to Universities so thats a great start in helping choose my path.