Field Social Worker

Also known as:

Social Worker, Field

Introduction

Field social workers help, support and protect people who are vulnerable or at risk, or have social or emotional problems. They are office based and visit clients in the community to offer advice, practical assistance and emotional support.

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Work Activities

Most local authorities have specialist teams of field social workers, dealing with specific issues or groups. For example, a field social worker may be part of a team specialising in:
• child protection
• children who have been excluded from school
• elderly people
• people with mental health problems
• people with physical or learning disabilities
• people with HIV or AIDS.

Some social workers are part of an 'intake' or 'access' team, responding to people's requests for help and then referring them on to the right specialist team. Referrals also come directly from other professionals such as doctors, teachers and police officers, and also from the courts.

Building a trusting relationship with the client is a very important part of field social work. The social worker needs to become very familiar with the client's situation (or 'case'), making decisions based on a careful analysis of all the right information.

For example, the Child Act (1989) gives social workers legal responsibility for identifying and protecting children at risk of 'significant harm' (a term from the Act) from abuse or neglect. If a social worker decides that the risk of significant harm exists, they have the legal power to remove the child from their home, or from another situation where the child is at risk.

The decision to remove a child from home will have a very big impact on everyone involved. It is therefore vital that the social worker has made the right decision, based on very close familiarity with the case and a thorough investigation of all the factors involved.

For example, a social worker may talk to a child's teachers to find out more about the child's home life, including the family or any other adults who have responsibility for caring for the child. They may then decide to interview the child at school, with a parent or carer present (but not the person suspected of harming the child). If the social worker decides that the child is at risk, they must inform the local police, while the social work team launches a full 'child protection' investigation.

To reach a final decision, social workers have to work closely with other professionals, for example, the police and medical staff, who may examine the child to find evidence of abuse or neglect.

Field social workers are also responsible for the processes of fostering and adoption. They interview and assess people who want to become foster or adoptive parents. If an application is approved, social workers give advice and training, preparing people to care for children who may have been abused, moved around many times in the past, or may have physical or learning difficulties.

Sometimes field social workers are present when the police interview young people who have been in trouble with the law. They write reports for use in court, or may appear in court to give evidence.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

As a field social worker, you must enjoy working with people and helping them to solve their problems. You must be able to empathise with people, have a sympathetic and caring nature, and the ability to win the trust of people from all kinds of backgrounds. You must be able to empower clients and help them to make choices about their future.

Good communication skills are very important. You should be able to listen carefully, and ask the right questions to find out more about the client's needs. You will need a wide knowledge of the incentives and benefits available to the clients, to put forward suggestions to try and solve the problem. For example, you may tell a family about a social security benefit that they did not know they were entitled to. You must know the local area and be aware of available resources.

Social workers must be observant, able to read situations and identify problems. You should be non-judgemental and avoid imposing solutions, and you must also be able to make difficult decisions and work within the appropriate legislation. You must be firm, and able to act quickly, for example, if you think a child is at risk of being abused or neglected.

This career can be emotionally and intellectually demanding. There might be disagreement with a decision you make. A client or the client's family might react with hostility or with verbal or even physical aggression. As a social worker, you must be resilient, use your negotiating skills, and be able to defuse potential confrontations with a calm, professional approach.

You must be able to manage and prioritise your own workload. You should have good team skills, to work closely with other professionals, such as teachers, doctors and police officers.

A driving licence is useful and may be essential for some jobs.

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Pay and Opportunities

Pay rates for social workers vary.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Qualified social workers in Scotland earn in the range of £28,000 - £35,000 a year. Higher earners in management roles might earn in the range of £36,000 - £43,000 a year.

Field social workers work a 37-hour week from Monday to Friday. However, early starts, late finishes and work on a rota basis to cover nights and weekends may be required.

Employers throughout the UK are local authority social work departments, voluntary or charity organisations like Barnardo's and Children 1st (formerly the Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, RSSPCC).

Some people work for private companies that care for the elderly, homeless, terminally ill, or people with mental health problems.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

In order to qualify as a social worker, it is necessary to have completed an Honours degree in social work or to have taken a degree in another suitable subject followed by a two-year postgraduate course.

For most social work courses entrants are required to have 6-12 months' relevant experience. This can include, for example, care work or community work. It may be paid or voluntary. Organisations such as CSV (Community Service Volunteers) provide relevant volunteering placements in social care.

The Open University offers a BA (Honours) Social Work (Scotland) degree by open and work-based learning. The programme is only available to staff who are working in social care agencies in Scotland and are sponsored by their employer.

If you have a non-graduate qualification in social work, you can study part time for an Honours degree while working in a social care job. You should get time off for practice placements. This route is much less common as your employer has to sponsor you, providing you with suitable placements and funding.

Some local authorities offer training schemes leading to a social work qualification. Contact the social work departments in the local authority areas you are interested in for information.

• 22% of social workers work part-time.
• 35% have flexible hours.
• 7% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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