Recently there have been reports that government changes and improvement plans for Children’s Services and the wider social care sector are galvanising social care recruitment. So how will you utilize the current climate to forge a career in Children’s Services?
The existing government pilot programmes were launched in the UK in 2008, consisting of 11 social work remodelling schemes designed to make improvements in the social care service sector. Through these programmes, care services have now been exploring regions of development, including the creation of new care positions and further investment into recruitment practices.
So what does this mean for you personally? Well, with further investment and overall service revision come increased opportunities for social care service professionals, including people that have expertise in Children’s Services.
Children’s Services is a diverse part of social care, filled with potential opportunities for professionals with a selection of skills and experience. If you’re seeking social care recruitment in the Children’s Services sector, you will find several routes to go down, including however, not limited to:
If you select to pursue a career in Children’s Services, you should think about that you might be dealing with young people of all ages, from very young kids to autism specialist teenagers approaching age independence. Whichever age group you assist, you’re apt to be reaching young folks who are vulnerable for some reason, perhaps as a result of past experiences or since they’re wholly or partly dependent upon the care system.
Working with vulnerable children requires compassion, patience, open-mindedness and dedication. Working with certain age brackets or dealing with children who have experienced traumatic pasts, including neglect or abuse, may be challenging. The possibility of harmful behaviour or complex needs in many of these children is something worth taking into consideration when you pursue a career in the Children’s Services field.
Several of those skills might be developed from experience outside of a professional setting, such as an event looking after a loved one. However, a career in Children’s Services also requires certain qualifications. Becoming a social worker in the UK you have to be General Social Care Council (GSCC) approved; this usually means being qualified with a qualification in social care that is recognised by the GSCC. It’s also possible to be required to possess certain educational qualifications, such as GCSEs, dependant on the hiring body or organisation, and an up-to-date criminal record check from the Criminal Records Bureau.
