MY EXPERIENCE

I completed my social training in 2004 and eventually got mt MA in social worK at an East Midland University. Did it prepare me of what was to come?


NO

Did the lecturers know what they were talking about ?

NO

Most of lecturers had not practiced for year, so how could they possibly prepare us.

My final placement was an an East midlands Local Authority. I did not have a practice teacher for 8 weeks and learnt so much from text books and nagging staff by asking questions until they got sick of me. I remember chairing my first core group because the senior practitioner was off work sick. The service manager offered me a job on the spot- which i declined.

during my placement i held child protection cases as the department i a build up of cases. I remembered in the assessment and duty team there was a back logg of 600 cases.



Eventually i took up a post and remained with the department for a couple of years. I enjoyed the role and had actually found my niche. The problem in this kind of work is the bullying and more bullying. The incestious relationships with the staff and the job fixing. So if your face fitted you got promoted.



The caseloads got larger and larger the stress, the working from home followed by more bullying, the lack of confidentiality it was real crap.

More and more social workers went on long term sick and played the system. this followed by



at least 6 months sick with pay, 6 weeks of half pay, then return to work folowed by holidays, so those workers who played the game would work approx 4 -5 months each year - then get promoted.

cut along story short i eventually left along with most of my team and alot of the social workers as they had had enough. Most of my colleague decided to do agency work as they could leave a job when thing got rough .
 
 
My second local Authority was enven worse- it lied to get me there- it wasin special measutres and even agency staff left on a daily basis. I once witnessed an agency manager that had qualified 2 years ago give a box full of cases to the worker. After 4 hours the worker left. I followed shortly. THE PLACE SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN
 
lOCAL Authority 3
 
I have come to the cob clusion that all local authorities are the same.My experience here has been ok But colleagues are suffereing bully had break downs and are on long term sick.
 
my question is what the hell is social work doing, is is helping children and families or destroying the worker.
 
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