Scottish Social Workers on the rise

Friday, 02 July 2010 14:42

Admissions to social work degree courses are on the rise in Scotland, showing that more people are looking to the profession as a career. Early indications suggest that admissions will increase by 8% from last year.

The SSSC annual trends report monitors the delivery and quality of social work degree courses and also identifies changes in the number and type of people applying. Last year, 2008/09 we recorded an intake of 647 admissions but estimates for 2009/10, still to be confirmed, are putting the intake at 700 admissions.

There is also an increase in the number of people applying, particularly younger people. The number of young people (16-24 years) applying increased from 31 per cent in 2006/7 to 41 per cent in 2008/9 while the number of older people during the same period (35-44 years) dipped to 17%. This may be because the age barrier that used to apply to social work courses has been lifted and more school leavers are aware of the opportunities.

"It is encouraging to see more people choosing social work as a career", says Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of SSSC. "We have a commitment to the widening participation of people in social work amongst underrepresented groups so that the workforce more accurately reflects the diversity of our communities. For example, there was a rise in the number of people who disclosed a disablity entering courses to 7 per cent in 2008/9 compared with the previous year."

"The diversity of people now working in social work was also reflected in the make-up of the finalists for our recent Care Accolades, often challenging the traditional stereotype of the social worker."

"Social work is a complex and challenging career, which is often misunderstood by the public and the media. These new figures show that more people see it as an attractive career path. This is reflected in wider research for the Social Work Changes Lives campaign, which shows that perceptions of social work are improving".

There is increasing quality of applications from younger people looking to enter the social work degree, including reflective statements from applicants that are much more aware of the role of social workers and the complexity of social work.