Home Social services careers Becoming a social worker
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What is social work?
Social workers work with people who use social services to assess and respond to their care requirements. This will usually involve working alongside other professional agencies to ensure that people who use social services receive the support they need.

Social workers help service users to find solutions to their problems, so that they are able to live more successfully within their communities. Social workers also work with the family and friends of people who use social services.

Social workers will:
  • hold the honours or postgraduate degree in social work
  • have excellent listening skills
  • be supportive and considerate
  • have the ability to put people at ease
  • be able to work well with colleagues and other professionals
  • possess excellent communication skills
  • be able to work under pressure and to timescales
  • know and understand the locality in which they work and be aware of the available resources

Choosing to specialise

A social work graduate can work in general frontline services or can choose to specialise in areas such as:
  • children and families
  • criminal justice
  • mental health
  • community care

Working with others

Social workers may work with a range of the other agencies and disciplines, including:
  • health
  • police
  • education
  • criminal justice
 

Caring Careers website

The Caring Careers website.

 

Visit the Caring Careers website to find out more about working in social services in Scotland.

 

The website will help if you are new to the sector or if you are already working within social services and will let you know about different career routes. It has lots of information and useful real case studies of workers.

Career Pathway tools

The SSSC has developed two interactive online career pathway tools for social care, support services, early years and child care workers.


The tools will help to inform current and potential workers of the variety of qualifications, career routes and development options within the sector.

 

Early Years and Child Care

 

A screenshot from the Early Years and Child Care career pathway tool


The Early Years and Child Care tool was created in response to the National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce and provides comprehensive up-to-date guidance regarding career Pathways.

 

Care and Support Services

 

A screenshot from the Care and Support Services career pathway tool.

 

The SSSC also commissioned the development of a Care and Support Services tool for workers in social work, social care and housing support.