Social Worker

As a Social Worker, you’ll aim to improve the lives of the people you work with. You’ll support people through social and personal difficulties, while promoting their human rights and well-being.

As a Social Worker you may work with:

• Children and families
• People with mental health conditions
• People with learning disabilities
• Schools
• Hospitals
• People with a physical disability
• People with an acquired brain injury
• Youth offenders
• People with a sensory impairment

You’ll work with individuals, supporting their relationships with their families, groups and links to their community. You’ll help them to recognise their strengths, develop their skills and work on problems or challenges they may be facing.

You’ll build relationships with individuals, families and carers to help people understand what’s important to them. You’ll offer information and advice to individuals and other professionals.

You’ll carry out assessments to understand if people need care and support, work with individuals, carers and families to produce and review care and support plans. You’ll keep records, write reports, attend court, and supervise team members.

You’ll work with other professionals, leading or supporting others, to ensure children and adults are kept safe from themselves and others, supported by a clear legal framework and all Wales procedures.

To be successful in this role, you’ll need:

• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• A flexible approach to work and able to work as part of a team
• The ability to think critically and be creative and solution-focussed
• The ability to build effective relationships and develop rapport
• The ability to adapt to changing circumstances
• Tact, empathy and patience
• A non-judgmental attitude
• Compassion, resilience and a readiness to deal with difficult situations
• Good time management and administrative skills
• Computer literacy
• The ability to understand and carry out legal duties
• Autonomous decision making

You can study social work at graduate or post graduate levels. Universities run programmes in partnership with local authority social work services.

Welsh universities offering the undergraduate degree

• Bridgend College (franchised from Cardiff Metropolitan University)
• Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Glyndŵr University
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales
• The Open University - social work - distance learning

Welsh universities offering the Masters degree

• Bangor University - Masters in Social Work
• Cardiff University - Masters in Social Work
• Swansea University - Masters in Social Work.

Free resources from universities in Wales to help you take your first steps into higher education

Find out more information on qualifications and registration details for this role with Social Care Wales.

For funding support see the bursaries and other financial support available.