Ruby's story

Ruby sat on a bench outside with her laptop smiling in conversation with her care user

Make a positive difference to families in Wales with social work

WeCare Wales is on a mission to help individuals and professionals take their next step with their career in care - whether you have an existing background in care, are newly qualified and on the search for a job, or are looking to switch career altogether.

There are a number of ways into social care including volunteering opportunities, work placements and apprenticeships.

Meet Ruby

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So, I went to Ysgol Bro Myrddin

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in Carmarthenshire.

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I then went on

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to Cardiff Metropolitan University

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to do Psychology.

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After those three years

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I got a job in a children's residential home,

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but I wanted to see the other side of things

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and how that worked,

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so I got a job at Bridgend

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as a Personal Advisor,

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and then after three hard years,

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I came back to Carmarthenshire

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to work as a Personal Advisor.

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I work with children from 16 up to 25

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who have had a more difficult start in life,

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in order to prepare them for adulthood.

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So, we help with things like

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accommodation, budgeting.

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It changes from one individual to another.

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So the qualification I’m doing at the moment

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is the Social Services Practitioner level 4.

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The qualification came up

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when I was thinking about what I wanted to do in the future,

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a degree in social work,

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so it's like a nice insight

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to see what that will be like,

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if I want to do it in the future.

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I feel like my confidence in the job

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is a lot better now.

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I know the why behind the things I do.

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I've learned a lot about different theories and models

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within social work.

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We've done work

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on all aspects of social care.

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We've also done a piece of work

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on legislations.

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We had to talk about every aspect,

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not just what we do on a day-to-day basis.

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But also, I think in the future,

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I might go in and and do the social work degree

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and this qualification is a step up to do that.

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If someone is thinking about doing the apprenticeship in the future,

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I'd say go for it.

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You can work with adults, children,

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young people, people with mental health issues

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and disabled people too.

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So, go for it

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if you want to have a positive impact

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on people's lives.

[End of transcript 00:02:10]

Ruby recently completed the Social Services Practitioner Apprenticeship at Bridgend College. A qualification which aims to develop the knowledge, understanding, behaviours and skills that underpin the role of a social services practitioner.

Ruby, a dedicated Personal Advisor in Carmarthenshire, shares her inspiring journey of supporting children and young adults that have had a difficult start in life helping them to navigate challenges and prepare for adulthood.

With a background in psychology and experience in children’s residential homes, she now works with individuals aged 16-25, providing vital life skills and support tailored to each person's needs.

Ruby talks about Social Services practitioner qualification and aims to further her career in social work and encourage others to consider a career in social work and positively impacting people’s lives.

We recently caught up with Ruby since she completed the Social Services Practitioner Apprenticeship and she hopes to continue her studies and pursue a social work degree to become a social worker in the future.

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“Go for it if you want to have a positive impact on people’s lives”

Ruby

The Social Services Practitioner Apprenticeship

Ruby was part of the first cohort and was one of nine learners that achieved this level 4 qualification. Learners have the opportunity to utilise the course as a platform to progress onto the second year of the Social Work Degree with the Open University. Bridgend College have just enrolled their third cohort with 20 learners commencing their learning journey.

Recruitment is carried out through local authorities with applicants submitting a personal statement supporting how and why this qualification is right for them.

Apprenticeship qualifications are a mix of on the job learning and experience, and communication and numeracy skills. An apprenticeship typically takes between 18 months to two years to complete.

Social Services Practitioner Qualification

Learn more

Students in a classroom environment with laptops on their desks

Learn more

Start your career in care

Do you want to make a difference? Have you been inspired by Ruby’s journey? If you would like to explore a career in care these links may be of interest to you:

Get into: Social work - webinar on 22 October between 1:30pm and 2:30pm
Introduction to social care
Introduction to childcare programme
Apprenticeships
Volunteering

Get into: Social work

A free webinar on 22 October between 1:30pm and 2:30pm for people living in Wales who are interested in learning more about how to get into social work.