Social work (1 Viewer)

[Lepra]

anyone here work in this field?
something i'm really thinking of doing when i get the travelling out of my system in a few years. any advice, nods in the right direction, anecdotes etc. greatly appreciated



p.s. er, would a criminal record automatically mean you don't have a hope of finding work?

cheers!

 

[maims bond]

anyone here work in this field?
something i'm really thinking of doing when i get the travelling out of my system in a few years. any advice, nods in the right direction, anecdotes etc. greatly appreciated



p.s. er, would a criminal record automatically mean you don't have a hope of finding work?

cheers!

Criminal record would exclude you from a job like this as far as I know.

 

[Sufi]

Well there's no jobs in Social Work at the moment because of the HSE hiring freeze.
To get into a masters in social work you need a degree in Social Science or Social care and some relevant work experience.

As far as a criminal record goes there should be no problem as long as you don't have any convictions for serious drug crimes, violence or child protection.

Other than that its hard work at times but generally quite cool.

 

[Lili Marlene]

what if you murdered a drug pushing child molestor?

 

[MDR]

Just go into the Millennium pub in summerhill and try and break up a fight between some drunken bloke and his wife who's trying to get the children's allowance from him and see how you settle in.

 

[Hector Grey]

why don't you mind your own fucking bidniss?

 

[Lepra]

why don't you mind your own fucking bidniss?

if i smirk and tell him, "well, actually it is my business actually", do i pass?

 

[dleacht]

The masters in Social Work in NUI Galway will take you without a social policy background. They do require extensive work experience to make up for this however. This is the only social work that doesnt require it.

Trained beside the Social Work masters when I did Community Development. It's interesting from what I've heard but it changes you as a person. Alot of people dont last more than five years in this area.

A criminal record would rule you out as Garda checks are requirement for the application onto any course in Social Work.

 

[binky]

I work in addiction/ homelessness and the garda checks apply here also. They are largely to identify sexual assault/ arson. I have friends and colleagues with previous in armed robbery and possession and whatnot and they were fine.

As far as social work goes, i'd imagine much of the same applies. If your previous convictions don't pose a potential threat to the particular client group then it's discrimination innit?

Massive burnout factor in social work mind.

 

[Diddles]

I knew someone who was a social worker for several years and left to work in a job emptying sanitary towel bins in pubs.

Make of that what you will.

 

[ernesto]

I knew someone who was a social worker for several years and left to work in a job emptying sanitary towel bins in pubs.

Make of that what you will.

he was a heroin dealer using the sanitary towels as a stash place and the job as a cover?

 

[Reets]

he was a heroin dealer using the sanitary towels as a stash place and the job as a cover?

What makes you so sure it's a guy?
women are just as good at drug dealing!

 

[ernesto]

What makes you so sure it's a guy?
women are just as good at drug dealing!

not saying theyre not, ive just never bought drugs from a woman

 

[daydream_nation]

p.s. er, would a criminal record automatically mean you don't have a hope of finding work?

im not entirely sure about this but one of the OTs i work with had a problem with her driving license recently, and if she had gotten a conviction the social workers we work with were saying she probably wouldn't have been able to stay working here. so maybe it depends on what exactly the record is, i dont know, but it wouldn't help.
social workers are a sound bunch in general, have always worked with really nice ones anyway! a good few of them have horror stories about working in the hse though.

 

[Hector Grey]

if i smirk and tell him, "well, actually it is my business actually", do i pass?

count your teeth first.

 

[spuded]

I work in addiction/ homelessness and the garda checks apply here also. They are largely to identify sexual assault/ arson. I have friends and colleagues with previous in armed robbery and possession and whatnot and they were fine.

As far as social work goes, i'd imagine much of the same applies. If your previous convictions don't pose a potential threat to the particular client group then it's discrimination innit?

Massive burnout factor in social work mind.

Yup, me too. Have worked in the area of homelessness for 9 years now, I still enjoy it. Dunno how keen I would be on becoming a social worker persay but the shelters are a deadly environment to work in.

Convictions are okay for a lot of organisations, it depends I guess, on the Homeless front Dublin Simon and Focus Ireland would be stricter on that than say De paul Ireland or the Salvation Army.

In regards thr burn out factor, yeah I guess it could be consdired high, the people I have seen struggle with this sort of work are people who perhaps are too kind and too unwilling to seperate themselves from the job when they leave the place in the evening.

Anyway I think its good, has taught me a hell of a lot about people/the world etc, think this has to be the main benefit of the work.

 

[Juno]

My friend is a social worker and she was saying that it depends on what the conviction was for. You can be accepted onto a training course but it'll be a lot of hassle as you have to get Garda clearance for your placements during college as well as any jobs you apply for. She advised ringing the IASW to ask them.

 

[binky]

My friend is a social worker and she was saying that it depends on what the conviction was for. You can be accepted onto a training course but it'll be a lot of hassle as you have to get Garda clearance for your placements during college as well as any jobs you apply for. She advised ringing the IASW to ask them.

You have to get garda clearance regardless of whether or not you have convictions though. Taking up to 14 - 16 weeks at the moment. Insania.

 

[binky]

In regards thr burn out factor, yeah I guess it could be consdired high, the people I have seen struggle with this sort of work are people who perhaps are too kind and too unwilling to seperate themselves from the job when they leave the place in the evening.

Anyway I think its good, has taught me a hell of a lot about people/the world etc, think this has to be the main benefit of the work.

I was talking more about the social work end of things. Average is two years by all accounts; people come in and get a massive caseload dumped on them from their predecessor, fall behind, let clients down, become demotivated, quit; and so on.

Not the case with everyone or anything but happens a lot.

The front line homeless stuff is great but.

 

[Juno]

You have to get garda clearance regardless of whether or not you have convictions though. Taking up to 14 - 16 weeks at the moment. Insania.

Yeah sorry that's what I meant (that everyone has to get it) but apparently if you actually have a conviction it can cause extra hassle. It happened to someone she trained with. Dunno the details.