Social work
Social work is a professional field dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities enhance their well-being and address social issues
Social workers help people to find solutions to their problems. This ranges from helping to protect vulnerable people from harm or abuse, to supporting people to live independently.
Social workers work with individuals, their families and wider networks. They are trained to make assessments, investigate situations where there is concern about potential or actual harm of abuse of children or vulnerable adults, and may even need to intervene to protect individuals or communities.
Training
You will need to complete an undergraduate degree in social work at university. Alternatively, you may be eligible to apply for a degree-level apprenticeship, or could complete a postgraduate degree in social work if you already have a degree in another relevant subject.
Regulation
Once qualified to degree level, you must be registered with one of four UK regulators depending on where you live; Social Work England (SWE), the professional regulator overseen by the Professional Standards Authority, the Scottish Social Services Council, Social Care Wales or the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.
Professional bodies
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) is the independent professional membership organisation for social work across the UK.