Social Care and Guidance Work Sector

This section looks at the work of those people who help others work through their problems. These include social workers, social care workers, careers advisers, and counsellors.

There’s a distinction between social work and social care work.

The General Social Care Council of England explains that the purpose of social work is to, “help people to live more successfully within their local communities by helping them find solutions to their problems.”

Social workers are “professionally qualified staff who assess the needs of service users and plan the individual packages of care and support that best help them.”

However, professional qualifications are not required in order to become a successful social care worker. Social care workers provide important practical support to help people maintain their independence and lead fuller lives.

You can read about social care work here.

Most careers guidance roles are in the public sector although specialist ‘outplacement’ organisations can be found in the private sector.

There are many different types of counselling jobs and these can be found in both the private and public sector. Many counsellors are in fact self-employed.

Check out the professional bodies own entries in the Professions Finder

Jobs and salaries:

See the range of employment opportunities in this job sector here.

Social workers tend to specialise in either adult or children’s services.

Roles in adult services include: working with people with mental health problems or learning disabilities; working with people in residential care; working with offenders; assisting people with HIV/AIDs; and working with older people at home.

Roles with children and young people include: providing assistance and advice to keep families together; working in children's homes; managing adoption and foster care processes; providing support to younger people leaving care or who are in trouble with the law; helping children who have problems at school or at home.

See indicative salaries for:

Routes and qualifications:

The General Social Care Council sets the standards of conduct and practice for social workers and for regulating their education and training in England.

In Wales the Care Council for Wales has responsibility.

The Scottish Social Services Council has responsibility for Scotland.

And in Northern Ireland you’ll need to contact the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Professional qualifying training for social workers in the United Kingdom is now by way of a degree in social work.

In England, these courses are approved by the General Social Care Council (GSCC). A list of these approved universities and colleges is available.

Find out how to train as a social worker.

To train in Wales, or in Scotland, or in Northern Ireland.

No specific qualifications are needed to become a social care worker.

From 2011, some roles within the counselling profession will become regulated by the Health Professions Council, which means that these counsellors will have to join a professional register in order to practice. The training process for counsellors is likely to change as a result of this.
Other types of counselling, including psychotherapy, remain unregulated although this situation is also likely to change.

If you are interested in training as a psychotherapist visit the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Become a careers adviser.

Funding:

Bursaries are available to social work students. These are administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

You can call NHSBSA direct on 0845 6101122.

What's it like working in this sector?

All the roles in this sector have something in common – people and, in particular, helping other people either practically or emotionally or, sometimes, just by listening. If you think that you would find this kind of work rewarding then you’re probably heading in the right direction.

Social workers form relationships with people and act as advisers, advocates, counsellors or listeners. Read what it’s like to be a social worker.

This is also a good link for both social care and social work.

Find out more about careers guidance here.

Would-be counsellors should look at this.

How big is this sector?

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has 12,500 members.
Some 150,000 people in Wales receive care services at any one time.
In England, in 2007/8, 1.2 million people used social care provided, purchased or supported by a local council and 550,000 younger adults (aged 18 to 64) in same year received social care packages related to a disability.

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy has 32,000 members.
The Institute of Career Guidance has 4,000 members in the UK.

Where can I work?

You might find yourself working anywhere in the UK but, unlike many other professionals, you may find yourself working in other peoples’ homes.

What do employers look for?

Working with other people is likely to mean that every day will be different and challenging.
For any of these roles you are likely to succeed if you are a good listener who enjoys working with people and if you are sensitive, caring and understanding.

Social workers work not only with people who use the service, but also with their families, neighbours and friends as well as with other organisations such as the police, the NHS and schools.

To make it as a careers adviser you’ill need to:

Be able to develop good working relationships with a wide range of people
Have good listening and questioning skills
Be able to research information and explain it clearly
Have sound organisational and time-management skills
Work under pressure and meet targets
Be confident in group situations
Have administrative, report writing and record keeping skills
Have computer skills