This personal statement will suit social work students who will soon qualify as social workers, and may want to look into applying for a Newly Qualified Social Worker role within children services.
Having completed two placements as part of my social work degree, I have gained some experience in working with children and families.
I have worked on a range of caseloads and worked effectively with other agencies to support vulnerable individuals within the community.
As specified in the recruitment guide, please find below examples and evidence of when I have evidenced these attributes.
PART 1
1) Knowledge and experience of the role of statutory social work in safeguarding children.
This should include knowledge of relevant legislation, policy and procedure.
The role of statutory social work in safeguarding children involves providing services to the whole family and supporting them to make changes in their day-to-day lives.
I have completed several assessments involving complex cases and have effectively managed my own caseload.
I have steered and chaired multi-agency meetings.
For example, during a meeting, I was given the opportunity to explain the wishes and feelings work I carried out with the child and my views on risks identified.
I made it clear that I believed the child was at risk of significant harm and all professionals present agreed with this.
Research carried out by Scragg and Mantell (2011) highlighted that children can experience abuse by a wide range of people both known and unknown to them.
For instance, Victoria Climbie was murdered by her aunt.
Hence, I approached this case with vigilance and ensured the child was at the centre of the assessment process and his views and wishes were obtained.
With regard to relevant legislation, policy and procedure applicable to children services, I have the knowledge and understanding of key legislation that inform social work practice with children and families.
I appreciate the importance of and the need to adhere to the policies and procedures which aim to safeguard both professionals and service users.
Key legislation include;
i) Children Act 1989 (CA89)
ii) Children Act 2004 (CA04)
CA04 emphasise the need for local authorities and their partners (including the police, health service providers and the youth justice system) to co-operate in promoting the wellbeing of children and young people and to decide on how to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Section 10 of the CA04 highlights the need for local authorities to cooperate and work together with other agencies to improve the well-being of children. Working Together to safeguard children 2015 is statutory guidance.
It sets out how organisations and individuals should work together and how practitioners should conduct the assessment of children.
iii) The Framework for the assessment of children in need and their families (2000)
This framework provides a systematic way of analysing, understanding and recording what is happening to children and young people within their families and the wider context of the community in which they live.
I have used the framework to gain an understanding of complex issues and inter-relationships and have been able to make clear professional judgements based on information gathered.
I have been able to make judgements whether the child being assessed is in need, whether the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, what actions must be taken and which services would best meet the needs of a particular child and family.
In addition, I have been able to make referrals to key agencies.
Other relevant legislation include the
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Children and Families Act 2014
- Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
- Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009
If you are looking for more social work related content, check out the following articles:
- Social Work Haven Home Page
- Why You Should Actively Listen as a Social Worker
- Social Work Values & Respect
- Professionalism in Social Work
- Sample Letter of Recommendation for Social Worker
- Benefits of Being a Social Worker
- Psychologist vs Social Worker
2) Knowledge of services relevant to children, young people, families/carers.
Awareness of groups and partner agencies, with an understanding of multi-disciplinary or partnership working and impact on delivery of services to families.
I have an awareness of services relevant to children, young people, families/carers. For instance, I have successfully made a referral to the ‘Need Project’.
The family had no recourse to public funds and were experiencing food deprivation. The Need Project provided food packages for the family on a weekly basis.
While working in adult services, I have worked with care providers and day centre management teams.
This gave me the opportunity to identify services and signpost service users.
For instance, I signposted an adult with learning disabilities to befriending services to help him improve upon his interpersonal skills and widen his social network.
My placement has allowed me to gain an enormous amount of experience and an understanding of partnership working.
Partnership working is vital to social work.
The ability to form strong professional relationships with partner agencies such as the police, schools and health visitors is one of my strengths.
I have carried out assessments under s17 of CA89 and have requested information from schools, the police and health visitors.
I have been able to form strong professional relationships with these agencies in the process. I recognise that these agencies can be a source of vital information that can help me produce effective assessments.
For instance, information obtained from a school indicated that a child was struggling to bring in basic materials for a food tech class on a regular basis and she was not bringing in school lunch or paying for school dinners.
This information made me more aware of the needs of the child and her family. I was able to identify financial issues within the family unit as a result of mother having no recourse to public funds.
Based on this, I did research on Zambrano relatives and realised that mother is entitled to stay in the UK and supported her to apply to Home Office.
As a student, my dissertation focused on unaccompanied asylum seeking children and the age assessment process. I have also been trained in the age assessment process.
Through this research and training, I have been able to identify the need for social workers to have effective working relationships with agencies and individuals who are involved in the lives of the children.
For instance, an appropriate adult should be present when carrying out an age assessment to ensure that the assessment is fair.
The information-gathering process in determining the age of a child also involves information and views obtained from the police and medical professionals who may have had some involvement with the child.
I realised that it is important to have a good working relationship with these agencies and individuals to ensure information sharing is timely.
3) Understanding of Equality and Diversity in Social Work
Equality means ensuring everyone has equal opportunities, regardless of their abilities, their background or their lifestyle.
I recognise that there may be a power imbalance between social workers and service users.
However, with the Equality Act 2010 in place, this balance is brought to an equilibrium ensuring proportionality in practice.
I see an opportunity in restoring this balance in practice by taking a personalised approach when working with service users. I aim to work alongside service users rather than for them.
For instance, while working with adults with learning disabilities, I carried out person-centred reviews and sought active participation from the people who knew the service user very well.
I explored what was working and what was not working from the service user’s perspective. I listened to their needs and concerns and then adapted their care packages to meet the needs identified.
Diversity means appreciating the differences between people and treating people’s values, beliefs, cultures and lifestyles with respect.
According to Banks (2012), the Kantian principle of respect for persons has been used to underpin a social worker – service user relationship. In my day-to-day interaction with children and families, I have always shown respect.
For instance, I visited a Muslim family and asked if I could take off my shoes.
They were very grateful that I offered to remove my shoes and this fostered a good relationship with the family.
I find reflection beneficial in relation to diversity as it allows me to explore and critique my own practice.
As well as social work values, as an individual, I hold my own personal values and it is important for me to have a good level of self-awareness so that these values and beliefs do not impact negatively on my practice or interfere with my ability to carry out a fair assessment.
Conclusion
To conclude, if offered the opportunity to work with your organisation, I would use the best of my abilities and skills in transforming the lives of children and families.
I am passionate about social work and I am keen to start my professional career within this organisation. I feel that I have all the attributes necessary to make a great social worker.
My combined placement, work and life experiences have moulded me into an empathic, respectful, authentic, hardworking, self-motivated and reflective social worker.
PART 2
PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR SOCIAL WORK JOB APPLICATION | EXAMPLE PART 2
Socialworkhaven.com Useful Resources
- Social Work To-Do List
Social Work To – Do List: What To Include: We sometimes struggle with managing our daily tasks as social workers. This is not because we do not have the skills. The work load, crisis and challenges we face can be overwhelming. That is why a social work to-do list may help us manage better.
- Recommended Books
Best Social Work Books Every Student Must Read is a great article full of highly recommended and engaging books. Helping student social workers to equip themselves with knowledge and skills. It is a great way to empower yourself and encourage you to read more.
- Social Work Registration
Social Work Registration: Get it done – is a useful article that walks you through the social work registration process.
- Social Work Burnout
51 Effective Ways to Fight Social Work Burnout helps practitioners explore 51 effective ways to fight Social Work Burnout. Social work burnout can affect the way we execute our role. It can cause social work stress, and a stressed social worker cannot perform their role effectively.
- Active Listening in Social Work
Why You Should Actively Listen as a Social Worker raises awareness of active listening in social work. Social work active listening involves the listener paying close attention to the speaker, making sure not to interrupt, and reflecting on what they have heard. This helps the speaker feel heard and validated, and it can also help them clarify their thoughts and feelings.
- Social Work Humour
Social Work Humour for the End of a Long Day This article explains when social work humour is important. Essential social work skills include empathy, authenticity, resilience and respect. These skills help us cope with situations and meet the needs of service users or clients. However, the best coping mechanism in social work is definitely humour.
- Social Work CV Writing
Social Work CV Writing This article is a must read – whether you are a student, newly qualified, or an experienced social worker, and looking for a new company to work for, you will find these 13 fundamental tips useful if you want to create the perfect Social Work CV/resume that will make you outshine others and get noticed.
- Social Work Values & Respect in Social Work
Social Work Values & Respect in Social Work Social work values include respect, dignity and worth of individuals, pursuit of social justice, integrity and competence. This article explores what ‘respect’ means in social work. Social work values are the beliefs and principles of social workers, which guide their practice and help them to determine the right course of action when making decisions.
- Generalist Intervention Model: Complete Guide
Generalist Intervention Model: Complete Guide The Generalist Intervention Model (GIM) is an approach to working with individuals, families, and communities that is based on a recognition of the interconnections of human systems. It emphasises building partnerships with clients and utilising their strengths to address problems and create solutions.
The model uses an ecological perspective to identify multiple levels of influence in client’s lives, including but not limited to: family, peers, school/work, community, and policy.
- Social Work Quotes
Social Work Quotes Social work quotes are an important part of understanding the complexities of social work. They can provide insights into how we think about and approach specific problems or situations. Quotes from famous authors, educational institutions, theorists, and practitioners have been used for centuries to help articulate ideas, promote critical thinking, help with social work interventions and offer inspiration.
- Professionalism in Social Work
Professionalism in Social Work
The Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) sets capability statements of what is to be expected for all stages of a social worker’s career, from entry into training to the most advanced level of a social work practitioner. Professionalism is a key capability under the PCF and it requires upcoming, newly qualified and existing social workers to identify and behave as professional social workers committed to professional development.
- 45 Motivational Quotes You Need After a Bad Day
45 Motivational Quotes You Need After a Bad Day
Motivational quotes for social workers highlight the need for social workers to believe in themselves, help one person at a time, and pursue their own goals and aspirations.
- Most Empowering Mental Health Quotes
Most Empowering Mental Health Quotes
Social work involves working with people who may feel low because of sudden changes in their lives. In addition, the social work role has been associated with burnout, depression, job related stress, poor work life balance resulting in a high turnover in the field.
- Inspirational Mental Health Quotes
Inspirational Mental Health Quotes
We all have times when we feel low and scared. But sometimes these feelings can subside when we read some positive quotes or inspirational mental health quotes.
- Mental Health Hashtags
Mental Health Hashtags You may be a blogger, or perhaps you provide content in one of these areas will find this article useful. As a mental health blogger, I have realised that using hashtags can encourage social media users to explore content that catches their eye.
- Good Morning Saturday Quotes
Good Morning Saturday Quotes – As a social worker, the week is usually very busy and full on. I look forward to my weekend, especially Saturdays, to help me unwind and catch up with some self care! I kick off the weekend with some Saturday good morning inspirational quotes to inspire, motivate me and kick-start my day in the right direction.
- Anger management for autistic children
Anger management for autistic children – Social work aims to enhance the mental and emotional health of individuals and families by offering psychological services.
Learning basic anger management strategies for children with autism can be useful for both professionals and families to help address and manage instances of anger outbursts.
- SMART Goals and Social Work
SMART Goals and Social Work How many times have you made a list of all the things you wanted to achieve before the year ended, and by the end of the year, you went back to read that list and laughed out loud because you achieved one goal out of the ten goals you wrote?
- Sample Letter of Recommendation for Social Worker
Sample Letter of Recommendation for Social Worker Why do you need a sample letter of recommendation for a social worker?. Well, writing a letter of recommendation can be a powerful tool in helping social workers advance in their careers, prepare for their interviews, secure job opportunities, or pursue educational endeavors.
- Benefits of Being of Social Worker
Benefits of Being a Social Worker Social work is a profession dedicated to improving the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. It is a field that requires social work practice skills and offers a unique opportunity to make a real and lasting impact on people’s lives. While the challenges can be significant, the benefits of being a social worker far outweigh them.
- Psychologist Vs Social Worker
Psychologist vs Social Worker Practitioners who understand both disciplines are better prepared to create a comprehensive plan of care for their clients. Additionally , psychology and social work can be used together to address both the psycho-social aspect of a person’s life.
I’m not positive where you’re getting your info, however great topic. I needs to spend some time finding out much more or understanding more. Thank you for excellent information I was searching for this info for my mission.
Hi! this is a great blog post on this topic appreciate it!
It’s nearly impossible to find educated people on this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
I do try Naamyaa. Thanks for stopping by.
Greate pieces. Keep poѕting such kind of info on your site.
Im really imрressed by your site.
Hey there, You’ve performed a fantastic job.
I’ll certainly diɡg it and in my opinion ѕuggest to my friends.
Ι am confiԁent they’ll be benefited frߋm this wеb site.
Thanks for sharing. Much appreciated.
I have to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site. I am hoping to view the same high-grade blog posts by you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my very own blog now 😉
Go for it! 🙂
Ι waѕ pretty pleased to ᥙncover this web site.
I neeɗ to to thank you for your tіme for this
particularly wondеrful read!! I ⅾefinitely apⲣreciated every bit of it and i also have you bookmarкed to look at new stuff on your site.
You are awesome. Thanks
Нey are using WordPress for your site platform? I’m new to the bⅼog world but
I’m tryіng to get started and set up my own.
Do you need any html сoding knowledge to maҝe your own blog?
Any help would be really appreciated!
Yes, I do use WordPress but have no knowledge around html!
Hello there! This article couldn’t be written much better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I will send this information to him. Fairly certain he’ll have a good read. I appreciate you for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by 🙂