What comes next?

One thing that I think you discover fairly quickly once you qualify is that a lot of the time you are thinking about what comes next. Don't get me wrong some people become level 2 and are happy there but a lot of the time managers want to know what training course or self improvement you are doing next to further expand your skills.

I am quite happy doing more and am looking forward to upcoming courses to achieve this. I have discussed in depth with my manager and included in my appraisal what I would like to do long term.

I am lucky to have a very good manager who at this stage I have worked with for about 3.5 years who knows me well and is very supportive. She cares a lot about the mental health of her staff and will encourage use of paid time off to give us a break when we feel that we need it. She encourages us to be mindful of what we are doing and how we are using our time. This makes me feel very supported and that I am more than a number who is there to make sure that everything is done. I also feel like a person who is cared about and encouraged which makes a big difference to motivation and output.

I know that I want to be a Practice Educator. I'm not sure if this is called the same thing everywhere but this basically means you take on a student and support them through one of their placements. You do their induction, observations, reports and generally support them. As I have explained in previous blogs I am new in terms of my level 2 but not really new overall. I have not been qualified for 3 years but due to time off for maternity leave I only have 7 months as a Level 2 Social Worker. I have talked this through with my manager and we agreed that I will start with Workplace Supervisor training which would basically allow me to be a mentor to a student before I get to the stage where I am a Practice Educator. This is really good experience for me and something I would really like to do. We have had new staff start in our team recently and I try to check in with them and give whatever support I can.

The fact I have not been Level 2 that long means I still have a lot to learn. I have been back at work a year and only very recently feel like I have got back into the swing of things. I have a good amount of cases but not so many I feel overwhelmed. I have been co-working safeguarding cases to give me more experience because I knew I did not feel ready to work one on my own yet. I feel I have come a long way in recognising what is manageable and sustainable for me instead of volunteering for things and then worrying as to how I am going to fit it all in. I have found that I have also become more mindful about what I accept and whether it would be a learning experience for me or just something that would use some of my limited time.

There are a lot of options that get offered in terms of training in Social Work and I think it is important to know what interests you and what you do not have any interest in because if it is something you want to do or enjoy you are more likely to be better at it than if it is something that has been decided for you. It also allows teams to have a good balance of people who specialise in different aspects of the role.

I know what interests me long term as I have described here but what interests you?