Q2A
Got a question about......
someone who is 17 years old and started college in june at rathbones in chorley doing
ccld level 2. They finish their course in march 2010 and then want to go to university.
They want to know if they can go to uni straight away or do they have to wait til
september. Also they want to be a social worker for young people, and ask what unis
they go to.
This is our reply.......
Thanks for emailing us. Your question came in on our QuickQ2A section but you have
given us quite a lot of information and asked us quite a detailed question so we are
going to answer it in our answer file and we hope you have found it ok. We did leave a
message in the answer bank for you.
We understand that you will be finishing the Childrens Care Learning and Development
course at Level 2 next March. This is a good course to do - it should give you a good
understanding, knowledge and skills in your subject and help you to apply these skills
and knowledge in a variety of tasks.
Level 2 jobs generally lead on to level 3 qualifications or an Advanced apprenticeship, a
job with training and some semi skilled jobs. To go to university you need to have Level
3 qualifications which will mean studying for quite a while longer. There is quite a lot of
competion for places on social work courses and although its a very worthy ambition
perhaps it would also be worth thinking about other types of jobs and training you
could do from March onwards which would get you employment, money and
experience, so that you might be able to progress to a social work qualification later
on, but you will still have got excellent work experience and skills in the mean time.
This might still be taking you on the Level 3 route, but in a more practical way than just
more studying.
If you are looking for a job like a social worker job with young people there are some
jobs that you might like to think about, that you might be ready for sooner than if you
tried to get to university to study. As we suggested, this would be hard work and very
expensive, and you might be glad to be in work and earning sooner rather than later.
We have some information about some social work related jobs that you might be
interested in:
The first one is social care workers. Social care workers support people
who for many different reasons require practical, social and emotional assistance to
live well-balanced lives in their local communities. Age, illness, mental health issues,
abuse, disabilities, crime or exploitation are some of the reasons people need social
care support. Actual duties and responsibilities vary enormously depending on the type
of care being provided to individuals. All workers in social care, however, are focused
on:
providing care and support
giving people the motivation, power and resources to face difficulties
getting involved and understanding the real needs of individuals
building individuals' confidence and helping them to develop the skills needed to move
their lives forward.
Social care workers form part of a much larger support network, liaising with many
other professions and agencies to organise the required resources and support.
Many social care jobs offer flexible working patterns, with options to work full time,
part time or on shifts. This can include covering early mornings, evenings and
weekends. Typical work environments include children's residential units, nursing
homes, adult day care centres or various community settings.
Salaries usually range from £11,000 to £25,000 a year.
Social care workers need to be:
able to relate to people of all ages and gauge feelings well
excellent communicators and listeners
sensitive to different cultures and religions
caring and patient
interested in offering practical support to help people.
They are employed by local authority social service departments, the NHS, private
residential homes and voluntary organisations and agencies.
For many social care roles there are no minimum entry requirements. It is a regulatory
requirement in some care roles to eventually achieve NVQ Level 2 in health and social
care. An Apprenticeship in health and social care may be a route in. There is a range of
relevant qualifications from A/AS levels and the new Diploma to BTEC and City & Guilds
courses.
Employers provide induction training for new entrants to ensure they meet national
standards and can work unsupervised with clients in a safe and effective manner.
Promotion to senior care worker and team leader may be possible. With additional
training and qualifications social care workers may be able to progress into
professional roles or service management posts. Some may specialise in specific areas.
So you can see with this job you would be at the right level when you have finished
your current course to progress to this, and there are opportunities to work with
children. This link tells you more about another job role, of resource worker, level 2
which you might also find interesting:
http://www.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u/index.cfm?pid=86&catalogueContentID=2518&parent=646
You might also be interested in the role of healthcare assistant:
Healthcare assistants provide care and support for patients and ensure they are
comfortable.Their role is to support the work of nurses or midwives. Some healthcare
assistants - also known as clinical support workers or therapy assistants - work with
other healthcare professionals, such as audiologists, physiotherapists, radiographers
and occupational therapists.
Healthcare assistants work in NHS and private hospitals and in health centres, clinics,
care homes, hospices and patients' own homes.
They may:
help with basic tasks, such as washing, dressing and eating
support patients' mobility
make beds
help to keep records
prepare patients for clinics
set up equipment
ensure tidiness
take measurements, such as blood pressure and temperature, under supervision.
Healthcare assistants usually work 37.5 hours a week. They usually work on a shift
system that includes some night, weekend and bank holiday working. It is often
possible to work on a part-time or flexible basis.
The job may involve some lifting and supporting of patients, so healthcare assistants
need a good level of fitness.
Salaries in the NHS start from £12,922 for new entrants, and can rise to £17,732 with
experience and extra responsibilities.
Healthcare assistants need:
a friendly and respectful manner
to be interested in people and their wellbeing
good communication skills
to be comfortable with carrying out intimate tasks for patients
patience
reliability
initiative
team working skills
fitness and stamina.
There is a growing number of healthcare assistants. The NHS is the biggest employer.
There are no set entry qualifications. Some health organisations run cadet and
Apprenticeship schemes.Candidates go through a medical check. They also need to
undergo checks through the Criminal Records Bureau.
Training takes place on the job. Healthcare assistants learn about issues, such as
hygiene, how to lift patients safely, and how to monitor patients' conditions and record
their findings.
Healthcare assistants may be able to study for an NVQ in health or health and social
care. On gaining NVQ Level 3, they meet the minimum requirements for nurse training.
With experience, they could also progress to roles involving more complex tasks, such
as assistant practitioner in a specialist healthcare team.
Another role that might appeal is occupational therapy support worker:
Occupational therapy is about enabling people of all ages who have physical, mental or
social issues to adapt to any aspect of their life with more confidence and control.
Working under the supervision of occupational therapists, support workers promote
independence, helping clients to gain the skills they need for daily activities.
Tasks may include:
supporting clients as they learn or re-learn skills, such as feeding themselves
encouraging clients in their progress towards agreed goals
accompanying clients on outings to increase their confidence
leading group activities, such as art sessions
keeping notes on progress
supporting clients so they remain independent in their home environment
making sure any specialist equipment is being used appropriately and safely.
Full-time support workers usually work 37.5 hours a week. Part-time, job-share or
flexible working opportunities are available. The work takes place in hospital wards
and clinics, health centres, GP surgeries, residential homes and clients' own homes.
Salaries may range from around £13,000 up to £20,000 a year.
An occupational therapy support worker needs to be:
able to relate to and respect all kinds of people
sensitive to each individual's needs and choices
supportive and encouraging
interested in helping to improve people's lives.
The NHS and local authorities are the main employers. Some work for voluntary
organisations or the private sector.There are no set entry requirements. A relevant
qualification may be an advantage. There are BTEC and City & Guilds qualifications at
various levels in health and social care and an HNC in occupational therapy support at
Langside College, Glasgow. People may also be able to enter through cadet schemes
or Apprenticeships run at a local level by NHS trusts.
Training is usually on the job, under the supervision of an occupational therapist. It
may be possible to work towards NVQs or to study part time for an HNC in
occupational therapy support or a foundation degree in health and social care.
Support workers may progress to assistant practitioner level, which is a senior role
with considerable responsibility. They can also pursue further study to qualify as
occupational therapists.
You can find out more about these job opportunities on the connexions direct website,
www.connexions-direct.com and search on the jobs4u section or you are welcome to
ask to us more questions through q2a, and we are sure there are staff at Rathbone
who can advise you, as well as your Young People's Worker who you would be able to
contact at Young People's Service Chorley Infocentre for Young People, 61-63 Market
Street, Chorley, 01257 248900. Its open
Monday- 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday- 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday- 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday- 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday- 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
We hope this information is useful to you, please do email us again about this or
anything else.
Expert advice and every precaution has been taken to ensure that the information in this answer is trustworthy and reliable, but the publishers do not hold themselves responsible for any inaccuracy as information can go out of date very quickly. This page gives general guidance only and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law. With regard to suggested weblinks given in this reply please note that Lancashire County Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. |
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