{"id":29267,"date":"2025-01-21T13:59:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T13:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/?p=29267"},"modified":"2025-01-23T16:01:13","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T16:01:13","slug":"what-qualifications-do-you-need-to-become-a-social-worker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/health-and-social-care\/what-qualifications-do-you-need-to-become-a-social-worker\/","title":{"rendered":"What Qualifications Do You Need to Become a Social Worker?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you would like to help enhance the lives of vulnerable people and families, then a role as a Social Worker could be suited to you.&nbsp;There are many services across the UK that aim to support those who need extra help to navigate through their lives.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some individuals grow up in tumultuous circumstances, while some experience traumatic events that can affect almost every aspect of their lives. A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/category\/he-access-social-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Social Worker<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;can play a significant role in supporting&nbsp;vulnerable people,&nbsp;and those with identified needs,&nbsp;providing them with&nbsp;information and&nbsp;support packages that&nbsp;cater to their specific&nbsp;situation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are interested in becoming a Social Worker, UK residents need to&nbsp;be aware that recognised qualifications are needed to achieve this goal. For those of you asking, \u2018what does a Social Worker do?\u2019, we answer that question and more below!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the Role of a Social Worker?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;Social Worker&nbsp;can be defined as a professional who provides support to children and families or vulnerable adults. Essentially, a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/cbt-counselling-and-psychotherapy\/what-is-the-difference-between-a-counsellor-and-a-social-worker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Social Worker<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;job description is to help enhance people\u2019s lives through various&nbsp;support packages and techniques.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of the vulnerable people a Social Worker supports will be seeking guidance and help to navigate through&nbsp;tough&nbsp;circumstances in their daily lives.&nbsp;A Social Worker provides this, and in some instances will have to make difficult decisions&nbsp;for the greater good of the individual or family they are supporting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Social Worker, UK learners,&nbsp;usually specialises&nbsp;in a certain area. For example, you may want to pursue a role that supports children and families, or adults that fall under the vulnerable category.&nbsp;You can either work&nbsp;in a statutory or non-statutory role depending on the path you opt to go down.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a statutory Social Worker, UK professionals&nbsp;are&nbsp;duty-bound to honour the country\u2019s legislation and enforce the rules. As a non-statutory&nbsp;Social Worker, you will have similar&nbsp;tasks,&nbsp;but you will not&nbsp;have to enforce the law as part of your job.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To answer the question, \u2018what is the role of a Social Worker?\u2019,&nbsp;you need to be aware of the various facets of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/social-work\/what-skills-are-needed-to-have-a-career-in-social-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>social work<\/strong><\/a>.&nbsp;Specialist roles include&nbsp;support for:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Drug and alcohol users&nbsp;<\/li><li>Individuals with mental health issues&nbsp;<\/li><li>Homeless people&nbsp;<\/li><li>The elderly&nbsp;<\/li><li>People with learning difficulties&nbsp;<\/li><li>Individuals with physical disabilities&nbsp;<\/li><li>Young offenders&nbsp;<\/li><li>School non-attenders&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Social-Care-Online-Course.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Social-Care-Online-Course.jpg\" alt=\"Social Care Online Course\" class=\"wp-image-28799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Social-Care-Online-Course.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Social-Care-Online-Course-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Social-Care-Online-Course-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the Responsibilities of a Social Worker?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Social Worker responsibilities&nbsp;vary depending on the type of individuals and groups&nbsp;that&nbsp;you will be supporting. However, there are a few tasks that typically come with the role of a Social Worker. UK&nbsp;learners hoping to&nbsp;pursue such a role should&nbsp;take into account&nbsp;that they may have to carry out the following:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Interview individuals and families to&nbsp;assess their situations and review any developments&nbsp;<\/li><li>Write up assessments&nbsp;based on specified standards and timescales \u2013 this may be done alongside other professionals&nbsp;<\/li><li>Provide support and relevant guidance&nbsp;<\/li><li>Organise support packages and manage them&nbsp;<\/li><li>Make tough decisions&nbsp;on behalf of an individual or family&nbsp;if it is to their benefit&nbsp;<\/li><li>Maintain accurate records&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>Take part in multidisciplinary teams&nbsp;and meetings&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>Liaise with other agencies or make referrals to them&nbsp;<\/li><li>Give evidence in court proceedings&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are various settings that you can work in as a Social Worker. UK professionals&nbsp;may find themselves working in schools, homes,&nbsp;voluntary organisations,&nbsp;hospitals&nbsp;and&nbsp;various public sector premises.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Career-as-a-counsellor-or-social-worker.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Career-as-a-counsellor-or-social-worker.jpg\" alt=\"social worker career\" class=\"wp-image-28976\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Career-as-a-counsellor-or-social-worker.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Career-as-a-counsellor-or-social-worker-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Career-as-a-counsellor-or-social-worker-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Become a Social Worker?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no doubt that&nbsp;Social Worker responsibilities can be&nbsp;challenging&nbsp;as you will be dealing with difficult situations in which you will have to make some tough choices.&nbsp;This is why&nbsp;it is important to be emotionally resilient when working in this role.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have answered your question of, \u2018what does a Social Worker do?\u2019, but you should also be aware of the personality&nbsp;traits that will allow you to thrive in this position. Also, if you have the below attributes, it may convince you that&nbsp;you\u2019re the right type of person to handle Social Worker responsibilities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Strong communication skills&nbsp;<\/li><li>Thrive when taking on a challenge&nbsp;<\/li><li>Passionate about the welfare of others&nbsp;<\/li><li>Able to handle and manage stress&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do I Become a Social Worker?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you understand the Social&nbsp;Worker job description, you need to know the steps&nbsp;required to achieve your career goal. This role is a graduate profession, so you will need to&nbsp;gain&nbsp;an undergraduate honours degree or a postgraduate&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/pillar\/why-study-social-work-courses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>degree in social work<\/strong><\/a>.&nbsp;To work professionally in this sector, your degree will need to be approved by one of the following:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Social Work England&nbsp;<\/li><li>Social Care Wales&nbsp;<\/li><li>Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)&nbsp;<\/li><li>Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC)&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A Higher National Diploma (HND) or foundation degree&nbsp;will not be enough, as you will need to study a social work degree at&nbsp;the&nbsp;undergraduate level. However, if you already have&nbsp;qualifications in social care, social sciences, politics, or legal studies, you&nbsp;may have a&nbsp;better opportunity of getting the role.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Getting on to a Social Work Degree&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are keen to&nbsp;study a social work degree, you need to be aware of the entry requirements.&nbsp;Traditionally, at least two&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/category\/a-levels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>A Levels<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;would be needed alongside&nbsp;several&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/category\/gcse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>GCSEs<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;at grade C\/4 or higher. However, if you don\u2019t have A Levels, there is still a way to get on a&nbsp;social&nbsp;work degree.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An Access to Higher Education Diploma is the equivalent of 3 A Levels and many universities accept this Level 3 qualification as an alternative to A Levels.&nbsp;If you are keen to become a Social Worker, UK learners can apply for a&nbsp;social&nbsp;work degree with the help of&nbsp;an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/course\/access-to-higher-education-social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work)<\/strong><\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a vocational course that&nbsp;covers job-specific topics as well as&nbsp;units that focus on developing study skills for degree-level learning. By enrolling on an Access to HE Diploma, you will gain&nbsp;solid foundational knowledge about your subject, making you a desirable candidate for universities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will gain an understanding\u00a0of Social Worker responsibilities through the course, which can be studied online with\u00a0Stonebridge Associated Colleges.\u00a0We are one of the UK\u2019s leaders in distance education. UK-based learners come to us to gain regulated qualifications that will help\u00a0guide them towards an exciting career.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the Social Worker job description matches your ambitions, then you will be keen to get stuck into your studies! Our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/access-to-higher-education\/top-5-benefits-of-studying-an-access-to-higher-education-course\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Access to Higher Education Diploma<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;will cover an array of essential job-related topics, including:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Perspectives in Psychology<\/li><li>Crime and Society<\/li><li>Developmental Psychology&nbsp;<\/li><li>Family<\/li><li>The Role and Responsibilities of a Social Worker<\/li><li>Cognitive Psychology&nbsp;<\/li><li>Understanding the Welfare State<\/li><li>Biopsychology: Behaviour and the Brain<\/li><li>Social Care Provisions<\/li><li>Poverty in Contemporary Britain<\/li><li>Biopsychology: Behaviour and Drugs<\/li><li>Social Inequality&nbsp;<\/li><li>Responding to Prejudice and Discrimination<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To achieve your Level 3 diploma, you will have to complete a series of assignments based on the modules covered&nbsp;as opposed to an exam.&nbsp;Your assignments will be marked by experienced tutors, who will provide you with feedback throughout your learning journey.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many benefits to distance education. UK learners will get a range of perks when studying with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Stonebridge Associated Colleges<\/strong><\/a>, including:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Online learning<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 No longer do you have to be restricted by classrooms! Our\u00a0online learning solutions mean that you can study from the comfort of your own home\u00a0<\/li><li><strong>Tailor your study schedule<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0You have two years to complete an Access to Higher Education Diploma and you have\u00a0submission deadlines for your assignments, but you can tailor your study schedule\u00a0so that it fits around your existing commitments\u00a0<\/li><li><strong>24\/7 access<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 As soon as you enrol on your online course, you will\u00a0have all the course materials you need, and you will have access to these materials 24\/7 until you complete the course\u00a0<\/li><li><strong>Industry-leading platform<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Our student portal is easy to use and contains everything you need to gain your desired qualification\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/What-Is-the-Difference-Between-A-Counsellor-and-A-Social-Worker_-.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/What-Is-the-Difference-Between-A-Counsellor-and-A-Social-Worker_-.jpg\" alt=\"Counsellor vs social worker\" class=\"wp-image-28979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/What-Is-the-Difference-Between-A-Counsellor-and-A-Social-Worker_-.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/What-Is-the-Difference-Between-A-Counsellor-and-A-Social-Worker_--300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/What-Is-the-Difference-Between-A-Counsellor-and-A-Social-Worker_--768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a Social Worker Salary?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When\u00a0you become a Social Worker, UK learners,\u00a0you\u00a0will not be entering a profession that has a fixed salary scale. Generally, though,\u00a0professionals who are recently qualified are paid between \u00a332,000 &#8211; \u00a337,000 per year, but that is dependent on the location and local authority.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you take on more Social Worker responsibilities and gain further experience, you could potentially earn between \u00a340,000 &#8211; \u00a350,000 per annum. The roles at this pay level\u00a0usually consist of Team Manager, Commissioning Manager, and Head of Service.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Start Your Career Journey Today!&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you have the answers to the questions, \u2018what is the role of a Social Worker?\u2019,&nbsp;and&nbsp;\u2018what does a Social Worker do?\u2019,&nbsp;you can take significant steps towards achieving your career goal.&nbsp;Whether you want to enrol on&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/course\/access-to-higher-education-social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work)<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;course or&nbsp;retake A Levels, get in touch!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get the direction you need by speaking to one of our Course Executives on&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"tel:01213928288\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>0121 392 8288<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;or reaching out to us&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/support.stonebridge.uk.com\/support\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>online<\/strong><\/a>. You can also learn more about our course offerings by clicking below!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/course\/access-to-higher-education-social\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Social-Work-and-Counsellor-Course-1.jpg\" alt=\"Study social care online\" class=\"wp-image-29008\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Social-Work-and-Counsellor-Course-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Social-Work-and-Counsellor-Course-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Social-Work-and-Counsellor-Course-1-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you would like to help enhance the lives of vulnerable people and families, then a role as a Social Worker could be suited to you.&nbsp;There are many services across the UK that aim to support those who need extra help to navigate through their lives.&nbsp;&nbsp; Some individuals grow up in tumultuous circumstances, while some [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":28978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[520,539,737,338,895,705],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-access-to-higher-education","category-access-to-higher-education-diplomas","category-distance-learning","category-health-and-social-care","category-online-courses","category-social-work"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29267"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29672,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29267\/revisions\/29672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stonebridge.uk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}