I loved the course and the different approaches to social work (person-centred vs power and structural inequalities) we saw over the four years helped us all in managing the challenges and changes we would have to face during our careers. What I didn't expect quite so much was the gap between the theory and reality - I am not sure anything could have quite prepared us.
In 1978 plenty of jobs were available, even for the inexperienced - qualified social workers were hard to recruit and I spent the first few years as a generic social worker doing child protection and Mental Health Act assessments. People with disabilities and older people were on the caseloads of welfare assistants - many of whom were vastly more experienced than this newly qualified person quaking in her boots.
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