How I Got Here: Alice Powney-Dugdale, social worker, Bristol City Council

He is someone I look up to and have learned a lot from about how to treat people. I was raised to understand right from wrong and stand up for what I believe in. Since I was young, I always had a strong sense of social justice. I was the only girl in my A-level politics class and always felt the responsibility to advocate for others. As a teenager, I didn’t always know how to channel this passion. I wasn’t academic and it wasn’t until my undergraduate law degree at university that I found an avenue to explore social issues such as human rights. Additionally, it wasn’t until my master’s degree that I discovered I had gone through education with undiagnosed dyslexia.

Walking into the unknown

During the second year of my law degree, and following a difficult personal experience, I felt ready to leave my part-time job in a shoe shop behind and dive headfirst into a new role where I could use my knowledge for something I cared about. I found a job working in a residential children’s home. Due to my lack of experience and knowledge about the social care sector, I waited for what felt like months for an agency to find me some work. When the day finally came, I was offered a shift in a home 80 miles from me, in a city I hadn’t been before. I didn’t think twice, I just got in my car and drove. Little did I know this would kickstart my career in social work. Watching these young people achieve against all the odds gave me the hope I have today. I continued my role in children’s homes for another five years.

A chance meeting

I was lucky enough to meet my husband Zak in social care. He is a fantastic youth work manager now, and we are extremely like-minded and equally driven in our fields. However, it was meeting his parents which created my next pivotal moment. At the time of meeting his family, I was working full time in a children’s home, and I discovered that they were both highly successful social workers. His mum, Tracey was a child protection service manager and his dad, Daryl a university social work programme director before he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and they were forced to navigate a new life with new challenges. During the 18 months I spent with Daryl before he passed, he and Tracey inspired me to undertake my qualification in social work. In fact, I applied for the course Daryl formally directed, and Tracey studied in during the 1990s. Talk about full circle.

Overcoming obstacles

On top of my voluntary and statutory placements, I continued to work weekends with children in care until I completed my studies. My work in residential child care led to an opportunity to become an independent foster panel member and develop my understanding of social work assessments before stepping into the role. Every social work student is left wondering what type of social worker they will become. I am proud to say I’m now an assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) social worker in a child protection unit. Social work is complex and no day looks the same. Some days will feel easier than others, but this is where I’m supposed to be, and I’m excited about the future.

Top three career tips

• Trust your gut – it will never lie to you

• Take time to reflect, and recover– critical and positive reflection is how you grow and learn

• Ask for help – recognise when you need support