Common myths and misconceptions of being a social worker

Our social workers work tirelessly to keep families together and improve relationships wherever it is safe to do so and will always support families on that journey. Should it not be safe for the child to remain with their parent/s due to safeguarding reasons, then we would always initially look at family or friends to care for them where appropriate. There have been many occasions where our social workers have been able to ensure children can remain at home within a safe setting. When social workers become involved, they are there to make a positive impact on the families they work with and their relationships. Our new family safeguarding model really promotes children remaining with their family where it is safe to do so.

Our social workers are highly skilled, qualified and whose main aim is to resolve issues, prevent future ones and help to improve families' lives. They work with all families respectfully, focus on strength-based methodology and fully appreciate the rights to a private family life. Social workers are often requested by families themselves for support or when a concern has been raised from outside the family. Most families are able to build substantial relationships with their Social Worker and other partners who are brought into support.

There are a vast range of sectors within social care ranging from children to adults, disability to mental health, domestic violence to extra-familial harm, supporting those in care through to self-support as adults plus fostering and adoption.

There are different specialised social workers for each individual need, for example, a social worker from the Children with Disabilities Team is there to provide support for the child and family to improve quality of life and to ensure specific developmental needs are being met.

Although the job is fast paced and can be challenging, the role is extremely rewarding and there is a large support network within the teams. We provide new Social Workers (ASYE's) with an Academy to support them throughout their first year with a reduced caseload, have practice educators available to advise, and provide adequate time for supervision where you can discuss any additional support you may need in your role. The academy is also available to any new employees to Lancashire Children's Social Care.

A relevant degree or qualification is required as well as Social Work England registration plus experience to be a Social Worker. When beginning work with us you will be offered a variety of opportunities to further your education and understanding of the role. This provides you with the necessary experience and tools to boost your career as a Social Worker, overall making a difference to you professionally and to the families you help.  Personal characteristics required include having the ability stay focused, calm and empathetic.

Policies and procedures are put in place to ensure Social Workers are safe and protected whilst at work. Dynamic Risk Assessments are carried out with each individual case to make sure the relevant support is put in place. Appropriate training is also provided to each Social Worker employed and as previously mentioned we offer an Assessed and Support Year in Employment (ASYE) which is aimed towards making a more confident Social Worker and providing you with a variety of skills and experience.

Social care is a growing sector and many of the senior roles are filled by previously employed social workers who have been supported to develop in their role and eventually progress. Social workers can progress into higher grade social work roles (senior social worker), team manager or practice educators' roles through to heads of service and directors – it's all achievable with the support, training and educational opportunities within Social Care at Lancashire County Council. These educational opportunities include both personal and professional qualifications from master's level management/leadership qualifications to mindfulness and well-being courses.

You will only get out of the job what you put into it and it requires a person striving to make a difference. Helping the communities and families provides its own personal reward. Demonstrating a positive attitude towards your service users, respect and commitment will contribute towards mutual understanding which will benefit the relationship.

Social Workers regularly spend time reflecting on their feelings and emotions with the support of their team – that empathy is what will make you a great Social Worker. You are given the opportunity to think creatively on how to move forward and support both your families and yourself. The support that we provide to our Social Workers provides opportunities for reflective supervision from senior members of staff, groups, teams and inclusivity networks. This hopefully allows a structure for you to deal with emotions relating to work and should you require additional professional support – that's available if, as and when you need it.

Although nationally there are more females within the profession; many male Social Workers are role models for children, teens and fathers. In some councils there are programmes run by male Social Workers working with fathers to build relationships with their children. Research has shown that male members of families are less engaging with Social Workers however our Social Workers come from an inclusive and diverse background and are trained to support all genders with respect, understanding and integrity.

It is a Social Workers duty of care to safeguard children, however if a concern is raised there are various managers, authority figures and external partners consulted to see if a threshold is met to begin such proceedings. The aim is to work with the family and prevent such measures being taken so this would only occur if absolutely necessary for the well-being of the children involved and as explained previously, placement with family and/or friends would be our initial approach.

It is rare that Social Workers only work within this timeframe – most of them probably would love to but they appreciate that not all tasks can be carried out during a "standard" day so visits may take place when children come home from school, when parents get home from work etc. It is a role that does not encompass standard office hours as there is a requirement to fit in with the needs of the cases being dealt with plus, we offer lots of flexible working and working flexibly options too so a traditional "9-5" may not fit for our Social Workers either.

Social Workers are essential car users so driving is necessary however what may appear to be a long distance to travel - the actual travel time is often much shorter than anticipated. It often depends on the time of day and direction of travel so although Bolton to Salford is half the distance of Bolton to Preston – we know which direction we would rather be travelling, and which would get us to work sooner. Blackpool to Wigan is 38 minutes' drive – it may look further on a map but it’s the actual travel time that needs to be considered, Blackburn to Lancaster equals 40 minutes… the list goes on.

Mental health services within the community are often initially provided by Social Workers as a first point of contact until our other external partners can be involved. All of the social work sectors prioritise the emotional well-being and mental health of their service users and we also provide specialist teams in our Family Safeguarding Service which include Mental Health Practitioners, Psychologists and Principal Psychologists alongside other partners who support specific families based on their individual needs.

There's no way to get away from the demands of social work and our expectation regarding the support we provide to families but that should never be at the detriment of your own. Our contracts are a standard 37-hour week, and we would hope that people work within that whenever possible. We are an inclusive and flexible employer so offering up to 31 days annual leave with the ability to purchase a further 20 days in addition. We offer a range of family friendly options and have a benefits package which provides discounts from dog care to day care to days out or in, log cabins by Snowden or holidays abroad, pampering and fitness for your mind, body and soul, long service awards, Medicash, support groups, generous public service pensions, cycle to work schemes and eye tests plus many more.