Lindsay Giddings a social work lecturer at The Open University, has shared some tips that can be useful for newly qualified social workers.
Write your notes now, not later
The author stresses the importance of writing notes from your last session with clients the moment you get into the office, when the information is still fresh in your mind. Thus, the recorded file will be significant and meaningful for you and anyone who may need it in the future.
Don’t make false promises
It is important to highlight the importance of not making false promises or promising things that aren’t under your control as a social worker. This includes the everyday aspects of your job, like calling someone back, etc.
Don’t take work home over the weekend
Don’t overwork yourself, because this will only lead to more and more work for you in the future. There may be some cases when you will need to work overnight, but no matter how much effort you put in, your work will never end. As the author mentions, it is important to be a team player, but also not to put more work on yourself than you can handle, or to sacrifice yourself in the name of the group.
Be nice to yourself
According to the author, it is important to dedicate some time and energy to yourself and develop some good habits, like eating healthy, going out for dinner with family or friends and not always giving up your plans due to work. The author emphasizes the importance of having hobbies, as they impact you in a positive way, both mentally and physically.
Take a lunch break
It is of great importance to get away from your work for a bit; even though it may be hard to leave work, and there will be days it won’t be possible to take a break, try on most working days.
Have a sense of humour
A sense of humour is always needed, obviously. It is hard to maintain this during work, but as the author mentions in the article, ‘don’t forget to see the sunshine’.
Have another pen
It is always important to have enough pens and keep them everywhere, and also take more when they are being restocked. The author places this rule first in the list as she stresses the importance of always having a pen with you.
Always have something to engage service users
It is really important to have a ‘secret tool’ in your work practice: coloured pencils, a notebook, a stress reliever for adults, an anecdote to tell, or toys, if you work with children, etc. There may be cases of unexpected and difficult situations when you will need them to calm the situation, distract or relieve someone from a painful or stressful moment.
Get to know local resources
Know the resources in your area if you want to be a high-level social worker. The services provided, the local housing department, the local health services, the local police, and other local entities are of huge importance in keeping up with everything around and for having a great network for the future.
Keep up to date
Being aware of what happens outside your area of practice, staying up to date with policies and legislation, keeping up with news from social work, etc., can be really helpful for you to boost your professional career.
Use supervision
The author emphasizes the role of supervision. As most organizations have a supervision agreement, this is a great opportunity for social workers not only to get feedback for their work, but also to reflect and express how they feel and how this is impacting their work, or how service users feel. But as the author mentions, social workers must not limit themselves to supervision by their managers, but they should approach other sources of support, colleagues or non-formal groups.
Know that it will probably be better tomorrow
According to the author, there might be some hard times when you’re going to ask yourself why you are doing this. It is important to remember that tomorrow will be a new day. The author suggests to go for a walk, watch TV, have a bath, have an early night or to do whatever makes you feel better until these hard moments go away.