Jennifer - Senior Practitioner
Name: Jennifer
Job Role: Senior Practitioner
Year Qualified (as SW): 2012
Why did you become a social worker?
I decided I wanted to be a social worker when I was quite young, about 15 years old. A lot of my family members worked in health and care professions, mainly the NHS and I always knew I wanted to work with people. I took up a few volunteering positions such as being a patient friend in a hospital, and quickly found myself keen to work with children and families. I found it incredibly rewarding helping families to support each other through challenging times. From there I completed my A-levels in law, sociology and politics and then my social work degree.
Three tips for our ASYEs:
- Be kind to yourselves, nobody knows it all and keep asking questions, it's how we learn.
- Be empathic towards families and never lose your compassion. Any of us could need social care intervention at some point in our lives and think about how you would like that intervention to be.
- Never underestimate the importance of teamwork. Your colleagues can be your biggest support and champions, look after each other.