This Tuesday, 18th March 2025, was World Social Work Day, an annual event dedicated to recognising the incredible work that social workers do to make a difference in our communities. This year’s theme, “Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing” emphasises the importance of bringing different generations together to support and learn from each other. A diverse workforce brings together a wealth of experiences and perspectives which can be utilised to create stronger communities, improve social work practices, and build a better future for everyone.
To mark the occasion of World Social Work Day, our team has been visiting social workers in the councils we partner with this week, expressing our thanks and celebrating their invaluable work. While there, we took the opportunity to speak with our social workers about their roles, what inspired them to pursue this career, and the advice they would give to those interested in social work.
Read on to find out what they said.
What inspired you to become a social worker?
Adult’s Social Worker
“There’s quite a number of reasons as to why I became a social worker, but I will just name a few! Before becoming a social worker, I was a teacher for 14 years. During my time as a teacher, I identified a lot of children who were struggling and needed social work intervention. I wanted to be the social worker to support them and be a better shoulder for them than I could in my current role.
So, after 14 years of working as a teacher, I changed careers and studied social work. In my first years as a social worker, I definitely wanted to work with children, which I did to begin with, but then I decided to change to adult’s social work. I enjoyed my role as a children’s social worker and now as an adult’s social worker, it’s a really fulfilling job.”
Children’s Social Worker
“I had always worked with children and wanted a career where I felt I would be doing something meaningful and where I could make a difference. A friend who was doing her social work degree at the time, and her passion for what she was learning, inspired me to go to university myself!”
How do you stay motivated and prevent burnout?
“For the first few years, I think I struggled to shut off as I was constantly thinking about the situations I was working in as a children’s or adult’s social worker. Now, I know to tell myself when I leave work that I’ve done the best I can, so it’s time to focus on what’s best for me. You can’t work on an empty body, so looking after myself is how I help to look after others in my role to the best of my ability.”
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your role?
“People’s perspectives of social workers and the job we do. There can be a lot of negativities through the way we are portrayed in the media and not enough recognition of the positive work that we do on a daily basis and the difference that we make for families.”
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in social work?
“Absolutely go for it, being a social worker makes me so proud. Every day is different, you learn so much about yourself along the way and you gain a wealth of knowledge. I absolutely would not do anything else!”
Are you seeking a career that genuinely makes a difference each day?
Social work spans various roles across both Adult's and Children's Services, providing ample opportunities whether you're entering the field or come with extensive experience.
We work directly on behalf of numerous local authorities and public sector organisations to manage their social work recruitment and our dedicated social work team is always keen to speak to candidates interested in making a difference.
Candidates registered with Opus are first to hear about jobs in the organisations we work with. Check out some of our latest live jobs today or register to be notified when new opportunities become available.
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