Sally

"I had been working in various volunteering and paid roles in Adult Social Care – including mental health, homelessness and community engagement – for nearly a decade. Increasingly, however, I found that (unless I wanted to become a manager) any chance of career development and progression was limited. I had worked alongside a lot of social workers and increasingly thought “yeah, I could do that”, so decided to give it a go. 

Through talking to social workers, as well as doing a bit of my own research, I found out that Goldsmiths was really well respected within the profession.  Once I'd applied, I was impressed with the friendly staff, small intake group and rigorous (but daunting!) process I had to go through to obtain my place.  The whole application process gave me an opportunity to reflect on why I wanted to work in the profession so, by the time I began the MA, I felt very personally committed not just to the course but to the wider values which social work strives to uphold and promote. 

I can honestly say completing my MA has been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences of my life. I felt I hadn't got as much out of my first degree as I could have, and having been out of education for a while I was nervous about how I would cope with the academic side of the course.  As it turns out, I loved it! Being taught by passionate and knowledgeable lecturers helped me to recognise skills and interests that I never knew I had.  

The course is designed to give you the most opportunity to discuss, debate and learn theory and practice – not just from lecturers and practitioners but, perhaps most importantly, from your course mates. Having the chance to meet such a wide range of people, from such a range of backgrounds was, hands down, one of the best things about the course. Being able to laugh and have fun along the way was awesome and certainly the support of course friends was invaluable throughout the two practice placements. It's great to have the chance to work in different social work settings, but it can feel very alien at first: being able to check I wasn't the only one trying to find my feet was really reassuring. The placements are an essential part of developing, not just as a social worker, but as a person within really demanding and challenging environments. Social work isn't an easy option but it's certainly an interesting one.

My final placement was within palliative care, and I was lucky enough to be offered a unique chance to complete my first year of practice in the same team. This wouldn't have happened without the commitment of the placement coordinator securing such a great placement as well as their continued support, along with that of my personal tutor, in offering advice about what the requirements of the ASYE (assessed and supported year in employment) would be, and how this could be put in place. My MA has given me the chance to join an amazing profession as well as meet, laugh and learn with a great bunch of people – who could ask for more?!"