I Wanna Be a Social Worker · A Day In The Life Of A Social Worker

Rebecca meets Danielle to find out what a day in the life of a Social Worker is all about.
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Trasnscript

Let's face it, sometimes life can get tough and for some people those tough times are far harder than those of the average person. Times where people can feel alone or as if they have nowhere else to turn. Social workers are unique group of people who help those who feel helpless. People dealing with personal or social problems. They can do this case by case or via programs that benefit groups and communities. Today I'm at the Department of Child Protection and Family Support to find out what it takes to be a social worker. As a social worker at the Department of Child Protection practitioners ensure the well-being and safety of children and young people. With the opportunity to specialise in specific areas social workers provide people with counselling and support through crisis situations as well as helping out in the community.

Hi Danielle, I'm Rebecca.

I was just wondering could i pick your brain on what it's like to be a social worker?

Absolutely.

Fantastic let's go have a chat. So, Danielle take us through a typical day of being a social worker.

There's never a typical day of being a social worker, it depends on what's happened with the families to what we're going to do on that day. So we might have a day where you're answering phone calls and going through emails in your office space, to going out with police, checking houses, doing home visits it just depends on what clients you have.

Wow, that sounds really full-on, what inspired you to want to be a social worker?

I wanted to help people and being a social worker in the Department of Child Protection we get to help the children and I think that makes it a big difference in the future.

What would you say the most rewarding part of your job is?

Helping children making sure that they're safe.

What would you say the hardest part of your job is?

Probably work-life balance because you give hundred and ten percent at work all the time it's trying to leave work at work and go home and have a life.

What advice would you give someone if they were looking to be a social worker?

Get some life experience first so you're grounded in your practice and you know how to go in to certain issues. And apart from the Department of Child Protection what other organisations need social workers? Lots of organisations so we have the Health Department, Department of Corrections and non-government agencies as well such as Wesley UnitingCare West.

If you could list from now to school what steps does somebody need to take if they wanted to be a social worker?

You need to graduate you 12 high school, then you go to university and do Social Work degree or psychology degree. Graduate from that and then do a placement.

And what characteristics does somebody need to be a social worker?

You need to be very confident person, you need to like challenges and be very resilient as well. If you could do one thing differently but still end up where you are today what would it be?

I probably would have gone straight from high school into University and not taking the six month break.

Excellent, thank you so much for having a chat with us today. What you - I'm sure is very much appreciated throughout the community.

Thank you.

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