BA (Hons) Social Work L501- Selection Day
Thank you for your application to study BA (Hons) Social Work at Southampton Solent University. Please report
to your designated location (please see your confirmation email) by 9.45 am.
The selection process consists of four parts:
1.
An opportunity to meet other candidates informally over coffee, followed by a short introduction to the
University and the day
2.
A written response to one of the four enclosed articles*
3.
A group discussion of one of the four enclosed articles*
4.
An individual interview
(*You must read all four articles, the choice of articles for the written and group discussion will be
communicated to you on the day)
A place on the programme is competitive because spaces are limited. As a result additional factors such as
previous relevant paid or voluntary work experience may be taken into consideration.
Enclosed you will find:
• Supplementary Application Form (to be completed and returned no later than the date specified in the
•
•
•
•
email. (Please note that we will not be able to interview you if we do not receive your Supplementary
Application Form by this date.)
Entry Requirements
NHS Bursary details
Health Check and DBS Alert Forms- please return with the Supplementary Application Form
Four articles on social work related issues that you will need to read in preparation
If for whatever reason you are no longer interested in a place on the course, it is important that you let us
know, so that somebody else may be given an opportunity of a place. If this applies to you, please
email: [email protected]
If you have a query regarding this process, please email: [email protected]
We look forward to meeting you on the Selection Day.
Admissions & Enrolment Team
Southampton Solent University: BA (Hons) Social Work
Entry requirements
At the commencement of the course students must have:
•
GCSE in English Language and Maths at grade C (or equivalent)
Plus one of the following:
•
•
•
•
•
Tariff points total of no less than 112 from A-levels, BTEC or Level 3 qualifications
Access to HE Certificate (Merit or Distinction)
GNVQ Advanced in a relevant subject (Merit or Distinction)
BTEC National Diploma in a relevant subject (Merit or Distinction)
Other Qualifications may be considered (contact [email protected])
All applicants must:
•
•
•
•
demonstrate suitability for the social work course at a Selection Day
be able to provide academic references
declare any criminal convictions or disciplinary matters *
declare health issues *
* Please note that applications of all those offered a place on the course will be screened with a Disclosure
and Barring Service (DBS) check. Declaration of a conviction will not automatically disqualify you from being
offered a place, but failure to declare something that later comes to light will mean you will be deemed
unsuitable for social work, thus putting your place on the course at risk.
If you are uncertain whether your health issue is something you should declare, please seek advice from the
Admissions Tutor. For example, applicants are advised to declare mental health issues. Telling us about a
health issue will not automatically disqualify you from being offered a place, we simply wish to discuss
whether you will require specific support but failure to declare something that later comes to light will
mean you are deemed unsuitable for social work, thus putting your place on the course at risk.
You should also disclose to the Admissions Tutor if you or any person in your immediate family are currently
subject to any social services interventions (for example, but not exclusive to; Safeguarding Procedures, etc.).
Telling us about such an issue will not automatically disqualify you from being offered a place, we simply wish
to discuss whether you will require specific support but failure to declare something that later comes to light
will mean you are deemed unsuitable for social work, thus putting your place on the course at risk.
Social Work Bursaries: Guidance for prospective Students
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA)
The NHSBSA allocates bursaries to some students for the second and third year (level 5 and 6) of their
undergraduate social work course. Candidates are advised to read the information about social work bursaries
on the NHSBSA’s website www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk
The NHSBSA’s annual bursary allocation process
Each year the NHSBSA decides how many bursaries will be allocated to students on each university social work
course in the country. As soon as this information is received by Southampton Solent University, students will
be informed of the number available. Students are advised to make a bursary application even though only
some of them will be successful. The NHSBSA will only consider students who have made applications.
In July each year universities are required to send the NHSBSA a list of first year (level 4) students who can be
considered for a bursary. Students are included on the list if they meet the following four criteria, which were
published by the Department of Health in May 2013 1:
Students included on the bursary selection list should be prioritised for inclusion if they:
• Meet the outcomes set out at entry level of the PCF (Professional Capabilities Framework); and
• Have experience of the sector e.g. work related, or user/carer experience; and
• Have other work/life experience related to the sector or likely to be of value to the sector; and
• Have already passed the ‘readiness to practice’ threshold (end of Year 1 studies) which is part of the
PCF.
The list is compiled with priority given to those students who demonstrate academic attainment and
progression on the social work programme, by passing all units at the first sitting irrespective of grade.
Students with deferrals will then be listed in descending order of level 4 average marks. In the event of there
being more students who have passed all units at the first sitting than there are bursaries available, priority
will be given to those achieving the highest grades.
The NHSBSA then considers each student’s bursary application in two stages:
1. Is this student on the list from the university?
2. Is this student eligible? The NHSBSA’s website provides information on eligibility criteria, such as
residency. 2
1
Department of Health (2013) The Social Work Bursary in the 2013 Academic Year: Information for HEIs
2
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/825.aspx
The university is only required to draw up a list of students who have passed level 4; it is not required to
implement the NHSBSA rules on eligibility.
The NHSBSA allocates the bursaries by working down the list, starting with the student with the highest
average grade. The NHSBSA informs students whether their applications have been successful or not. The
university has no role in this process.
Practice Placement Policy
As part of the BA (Hons) Social Work programme students will undertake two assessed practice placements. A
70 day Practice Placement at level five and 100 day Practice Placement at level six. In order to be eligible for
a placement, students will have successfully completed the Preparation for Practice unit in order to signify
“readiness for practice”. The University acknowledges that student circumstances can change and thus
reserves the right to undertake assessment of “readiness” throughout the course.
The University undertakes to secure high quality Placements, from quality assured Placement providers, which
are appropriate to the students’ learning needs. Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the Placement
timetable, due to circumstances beyond our control, which may arise, we cannot guarantee that every
Placement will always start on time.
Similarly, whilst students’ individual circumstances (e.g. domestic responsibilities) will be considered,
wherever possible, students need to be aware that the priority on Placement allocation is to ensure that every
student’s learning needs and the programme requirements are met. Practice Education standards indicate that
all students will undertake Placements with two different service user groups during the course.
In the case of re-sit placements, the timing of the re-sit will coincide with the normal practice assessment
schedule for that particular level.
Students are expected to travel to Placements within and up to the boundaries of the Hampshire and Isle of
Wight SWEN sub-region. Students will be expected to fund their travel to and from Placement. However,
students will be able to claim travel expenses from the agency in which they are placed for travel
undertaken while on agency business.
In accordance with Practice Education guidance, the University and its partners are unable to make any
commitments to offer to meet any personal preferences of each and every student. There is a limited supply
of both voluntary and statutory Placements through the region. This means that choice is limited and this limit
relates to geography, setting, service users and agency, and shift patterns. Students should expect to work
unsocial hours as required.
Refusal to accept a practice Placement that is judged to meet the course requirements could seriously
jeopardise the student’s progress on the course or lead to termination of studies.
The University has no responsibility to offer another Placement where a student refuses an offer unless
mitigating circumstances, in line with University regulations, are produced and accepted by the Examination
Board.
The University will give particular attention to securing an appropriate Placement for any student with a
disclosed disability or health condition. All students with identified needs, which may impact upon the
Practice Learning experience, will be expected to undertake an additional assessment of need prior to starting
each Placement. This assessment will be undertaken by the University Access Solent Service and will be
shared with the Practice Educator.
All Placement providers are required to take out insurance against liability or bodily injury or damage to
health sustained by an employee whilst at work under the Employers’ Liability (Compensation Insurance) Act
1969.
Students on Placements will also be covered by this insurance but need to be aware that where a Placement
requires the student to transport clients etc. then appropriate insurance cover must be in place. Students
should check with their own motor insurance company.
All Placements will adhere to the Q.A.A. Code of Practice for placements in Higher Education and all students
must demonstrate adherence to the HCPC code of practice for student social workers.
All written/recorded evidence produced whilst on Placements must respect both client/service user and
agency confidentiality.
Disclosure of Information
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) require us to make enquiries about convictions, cautions,
reprimands and any disciplinary offences that have occurred in work. They also require us to make enquiries
as to whether prospective students are physically and mentally fit enough to undertake social work.
The purpose of the enquiries is to ensure the safety of service users who may be at risk.
In order for us to do this at an early stage in the selection process – thus avoiding any delays or difficulties
later - would you please complete the enclosed forms (using a separate sheet of paper if necessary) and seal
them in an envelope. This must be returned to the Admission Tutor on the selection day. Please note that no
candidate will be offered a place without first returning the completed forms (attached).
It is a requirement that you must indicate whether or not you have EVER been convicted of any offence, or
received a caution or been ‘bound over’ and, if so, the date and nature of the offence(s). This must
include information about ‘spent’ convictions under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974
(Exceptions) Order 1975 as amended by the ROA 1974 (Exceptions) (Amendment) Order 1986 and in the Police
Act 1997 (Criminal Records) Regulations.
If you are accepted on the programme, the information gathered may be shared with relevant people involved
in your training, including personal tutors, placement agencies and practice placements.
If you are not accepted, this form will be destroyed.
Previous convictions or disciplinary incidents do not necessarily rule out applicants but may limit placementlearning opportunities. However, failure to disclose will lead to automatic exclusion from the programme.
If you have any queries about the above information, please contact David Galley, Admissions Tutor (023
8201 2103) or Neil Shorter, Admissions and Enrolment Officer (023 8201 5066).
Health Declaration Guidance Notes
In line with Health and Care Professions Council requirements for the registration of social workers and social
work students, you must provide information about your health. You are therefore asked to give permission for
the University to contact your GP - in order to confirm that you are ‘physically and mentally fit’ to undertake
the qualification - if this is thought to be necessary. If you are uncertain whether your health issue is
something that will affect your ability to undertake the academic work and/or practice requirements, please
declare it anyway.
It is impossible to list all the conditions we need to know about, but they include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
conditions that may cause seizures
conditions that may result in short-term memory loss or lapses in memory
treatment or medication you are taking that may result in short-term memory loss or lapses in
memory
serious communicable diseases
serious mental ill health, or its treatment
substance dependence including substance dependence for which you are receiving treatment.
Telling us about a health issue will not necessarily prevent an offer of a place on the course, whereas
failure to declare something that later comes to light will mean you will be deemed unsuitable for social
work, thus putting your place on the course at risk.
A Declaration Form is enclosed.
The University reserves the right to verify any of the details given as part of the candidate’s application for a
place on the course.
If you have any queries about the above information, please contact David Galley, Admissions Tutor (023
8201 2103) or Neil Shorter, Admissions and Enrolment Officer (023 8201 5066).
Southampton Solent University - BA (Hons) Social Work
Supplementary Application Form
This supplements your UCAS Application. You must complete all sections and return it by no later than the
date given in the enclosed letter. Please note that you are expected to write no less than 200 and no more
than 300 words in every section.
The purpose of the supplementary application form is to provide the selection panel with more detailed
information about yourself and your motivation to become a qualified social worker.
Your responses should be word-processed (not hand-written). This information will be read before the
selection day, and again in conjunction with the assessments of your written task and group discussion on the
day. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INTERVIEW YOU, IF YOU FAIL TO RETURN THIS FORM BY THE SPECIFIED
DATE
Name:
Address:
Telephone Number:
E-Mail Address:
I confirm that I will attend the Selection Day on (insert date):
1. Please explain why you have decided to apply for the BA (Hons) Social Work course at this time.
2. Please describe your understanding of the roles and tasks of a qualified social worker. What makes this
different from being an unqualified social care worker?
3. In what ways do you think professional education at a University level (i.e. the Degree in Social Work) is
different from your previous experiences of education?
4. As a social worker, you will need to understand and address issues of oppression and discrimination, and
will have opportunities to develop appropriate skills during the course. Please demonstrate your awareness
of these issues by describing an example of discrimination you have either witnessed, or experienced
yourself, your thoughts and feelings at the time and your thoughts and feelings now that you have had time
to reflect on the incident.
5. Please write about your experiences – particularly from any social care experience you have, but also from
education, social and personal life – that you believe have helped to make you a suitable candidate for a
Degree in Social Work course in particular.
6. Please list the skills and personal qualities that you would bring to (a) the Degree in Social Work course and
(b) a career in social work.
7. What do you anticipate that you might find challenging and/or difficult about (a) the Degree in Social Work
course and (b) a career in social work?
Signature: …………………………………………………….
Send to:
Neil Shorter
Admissions and Enrolment Officer
Southampton Solent University
East Park Terrace
Southampton, SO14 0YN
Or email:
[email protected]
Date: …….……………………………………………….
Incident Declaration
Please give details of any incidents including date, penalty imposed and any information you feel is relevant.
Please tick
Have you ever been convicted of an offence? (If yes, please give details)
Yes
No
Have you ever received a caution, reprimand or binding over or final warning? (If yes, please
give details)
Yes
No
Have you any pending convictions? (If yes, please give details)
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Y
Y
Are you or a close family member currently subject to any personal interventions by social
services? (If yes, please give details)
Have you ever been subject to any disciplinary investigation or finding by an Employer? This
includes any referral to Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVO) and the Protection of
Children Act (PoCA) (If yes, please give details)
Have you ever been suspended or dismissed from employment, paid or voluntary? This
includes any referral to POVO and PoCA. (If yes, please give details)
Have you previously commenced professional social work training?
If Yes please specify:
From
M
M
Y
Y
Y
Y
To
M
M
Y
Y
Name of Institution
Should your circumstances change in relation to any of the above either prior to the course or
throughout the duration of the course you are required to inform the Admissions Tutor.
I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, all information supplied above and in the application form
and additional statement is accurate and true. I have not withheld any information, which may affect my
suitability to undertake professional social work. I give permission for the information to be shared with
relevant people, within the university or external agencies related to my training if I am accepted on the
programme.
Name (Printed)………………………………………………
Date ………………………………………
Signature …………………………………………
Health Declaration Form
All intending social work students are required by the Health and Care Professions Council to declare any
issues relating to their health that may impact upon their training as a qualified professional social worker.
Please sign the following declaration and bring it with you to the selection day.
I have read the guidance notes handed to me with this form and:
Either
I
………………………………………….
declare that, to the best of my knowledge, there are no issues relating
to my state of health that may impact upon my ability to undertake the BA (Hons) Social Work, academically
and in practice settings, safely*.
Or
I
………………………………………….
wish you to be aware of the following health issues and I give
permission for the Programme to contact my GP to confirm my ability to undertake the BA (Hons) Social Work,
academically and in practice settings, safely*.
*By ‘safely’ we mean that your physical or mental health condition should not affect your judgement or
performance in a way that poses a risk to yourself or others
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Name and address of GP
…………………………………………………
………………………………………………….
………………………………………………….
I understand that failure to disclose any relevant and significant information could lead to my withdrawal
from the programme.
Signed
……………………………………………………
Articles to be read by student candidates
Date
……………………………..
Article 1
Boy, 14, added to police database after sexting female classmate
Boy reveals that incident, where he sent a naked image of himself to classmate who then shared it with
others, might be flagged during CRB checks
A 14-year-old boy has revealed that he was added to a police database after he sent a naked image of himself
to a female classmate.
The boy, whose identity has not been made public, said he sent the image by Snapchat from his bedroom while
flirting with a girl of the same age, who then shared it with others.
He was later told the incident was recorded on a police intelligence database as a crime of making and
distributing an indecent image of a child, after the photograph came to the attention of an officer based at
the school, which is in the north of England.
Although the boy was not arrested or charged with any crime, he has been told the file remains active for a
minimum of 10 years, meaning the incident may be flagged to potential employers conducting an advanced
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, such as for those who work with children.
The boy’s mother said she received a call from the school-based police officer who informed her of what had
happened. “I don’t really remember a lot of what was said, because her opening line was ‘Simon [name has
been changed] has taken and distributed an indecent image of himself’,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today
programme on Thursday.
“Simon was very embarrassed. I asked him what had happened, he was in his bedroom at his dad’s the night
before, he was flirting with a girl, and he sent a picture of himself via something called Snapchat. I didn’t
even know what Snapchat was.
“I think at best he was naive and at worst he was just a teenager. It is referred to as sexting, and apparently it
happens all the time. It is just how teenagers flirt these days.”
The boy said he was “embarrassed” and “intimidated” by the incident and now spends lunchtimes in the
library to avoid being teased by classmates who have seen the image.
He said: “You hear from a few people who have done it every week, it just feels like something to do. I
shouldn’t have done it. It’s just annoying really, something that I did when I was 14 could reflect badly in
future.”
Under the Sexual Offences Act, possessing or distributing indecent images of a person under 18 is illegal. If the
boy was an adult the sharing of his image would be classed as revenge porn and he would be protected as a
victim.
Deputy Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for children and young people,
said schools are given the prerogative to deal with situations in a manner they deem suitable. “A new national
strategy for children and young people was launched this year which highlights the importance of getting our
response right and avoiding unnecessary criminalisation – especially where the behaviour can be dealt with
more appropriately through other means,” she said.
“If agreed by those involved schools and educational establishments have the ability to deal with situations as
they see fit. If any party chooses to report the incident to police, the Home Office counting rules are clear
that it must be recorded as a crime.
“Importantly, however, the resolution of the incident and decision to investigate further remains at an
officer’s discretion. Further still, the decision to disclose this as part of associated checks in future life is one
carefully considered by forces, in line with Home Office guidance, ensuring it is relevant and its context
outlined. Work is ongoing with partners to ensure that this guidance is clear and applied in a consistent way.”
Pinkney added that while sexting might seem like a harmless or normal activity, there were many risks
involved. “Once circulated, the sender loses all control of that image and can cause significant distress when
it gets into wider hands. It is essential that we work, both alone and alongside partners such as schools and
families, to intervene early and prevent young people from becoming both the victims and perpetrators of
crime.”
The school in question said the incident was dealt with in a routine way and all students were informed of the
recent change in policy. It is not clear whether any action was taken against the girl who received and shared
the image.
The Guardian 3rd September 2015
Article 2
How many refugees should the UK take in?
Yvette Cooper has suggested the UK should welcome 10,000 refugees from the Middle East, with each town
housing 10 families. A response by:
Daniel Hannan, Conservative MEP: ‘We can’t let people who break the law jump the queue’
I’ve spent the past five days in southern Italy, on a social action project doing up a hostel for underage
migrants. The youngsters in the reception centre, who eagerly joined in the work to break the monotony of
their day, were mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, and some had heart breaking stories. They were guilty of
nothing more than courage, resourcefulness and optimism, and I hope that, in their position, I’d be brave
enough to do as they have done. But few of them were, in the legal sense, refugees.
If the UK admitted everyone wanting to flee poverty and misery, we’d be opening our doors to hundreds of
millions of people. Unless we’re prepared to do that, accepting 10,000 asylum seekers is moral posturing. More
than 20,000 people arrived in Greece just last week.
If we automatically accept all those who make the journey, we contract out our immigration policy to people
smugglers. Instead of taking the people who have applied properly and waited in line, we allow people to
jump the queue by breaking the law.
I see no long-term solution unless we break the automatic link between boarding a rickety boat in Libya and
being able to stay in the EU. Until we start processing claims offshore, thousands more will die in these hellish
crossings.
Nor is it clear why Britain owes a special responsibility to the EU. There is another boats crisis, largely
unreported, as refugees from Myanmar arrive in India, Bangladesh and Malaysia. Do we not have a greater duty
to assist these Commonwealth countries, old friends as they are?
Most of my constituents will accept a measure of legal immigration, provided they feel that we have some
rough control over who arrives and in what numbers. Outside the EU, we could have a skills-based immigration
policy that does not discriminate against Commonwealth nationals, and makes space for asylum seekers. Both
left and right could live with it. But not until we recover the right to decide for ourselves who can enter
Britain.
Article 3
‘No one I’ve ever met was helped back to work by sanctions’
Benefit sanctions plunge jobseekers into crisis and often push them further away from paid employment,
unlike the made-up claimants in the now withdrawn benefits leaflet
While it has rightly attracted widespread criticism, the fact that Iain Duncan Smith’s Department for Work and
Pensions (DWP) had to turn to fiction to find positive accounts of benefit sanctions is altogether unsurprising.
In researching experiences of welfare reform over the past five years, I have not once come across a claimant
for whom being sanctioned made a return to paid employment more likely, as in “Sarah’s story” which
featured in the now withdrawn benefits leaflet.
Instead, jobseekers I have spoken to, like Adrian, describe how being sanctioned makes looking for work only
more difficult: “I can’t wash my clothes because I’ve no money for the launderette. I can’t have a bath
because I’ve no hot water. I’ve got holes in my shoes but the jobcentre say they won’t help me get new ones
until I’ve secured a definite job interview. But you can’t go to a job interview looking like a tramp,” he told
me.
Adrian has experienced numerous sanctions, which have been triggered by being late for appointments, but
also failing to follow confusing job directions and being unable to attend the jobcentre because of being at an
interview. This clashes with the DWP’s “Zac’s story”, which created the impression of a bureaucratic system
that is sympathetic. For Adrian, rather than providing a spur to work on his employability, sanctions only
create additional, sometimes competing, demands. “On a sanction, you find yourself stuck in between looking
for work and looking for food. Some days, I’m walking miles just to get some food to get me enough energy to
look for work,” he says.
DWP admits inventing quotes from fake 'benefits claimants' for sanctions leaflet
Despite many years volunteering in a homeless hostel, Adrian needs sustained and personalised support to
secure employment, support that has never been forthcoming. Benefit sanctions are premised on the
assumption that people require incentives (and more often) threats to make the welfare-to-work transition.
This is not borne out by research evidence that most claimants are strongly motivated to secure employment,
where it is a realistic option.
The constant threat of sanctions adds to the uncertainty and insecurity that represents the new status quo for
out-of-work benefit claimants in Britain today. For single parent Susan, the fear of being sanctioned features
as an ever-present backdrop to her life, leaving her nervous about how she and her daughter might cope under
a sanction. The DWP’s fictional material completely glosses over the hardship and distress that sanctions can
cause not just to the claimant but also to their wider family. Chloe, a single parent, was sanctioned shortly
after being moved on to jobseeker’s allowance when her daughter started school. She says she cried for two
weeks. “I couldn’t cope. Four weeks with no money is pretty alarming when you’ve got kids, bills and a house
to run.”
Partly as a result of her sanction, Chloe’s mental health deteriorated, and she moved on to the disability
benefit, employment and support allowance. In this way, being sanctioned pushed her further away from paid
employment, the opposite of the government’s intentions.
Too often, the government’s welfare policy-making appears rooted in ideology and presumption, neglecting,
and in this case seemingly deliberately fabricating, the evidence. If it really wanted to support claimants off
benefits and into paid work, it should listen to the experiences of individual benefit claimants which might
suggest a very different set of policies.
Ruth Hunter, The Guardian 2nd September 2015
Article 4
Working in child protection: I have been kicked, punched, spat at and threatened with weapons
Freya Barrington has written a fictionalised book based on her experiences as a social worker. She shares one
of the cases that inspired the novel
“You took my kids off me you fucking bitch.” I heard the words, but stared in wide-eyed ignorance at the huge
man opposite me at the client’s dining room table. The diatribe continued unabated until finally the penny
dropped. Ah, so you’re the partner then.
I had never met this man - I will call him Dave Smith - and neither had I had any role in his particular case.
However, I knew he had been relieved of his role as father to his four children after hospitalising his wife and
demolishing most of the house with a chainsaw in a fit of temper.
His children were in the process of adoption, which he found understandably difficult to accept. He
demonstrated his displeasure by abandoning his work van across the exit of the social services car park,
barricading the entire staff in the office. For good measure, he shouted death threats through the window at
the social worker responsible for his case.
Join the community for social care professionals, an online space for the latest jobs, features and comment
focusing on policy, career and work practice issues.
My client – I will call her Tracey Wilson – was a single mother with two small children and her association with
Smith posed a potential risk. She had been advised in writing that maintaining her friendship with him would
inevitably prompt further action from social services. The children’s teacher advised us that they’d been seen
together on school grounds.
A visit was duly arranged, with our student, who I will call Penny, accompanying me. Like most students, she
was keen as mustard to get out there and experience the job first-hand. As we entered Wilson’s home, there
were two men standing in the hall, and their presence disturbed me. I would later regret ignoring my gut
feeling, which had acted like a warning device on so many occasions. Both men spoke pleasantly enough to
me, however, and I returned the courtesy. Suppressing my doubts, I looked to Wilson and raised an eyebrow.
“They’re just mates,” she mumbled, as she showed us into the dining room where the plan was to discuss the
concerns the local authority had.
A minute later, we were joined by the larger of the two men. He looked directly at me and with considerable
menace said: “You took my kids off me, you fucking bitch.” Here we go again, I thought wearily. Sure enough,
the man launched into a torrent of abuse and it was clear that, despite my total lack of involvement in his
case, he held me personally responsible for his current situation. Ah, so you’re Dave Smith then.
Realising that any further discussion was futile, I stood up and told a worried looking Penny that we were
leaving. Smith disagreed and squared up to me, blocking my path. I braced myself and looked up at his six feet
four inch frame. “Excuse me,” I said. “May we get past?” He smirked, “You’re not going anywhere,” and let
loose another barrage of abuse and threats. Despite my reasoning and negotiating, he steadfastly refused to
allow us to leave.
Eventually, I decided to take a more proactive approach. Like many of my colleagues, I had 999 on speed dial
and always kept my mobile phone in my pocket within easy reach. I located the familiar button, and the call
connected. Ignoring the threats coming from Smith, I briefed the operator on our situation and thankfully his
bluster began to evaporate. After a few more half-hearted threats, he let us leave the house. He was
subsequently arrested and cautioned.
Penny later confessed that she had been convinced he was going to physically attack me and expressed her
feelings of powerlessness. Trying to be philosophical, I advised her that the Dave Smiths of this world are
thankfully the exception, not the rule. However the fact remains that in my 14 years as a child protection
social worker I have been kicked, punched, spat at and, more worryingly, I have been threatened with a knife
and a shotgun.
This incident made me angry. In trying to do my job, I had been subjected to unnecessary verbal aggression
and bullying. We have the expression zero tolerance, but sadly, this was not an isolated incident. Many of my
colleagues experience similar incidents every day, and yet we pick ourselves up and get on with our work.
Despite this, ours is one of the most negatively portrayed professions in society.
My desire to communicate an authentic view of the daily life of a social worker and to highlight the reality of
the difficulties we face motivated my fictionalised book, Known to Social Services.
Someone in the office joked that they hoped I had not “broken” the student. I gave a wry smile, “Welcome to
my world Penny, welcome to my world.”
Freya Barrington, The Guardian 2nd September 2015
Useful live links
Location information
Campus and City Maps
Equal opportunity and Diversity
Equality and Diversity Information
Disability Access Information
Access Solent
A disabled person’s guide to becoming a health professional
A guide for prospective registrants and admissions staff
Information about accommodation
Accommodation Fees
Information for Parents
Bursary Information
Social Work Bursaries