Getting Started Case studies

Paul, Social Work degree student and former service user

"Drugs and alcohol abuse meant I had various encounters with social and mental health services during my 20’s. My addictions had led to divorce, losing touch with my children and periods of homelessness. Previously I’d been in hospitality management, but while I was at a treatment centre arranged through a social worker I began to think about social work as a career. I joined an access course to higher education at the local college which opened the door for me, and began doing voluntary work with a drugs and alcohol team. When I applied to do a Social Work degree, the interviews included one with representative service users which I think is a great idea.

"To help make ends meet as a student, I do agency work in social care at weekends and during the holidays. And I’m still working as a volunteer with the drugs and alcohol outreach team. I’d say don’t go into social work expecting to save everybody or you’re going to be disappointed. You can’t control people or organisations, but you can control how you deal with people. My job as a social worker will be to support people in the best way possible within the resources available - and that will mean something to me."