An interactive session on “Understanding Employment Prospects for Social Workers in the UK” was organized by the Field Work Unit of the Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) on November 8, 2023. Mr Ashish Goswami, Service Manager at Infinity Foster Care, London was the resource person for the session. Mr Goswami is an alumnus of the Department from the batch of 1999-2001 and has been working in England since 2006.
The opportunities for Indian social work graduates have expanded over the years in England. This requires the graduates to acquire a license with Social Work England. This interactive session was organized to understand the process of licensing and the opportunities for working in England. The session was attended by the final year students of MA Social Work and alumni of the department and was conducted in the hybrid mode.
The speaker shared the various prerequisites to practice social work in England, the processes involved, the need for evidences and proof of one's work, and the regulatory bodies that govern social work in the United Kingdom. Mr. Ashish Goswami emphasized the relevance for direct work with service users, supervision in practice and the need for continuous professional development.
The speaker spelt out the requirements of the course information sheet which serve as the basis of the registration process. The curriculum components of Field Work, Individual Conference, Group Conference, Skill Laboratories, Rural Camp, Dissertation, Evaluation Conferences add up to the requirement for practice that Social Work England requires. These components form a significant part of the curriculum for MA Social Work in JMI. Mr. Goswami also spelt out the arenas of work in England, career progression, and emoluments for social workers.
The session saw the participation of 45 students and alumni. The participants had an opportunity to seek clarification with respect to several areas that would allow them to be a part of the social work team in England and felt greatly enriched through this interface that lasted for two hours. The interface was facilitated by Prof. Ravindra Ramesh Patil, Director, Field Work & Placements, Dr. Asiya Nasreen, Co-Director, Field Work & Placements and Prof. Neelam Sukhramani, Head, Department of Social Work, JMI.
