An individualistic society where focusing on advancing and improving your own quality of life before you neighbour’s is well known across the world. However, it is important to maintain awareness for those that are most at risk within local communities, and nationwide. Although volunteer work can ease the suffering of many people through charities, often a more direct approach is through actual careers.

Social work involves having trained personnel help alleviate the conditions of different people in communities that are suffering from social deprivation. This often includes a lot of work close to dysfunctional families and children in foster care, or essentially, the most vulnerable in society. Looking out for those that are at risk the most, however, is not limited to those with a career in social care. It is a remarkably simple task to help improve the local community, even in the smallest of ways; ranging from volunteering work at the weekend to more localised awareness of the quality of the environment around you- thus improving experiences for people.

Many people with social worker jobs began through getting a degree at university. But, as social working heavily relies upon communication skills and involvement in the community, volunteering often leads to a career in the social care aspect of society. This specific career covers many different areas and allows for specialism in different fields. It is also closely related to psychology, and so psychology undergraduates often choose social working as a suitable career- as opposed to have studying just social working at degree level.

The importance of social work within our society should be emphasised- you are dealing with very complicated clients and cases, in environments that are both stressful and often below an acceptable standard of living. It takes someone who is able to cope with hands-on experiences, but also appreciates the delicacy of the situation, as it is effectively a mental health profession. Within a society where mental well-being is becoming increasingly important and appreciated, services and careers such as social working are progressively more in demand to help support those that are suffering.

As a social worker, you should be ready to give support to those that need it, as well as help those that are struggling to adjust to new conditions. Maintaining a professional viewpoint on cases within the community is also vital- it is this professional scepticism that an effective social worker utilises. Although a job in social care is a very challenging career and can lead to emotionally difficult circumstances for both the worker and the client, it is incredibly rewarding; you are, after all, helping make a positive difference in someone’s life!