Assessment centre

The activity: You will be asked to take on the role of a Frontline social worker who has recently joined a new team. Your colleague, who is going on leave for three weeks, has asked you to support with a family that they have been working with. Your task is to review the information sent by your colleague and to write an email summarising the key points.

The purpose: We want to see how you interpret the information provided and gather additional evidence, as well as outlining the solutions and next steps in written form.

How to prepare: Practice your written skills. Review a short article and try to accurately summarise the information. Ask a friend or family member to check your summary against the article.

The activity: You will have the opportunity to meet with someone who is over the age of 18 and has experience of being in the care system. Your task is to have a 10-minute conversation with this person.

The purpose: We want to see how you communicate and build rapport with someone you have never met before.

How to prepare: Try to be yourself during the conversation. We would like to see your natural style of communicating and building relationships.

The activity: Acting as a newly qualified social worker at Frontline, your task is to engage in an 8-minute conversation with someone portraying a parent. Following this, there will be a reflection session to evaluate the conversation and consider if there is anything you would do differently.

The purpose: We want to see how you communicate, build relationships, show empathy and lead the meeting with purpose.

How to prepare: Try to be yourself during the conversation. Practice your listening skills by having a conversation with a friend or family member. Reflect together with them on what you understood from the conversation and how you communicated.

The activity: The interview will last for 35 minutes. We will ask you questions about your experiences and why you aspire to pursue a career as a social worker.

The purpose: We want to get to know you a bit more. Its a competency-based interview so we will ask you about your past experiences. Consider using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach to structure your responses.

How to prepare: Spend some time reflecting on your past experiences and what you learned from them. Consider your own strengths and development areas in relation to the role.

Practice relevant skills such as verbal and written communication. Reflect on your experiences and what you have learned from them. Build self-awareness by identifying your strengths and development areas, and consider how they would align with the role. You can view the competencies on our website.

Ensure your computer, internet connection, webcam, and microphone are working properly. Test them well in advance to avoid technical glitches on the day of the assessment.

Choose a quiet, well-lit, and distraction-free space for the assessment.

Don’t hesitate to ask clarifying questions if you don’t understand something. It shows your interest and commitment.

During timed exercises, manage your time wisely. Allocate sufficient time for reading, preparation and execution.

Virtual assessment centres can be stressful but try to remain calm and composed. Take deep breaths if needed.

Regardless of the outcome, view the assessment centre as a learning experience. Use feedback to improve for future assessments.