What makes a good social worker?

Lyra is a care-experienced young person who has been in the care since the age of two. Throughout her life, she has had the support of different social workers, good and bad, and wants to use her experiences to actively support care-experienced individuals by empowering them to make something positive out of negative experiences. She is currently completing a law with criminology degree and hopes to use it to advocate for substantial change so that future generations of children in care have access to the best support possible.  

I assess applicants to Approach Social Work (formerly known as the Frontline programme) and they often ask me what makes a good social worker. This is the perfect opportunity to answer this question. 

Children are too young to navigate these overwhelming issues and often do not have the support they need to do so.

Those who adopt an empathetic mindset and holistic approach are highly valuable in this field. Children in care often grapple with highly complex adult challenges, beyond their capacity to understand and manage. Children are too young to navigate these overwhelming issues and often do not have the support they need to do so. This can result in a spectrum of response behaviours, ranging from withdrawal to undesirable conduct. It is essential that social workers acknowledge the root cause of these behaviours and provide tailored support to the children they serve. 

Children need to be nurtured in order for them to grow into strong, independent young adults.

It is also so important that social workers take their role as a corporate parent seriously. Care-experienced children and young people could greatly benefit from having supportive, parental-like figures in their lives. Social workers often play a crucial role in fulfilling this need. Children in care are prone to feeling misunderstood, isolated, rejected, and disconnected. If social workers meet their corporate parent role it would help children manage their issues or begin to reduce them. Children need to be nurtured in order for them to grow into strong, independent young adults, that are well-equipped to deal with adult life. If this need is met it will significantly impact the wellbeing and future prospects of children in care.  

It gives me hope that support available for younger and future generations of children in care will continue to advance and improve. 

In celebration of social work week, I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of social workers committed to creating lasting change, by striving to make a positive impact. The progress made by such endeavours are genuinely empowering. It gives me hope that support available for younger and future generations of children in care will continue to advance and improve. 

As we reflect on Social Work Week and the qualities needed in excellent social work practice, it is important that we continue to also listen to care-experienced young people. Their voices, experiences and insights are invaluable in helping to shape the future of social work and that it continually evolves to meet the diverse needs of all children, young people and their families.