15 months after graduating
95% of our social work graduates are in work or further study
89% of our social work graduates are in highly skilled work or further study
of our social work graduates said their career was a formal requirement or gave them an advantage*
Studying social work at the University of Plymouth will
enable you to commence a rewarding career within the health and social care
sector. With an ongoing demand for social workers across the UK, employment
prospects for graduates remain very good.
Social work graduates work in a variety of settings, with a
diverse range of service users including adults, children, people with mental
health difficulties, people with learning difficulties, young offenders,
refugees and asylum seekers, carers and many others. Employers include NHS
Trusts, Local Authorities, GP practices, children’s homes, private sector
nursing homes as well as voluntary and independent agencies.
As your career progresses, you could develop a specialist
role. Specialisms exist in a range of settings, for example in mental health,
child protection, homelessness, fostering and adoption or education welfare. With experience you could progress into a
leadership role; it is not uncommon to secure senior practitioner or team
manager roles within 3-5 years of qualification. Alternatively, you could work as a practice
educator, leading on the supervision and management of placement students or
newly qualified staff.
A small number of graduates develop their career in the
regulation and audit of social care providers through working for the Care
Quality Commission (CQC). Other options include working in a self employed or
freelancing capacity.
Researching your career options
Given the diversity of career options open to Social Work
graduates, it is important to research and explore these fully so that you can
make informed decisions about your future.
Employment
Opportunities
Below is a
snapshot of what some of University of Plymouth Social Work graduates told us
they were doing 15 months after graduation.
- Children And Family Social Worker
- Newly Qualified Social Worker
- Social Worker
- Pastoral Coordinator
- Volunteer Livelihood Project
Employers
Below is a snapshot of the
employers that graduates told us they working for 15 months after graduation:
- Devon County Council
- Highgate HillI
- CS Raleigh International
- Livewell Southwest
- North Somerset Council
- Plymouth City Council
- Somerset County Council
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
*
Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017/18. Graduates were
surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for 19 UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working,
studying or looking for work.