Social worker
The heart of being a social worker is connecting with different people and helping to make their lives happier and brighter.
About the job
What it's like
You would give advice and support to vulnerable adults and children to help them improve their lives.
You could support a wide range of clients, such as:
Children and parents
Older people
People with physical or learning disabilities
People with mental health problems
Young people in care
Homeless people
People moving towards independent living
People with drug or alcohol problems
Foster carers and adoptive parents
People in the criminal justice system
You would specialise in working either with children and families, or with adults.
Your tasks might include:
assessing each client, building relationships with them and offering information, counselling and advocacy
protecting adults and/or children from harm and responding to requests for help
agreeing what support someone needs (and make decisions for them if needed, for example in child protection cases)
acting as a key worker, organising other staff involved in giving support
organising support plans and writing reports
giving evidence at court hearings, when required
You would work closely with other agencies and professionals, such as health workers, youth workers, teachers, the police and the prison service.
Hours
Environment
Travel
Explore more information about this job
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Social care Healthcare
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- social work
- child protection
- case management
- care management
- active server pages (asp)
- investigative interviewing
- kinship care
- court systems
- officer training
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- social conscience
- supporting
- cooperating
- verbal communication
- listening
- understanding
- recalling
- coaching
- ethical
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Care
Childcare and Development
Modern Studies
People and Society
Skills for Work: Health and Social Care
Sociology
Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services and Healthcare
Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services Children and Young People
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You don't usually need a qualification to start your career, however if you're a registered worker you must agree to complete a qualification in an agreed time, approved by the Scottish Social Services Council.
University
You’ll need a degree or postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject, like Social Work.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you get a job or progress to more advanced study. Useful subjects include:
Early Education and Childcare
Childhood Practice
Social Services
Apprenticeship
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider an MA in areas such as:
Discover MAs on Apprenticeships.scot.
Qualifications and experience that show caring for people and the community such as Skills for Work Health and Social Care (SCQF Level 6) or Award in Volunteering Skills (SCQF Level 3 to 5).
Relevant work-based qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Social Services and Healthcare (SVQ Level 2/3/4).
Getting work experience in a relevant role can help you. Search for opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
Social workers, social work students and many groups of social service workers are required by law to register with the Scottish Social Service Council (SSSC) if they're not registered with another regulatory body.
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Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Social worker'
