Report : Career focus - Essay Example

Social working needs a bachelor’s degree. Experience can be achieved through volunteering, work placements, and life experience. Social workers require skills in communication, problem solving, patience, and partnership working. In this course, trainees learn about disability issues, intervention, mental health, law, organization working (Ritter et al 2008, p.113). Should one have a degree in another subject, institutions offer shorter post-graduate classes leading to a Masters degree. A Master’s program takes 2 years inclusive of 900 hours of internship or field instruction.

Social personnel need to register with a Care Council. Maintenance of high standards requires the community workers to re-register each three years and achievement of post-registration education and learning to meet the criterion of listing. Job opportunities are good in rural areas and may favor social workers with a background in substance misuse treatment. Social workers may be employed in correctional facilities, welfare organizations, hospitals, school boards, social services agencies, rehabilitation counselors, clergy, health educators, child, family, and school social workers and as Mental Health counselors (Hutchison et al 2007, p. 24). Operational hours are usually 37 hours a week in office-based settings.

In office settings, work starts at 8.30-5pm, Monday to Friday. In Community mental health centers work for 40-50 hours a week, government programs work for 35-45 hours a week, crisis centers work for 40-60 hours a week on call, residential facilities or in patient facilities work for 40-60 hours a week. A legitimate working day must not go beyond 8 hours a day and 45 hours a week. Working overtime is forbidden unless the law permits. Social workers normally work for a standard of 35-45 hours a week.

Part-time social workers mostly work on a voluntary basis (Rosenberg and Terry 2011, p. 78). Hutchison , Elizabeth D., Matto Holly C.,