Starting soon?

This page is for anybody on a social work course, on placement, or about to start their first job. There is nothing to buy on it.

Read these first

• A letter to whoever starts on Monday

  What I would say if I could sit you down with a brew the Friday before.

• Acronyms I pretended to understand

  Learn six of these and you can follow most meetings.

• What goes in the bag

  The home visit kit list that nobody gives you.

• The car park

  On crying at work, and where to do it.

Ten things that are true in every team

1. There is a good kettle and a bad kettle. Find out which is which on day one.
2. Somebody will say “it’s not usually like this”. It is usually like this.
3. The person who knows how everything works is not the most senior person. Be nice to them.
4. Your first case note will take you an hour. That is fine. It will not always.
5. Write it down the same day. You think you will remember. You will not remember.
6. Nobody minds a question. Everybody minds a guess.
7. Supervision is yours. Bring the thing you least want to bring.
8. The family are more frightened of you than you are of them. Both of you are hiding it.
9. If you are not sure whether to ring your manager, ring your manager.
10. Eat lunch. Not at your desk. Not in the car. I know. Try.

If your course or your team wants to use the book

There is a free discussion guide in six sessions. Show it to your practice educator or your ASYE lead. It costs nothing, and it gives you something to talk about in group supervision that is not your own caseload.

If it gets heavy

It will, sometimes. That is the work, and it does not mean you are bad at it.

Tell somebody. Your supervisor first. If that is not possible, there are other people to ring.

You’ve got this. Maisie x