Stockport Council is transforming the way we do Adults Social Care. It is an exciting time to work with us. Our recent All Colleague survey showed that in Adult Social Care, our staff feel valued, well communicated with, involved in future planning and puts our residents at the heart of what we do. We have a great training and development programme and are undertaking some exciting work on career progression and have specialist career champions to support this.
We asked Hannah, a Social Care Officer on our Neighbourhoods team a series of questions to provide an overview of her apprentice social work journey within Adult Social Care at Stockport Council…
How long have you been in your role?
I started working for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in 2005 as a support worker within the Learning Disability provider service. I enjoyed 12 years within the team, working with people of all ages to promote their independence, choice and control within their own homes. This allowed me to access numerous training opportunities such as Medication training, Autism Awareness training and Person centred planning. I also gained valuable experience in the social care sector and how to support our most vulnerable people.
Why did you become a Social Worker?
In 2017 I moved over to work in the neighbourhood social work teams as a Social Care Officer, initially on a secondment whilst the role was trailed to test its efficacy. At the end of the 12 months the role was made permanent, and I applied for a full time position. Making this move has opened up so many opportunities to me, I have access to a substantial training programme, including commissioned seminars provided by Siobhan Maclean on relating theory to practice and legal literacy. I have also now completed the Social Work Degree Apprenticeship at Manchester Metropolitan University as part of Stockport’s apprenticeship and development programme, I am currently awaiting my registration and can’t wait to get started as a Social Worker. My management and colleagues have been incredibly supportive, this has really helped me to build my confidence.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A typical day generally consists of home visit’s, multi-disciplinary meetings, engaging with internal and external partners, completing Section 9 assessments, reviews and support planning and referring people to the right services. We need to have a great local knowledge of what is available and how to access it, every day is different and that is what keeps us on our toes. The most rewarding part of my role, is when a plan comes together and people are able to make the changes that improve their wellbeing.
What do you think makes Social Work at Stockport Council special?
Stockport offer hybrid working, which means we are able to work flexibly and from home for part of the week, this makes it much easier to maintain a good home/work balance. I have a deep sense of privilege, to work with such a great team and I hope to continue my career in Stockport for a very long time, the progression pathway is clear and I really do feel that Stockport invest in their staff. After 17 years here, I can say I feel valued and I can say Stockport cares.
Three words I would use to describe my role would be…
Diverse, Complex, Rewarding
Interested in joining us? Find a range of exciting and rewarding vacancies currently available in Adult Social Care here