Personal Statement:Social work 3 - The Student Room

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

“I will turn, I will turn your tide

Be your shepherd, I swear be your guide

When you’re lost in the deep and darkest place around

May my words walk you home safe and sound.” (Glasvegas – Geraldine (2008))

The lyrics I have quoted above are from a song written about a social worker. They show that, despite current media perceptions, social workers do make a huge difference for the most needy and vulnerable members of our societies. I want to study for an MA in Social Work so that I can help people to change their lives for the better through my work.

During my 2 years at Anytown Council, I have come to understand the work social workers do in Children’s Services in particular, but I know the scope of social work is far wider than this. I read journals and Community Care as it is important to have a general overview of what is going on in all areas of social work. The more I read, the more I want to be out in the field helping to improve people’s lives and enabling them to help themselves. Social work is always changing to meet the needs of service users, and studying for an MA would only be my first step in a career of learning and striving to be as good a social worker as I can be.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

I have gained a BA (Hons) Politics with Law, which has given me the academic grounding that is necessary to complete a Social Work MA. For example, I have experience in reading and interpreting legal texts so will be able to understand the legislation that social workers have to operate within, such as the Children Act 1989 and Mental Health Act 1983. Modules I studied in legal communication skills and legal method will also be helpful. Through studying Politics, I am aware of the various changes the welfare state and social policy in the UK have gone through in the post-war period, and how these would have an impact on social work. I studied Psychology at A-Level, which included topics such as attachment theory and explanations of depression. I would like the chance to study these topics and others like them at a higher level, and apply them in a social work environment.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

Whilst at university, I was Women’s Officer on my students’ union executive committee from 2005 – 6 and an Open Place Representative on the NUS Women’s Committee from 2006 – 7. From this, I gained a good understanding of Equality and Diversity frameworks and legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act and Equal Opportunities Act. As a member of these committees, I had to liaise effectively with people at all levels of universities as well as external organisations like charities and other students’ unions. I did not feel intimidated in this situation, and creating and maintaining these relationships not only helped make my role easier but also helped my fellow committee members.

I have been Anytown Council’s Adoption Team Administrator since June 2007, and am confident working within these frameworks in a local authority setting. On a daily basis, I liaise with service users, colleagues, workers from other departments within Anytown and people from other local authorities and external organisations. Having done some letterbox contact work recently, I feel comfortable dealing with all members of the adoption triangle in a sensitive, respectful and non-discriminatory manner. There are occasions where I have to take duty calls in the absence of a social worker. To do this, I have to be familiar with the general profile of the children we have on referral for permanence, the types of adopters we have awaiting placements or undergoing assessment at any one time, and of general issues in adoption, such as the approval process for prospective adopters and contact related problems. I recognise that it is often necessary to engage a variety of services in order to achieve the best outcomes for service users. In Children’s Services, this is particularly evident in the use of the Common Assessment Framework and Integrated Children’s System as well as the upcoming introduction of the ContactPoint database.

Universities applied to:

• Brunel University - Social Work MA (2009 entry) - Unconditional - Firm

Grades achieved:

• BA Politics with Law - Oxford Brookes University (2007) - 2:1

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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