Can we go higher? Opportunities for further education in social work

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and opportunities for social workers pursuing higher education while maintaining their practice.

Higher degrees, such as a Master’s or a Doctoral, can prove extremely valuable for social workers and their practice. But is it a realistic and accessible option for social workers to undertake further education while still working? When you factor in a lack of time, unmanageable workloads, difficulties obtaining funding, not to mention the practicalities of studying while at the same time navigating a complex career, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s too many barriers to choosing this path. So, what can be done about it? In this episode, Jonny Adamson is joined by three social workers who all have experience of being in higher education while continuing to practice full-time. Dr Lucy Treby, Karen Hillison and Dr Mike Starr each share insights into their own journeys, as well as advice and ‘top tips’ for social workers considering taking a similar route. They also discuss what needs to change, both in social work and higher education systems, to break down the barriers that currently exist for professionals and they examine the benefits to the profession of enabling more social workers to scale up their qualifications. Lucy and Karen are also Trustees for the Social…

People in this episode

Host: Jonny Adamson

Guests: Dr Lucy Treby, Karen Hillison, Dr Mike Starr

Topics covered

• higher education
• social work
• professional development
• barriers to education
• work-life balance
• funding for education

Keywords

• Master’s degree
• Doctoral degree
• social workers
• education barriers
• professional qualifications
• workload management
• funding challenges

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Social Workers Educational Trust, BeHeard, BASW

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