jayla's mummy
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Happybunny
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Hi! I am not in any of the professionsa, however, I have two friends that retrained when they were older - one a midwife and one a social worker.
They both had to do an 'Access Course' initially. A one or two year preparation course at their local college. Once they did that they went on to get their degrees/qualifications in the relevent professions.
I wouldn't think a lack of a science GSCE would preclude you from doing midwifery as the Access Course will provide you with an opportunity to pick up any skills/qualifications you need for your career.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/student_info/access_course.cfm
Hope that helps! Good luck!
They both had to do an 'Access Course' initially. A one or two year preparation course at their local college. Once they did that they went on to get their degrees/qualifications in the relevent professions.
I wouldn't think a lack of a science GSCE would preclude you from doing midwifery as the Access Course will provide you with an opportunity to pick up any skills/qualifications you need for your career.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/student_info/access_course.cfm
Hope that helps! Good luck!
I was working towards social work for a while when I was younger. Of course much has changed in the intervening years.
I personally would have loved to have been a social worker. However, a while after I started down that path all hell broke lose with some scandal of children having been taken away from their parents unnessicarily and there was a huge public outcry and investigation into how the social services in that area had conducted themselves. It wasn't just a few families but many. And it was discovered they had acted out of place removing all these children. Social Servies were villified nationally.
I then really started looking at the area I hoped to go in to which would have meant being involved with familes and children and I asked myself if I would ever feel comfortable making a call that would/could affect a families and a childs life forever. Right or wrong. For the times you get it right, then good, but that one wrong call and it can ruin not only their lives but your own also.
That and about a million other things made me rethink things and I decided against it. I also felt it was becoming more and more about paperwork and statistics over people. It was not perfect even then, but I don't think its moved forward in those terms today. I wanted to be hands on and do a job. Much like everything else these days its lots of paperwork before you can even think of anything else.
I've worked with people with mental health problems. Its hard work, rewarding and enjoyable. Sometimes scary, sometimes very emotional and sometimes downright disgusting (ever seen a grown person smear their own faeces over an entire room, walls, carpet and furniture and then over themselves because they had run out of ciggarettes -smoked their pack of 20 too quickly- and you were not allowed to give them any more, even from another member of staffs own supply). It was one of those moments I wondered why I was doing the job. More so for the stupid rule of not giving them a ciggy if they smoked all their own than for the persons response. But then they had pocket money and so on so could have bought more.... so much paperwork and guidelines to follow now also.
Probation service could also be difficult. Just in the people you will have to deal with etc. Not saying everyone who is on probation is a thug or horrible, but that its a job that is often thankless and I'd think emotionally you have to be able to detach from it.
I think midwifery would be interesting. The homebirth and community side appeals more to me than hospital. I can see the positives in helping to bring life into the world. Yes there would be some sad times on occasion but overall, I think it would be very rewarding.
I personally would have loved to have been a social worker. However, a while after I started down that path all hell broke lose with some scandal of children having been taken away from their parents unnessicarily and there was a huge public outcry and investigation into how the social services in that area had conducted themselves. It wasn't just a few families but many. And it was discovered they had acted out of place removing all these children. Social Servies were villified nationally.
I then really started looking at the area I hoped to go in to which would have meant being involved with familes and children and I asked myself if I would ever feel comfortable making a call that would/could affect a families and a childs life forever. Right or wrong. For the times you get it right, then good, but that one wrong call and it can ruin not only their lives but your own also.
That and about a million other things made me rethink things and I decided against it. I also felt it was becoming more and more about paperwork and statistics over people. It was not perfect even then, but I don't think its moved forward in those terms today. I wanted to be hands on and do a job. Much like everything else these days its lots of paperwork before you can even think of anything else.
I've worked with people with mental health problems. Its hard work, rewarding and enjoyable. Sometimes scary, sometimes very emotional and sometimes downright disgusting (ever seen a grown person smear their own faeces over an entire room, walls, carpet and furniture and then over themselves because they had run out of ciggarettes -smoked their pack of 20 too quickly- and you were not allowed to give them any more, even from another member of staffs own supply). It was one of those moments I wondered why I was doing the job. More so for the stupid rule of not giving them a ciggy if they smoked all their own than for the persons response. But then they had pocket money and so on so could have bought more.... so much paperwork and guidelines to follow now also.
Probation service could also be difficult. Just in the people you will have to deal with etc. Not saying everyone who is on probation is a thug or horrible, but that its a job that is often thankless and I'd think emotionally you have to be able to detach from it.
I think midwifery would be interesting. The homebirth and community side appeals more to me than hospital. I can see the positives in helping to bring life into the world. Yes there would be some sad times on occasion but overall, I think it would be very rewarding.
I think midwifery sounds really interesting and was considering re-training myself before I got my current job. I now work in housing and I LOVE it. I've always just wanted to do a job that makes a difference and while I may not be discovering the cure for cancer, in small ways I am helping making people's lives a bit better. I have lived in some SHOCKING accommodation so I know how much a sh*tty home environment can affect every area of your life, including your mental health. I take pleasure in helping people to have warm, safe, secure homes and I think in turn this makes for a better local community and - it's a stretch I know - a better society in general. And while I do have to deal with some awkward people (to be expected in ANY job dealing with the public), I have never been thanked so much JUST for doing my job. It gives me warm fuzzies. So basically - pick something you would enjoy the most as it is easier to put up with the bad bits (and there are bad bits with any job). Good luck.
jayla's mummy
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Happybunny
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jayla's mummy said:
Lots of luck!!! I think it sounds like a fab career choice!
Gemma & Jake
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The only one I know about is midwifery. You do have to have GCSE science and evidence of academic study in the last 5 years but you could do a part time 1 or 2 year access to nursing course at college instead. I know midwifery is quite hard to get in to because there arn't many places at Uni and there are usually loads of applicants but that doesn't mean you wouldn't be one of the few that do get in. I am starting an access to nursing course in Sept and then hopefully I will be starting my adult nursing at Uni next Sept. I was going to try to get in to do midwifery but I think I have decided to do the adult nursing first and then if I decide later on that I want to do child nursing or midwifery I can hopefully get seconded by the NHS to do an 18 month conversion course. If you have got any more questions just ask and hopefully i can help.
Gem & Leland
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i wanted to do midwifery too , but after spending 4 weeks in hossy and seeing those poor sods i changed my mind 
I was training in IT based stuff then did this careers test thingy and it came out with social work/counselling so I switched. I did a diploma in social work & higher education, its a 3 year degree nowadays. You did 2 work based placements then as well, one was in an older peoples home for those with a mental illness (EMI) and the other was on a mental health team.
I worked for several years in older peoples care management on an intake team which dealt with all short term referrals, hospital discharges, emergencies and such like then we restructured so I did all of that plus long term work like placements in care.
My last job was on an acute medical ward dealling with hospital discharges and following up in the community with any client group so I could be dealling with families with children one day to somebody aged 100 the next, or rather the next hour as the caseloads are phenomenal!!!
What I'd say about the job over the years is that it is more and more paperwork, targets & budgets, less client contact, rarely any time for "real" old fashionned social work as much as any worker wishes to do so and now they've brought in the SW registration you are required to do even more paperwork and training over 3 years to maintain quality standards. Thats fine and welcommed if you can get the time
It does have its rewards though when you see somebody living how they wish to do so with a little help
I worked for several years in older peoples care management on an intake team which dealt with all short term referrals, hospital discharges, emergencies and such like then we restructured so I did all of that plus long term work like placements in care.
My last job was on an acute medical ward dealling with hospital discharges and following up in the community with any client group so I could be dealling with families with children one day to somebody aged 100 the next, or rather the next hour as the caseloads are phenomenal!!!
What I'd say about the job over the years is that it is more and more paperwork, targets & budgets, less client contact, rarely any time for "real" old fashionned social work as much as any worker wishes to do so and now they've brought in the SW registration you are required to do even more paperwork and training over 3 years to maintain quality standards. Thats fine and welcommed if you can get the time
It does have its rewards though when you see somebody living how they wish to do so with a little help
meg_bellamy
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Hi! Good luck with the midwifery hun, I'm a midwifery student and I absolutely love it. It's bloody hard work but so worth it
I work in training and was an E2E tutor for a while.
E2E are government funded courses aimed at 16-18 yr olds helping them find gainful employment. It also involved personal/social development, mentoring and all aspects of working with young people from disadvantaged groups.
The best thing is, if you're the right kind of peron, you don't need specific qualifications or experience, although my Drama/English background helped.
E2E are government funded courses aimed at 16-18 yr olds helping them find gainful employment. It also involved personal/social development, mentoring and all aspects of working with young people from disadvantaged groups.
The best thing is, if you're the right kind of peron, you don't need specific qualifications or experience, although my Drama/English background helped.
i would love to be a midwife. but its a really hard course to get on, i did get onto a nursing degree course and i was considering doing the conversion course after but fell pregnant in my final year 
i know at southampton uni about 1800 students appy a year for nursing and midwifery and only 700 get on course and after my first year so many people dropped there was only 300 left in our cohort
its really hard work and the written side of it is crazy. i think quite a few drop out because the amount of written work... im talking like 16 page essays
i may consider doing it again but may wait until kiddies are in school
i know at southampton uni about 1800 students appy a year for nursing and midwifery and only 700 get on course and after my first year so many people dropped there was only 300 left in our cohort
its really hard work and the written side of it is crazy. i think quite a few drop out because the amount of written work... im talking like 16 page essays
i may consider doing it again but may wait until kiddies are in school
jayla's mummy
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jayla's mummy
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jayla's mummy
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Good luck!
In Oxford where I'm doing my nnursing course, around 800 people applied for the 10 places going on the midwifery course!
I originally applied for my nursing course in order to get onto the midwifery top us but to be honest I'm loving nursing so much & there are so many career choices & promotions within it that is where I am staying
In Oxford where I'm doing my nnursing course, around 800 people applied for the 10 places going on the midwifery course!
I originally applied for my nursing course in order to get onto the midwifery top us but to be honest I'm loving nursing so much & there are so many career choices & promotions within it that is where I am staying
