How to Get a Social Work Job in England

First decided if you are physically, financially and emotionally able to relocate. Do you have a home you need to sell? Do you have family members who would have to accompany you and would need to support the move? Are you independent enough to start all over in a new country?

If you have decided that you have enough sense of adventure and enough freedom and support to relocate, contact Reed or UKPro and let them know you are a qualified social worker and are interested in hearing more about their opportunities in the UK. These two companies specifically recruit foreign social workers for vacant positions in England.

Decide if you would like to wait until a county or borough is coming to your country to recruit and interview or if you would like to process your paperwork first and move to England without a job set in stone and start interviewing once you arrive there. There are benefits to both paths. Groups go abroad to interview American, South African, Australian and New Zealander social workers more and more often. It is better for some people to know they have a job firmed up before they arrive but others do not want to wait for interviews and prefer to move there first and do it on their own schedule. If you move without first securing a job, their job market for social workers in England is such that you would still find a position in the first few weeks.

Fill out your GSCC application. This is what you need to become registered in the UK as a "qualified social worker." Anyone who has a BSW or MSW in the United States has a high enough qualification to be a social worker in England. The GSCC just registers and confirms this fact. You may not start working in the United Kingdom until your GSCC application is processed. This takes several weeks.

After the GSCC application, Reed or UKPro will help you acquire your work visa. It is good for three years so long as you continue your employment within the United Kingdom during that time.

Get ready to move! Depending on if you were hired previous to relocating, substantial relocation assistance may be provided. The recruitment agencies will also help you on the ground when you arrive as far as temporary lodging, how to set up a UK bank account, registering with the national health system, etc.