Gary – I became a social worker because…
By Gary Spencer-Humphrey, AMHP, Adults and Health Team Manager and Trustee for the Social Work Awards.
Law school to social work?
After law school I wanted to pursue a career in what I call ‘People Law’ – that is any branch of the law that deals directly with an individual, such as employment law, human rights law, family law or criminal law. I wanted to help those in difficult situations and make a real difference in people’s lives.
As part of my legal training, I undertook a two-week mini-pupillage with a set of chambers specialising in family law. For reference, chambers are buildings where barristers work, and a mini-pupillage is akin to work experience for prospective barristers.
For a barrister, a typical working day starts the night before. You might have an urgent hearing the next morning, for which the clerk will issue papers to you late at night (say around 6pm for a 9am hearing). Often you will be up until 10 or 11pm preparing for the urgent case, having maybe never met the client.
The days feel rushed – you might have a 9am preliminary hearing, followed by an urgent case at 10am, then a plea hearing at 11am. You may have cancelled cases, where the parties do not attend, or families who need emotional support whilst you’re rushing off to your next case.
For me, it didn’t feel like there was enough time in the day to really understand my client and ascertain if I was really ‘helping’ their case or cause. I began to look at different options and came across the role of Social Worker.
Why I choose social work
After reading about the role, I decided social work was the calling for me. It offered me the opportunity to work with people in times of hardship or need, and to make a real difference. It would give me the time and knowledge to help people and manage change, whilst also promoting their rights and protecting their civil liberties.
I became a social worker as I wanted to make not just a difference to people’s lives, but I wanted to help shape the future of social work and make social care fit for the 21st century.
I joined social work at the exciting and nerve-wracking time where legislation was changing on how we deliver adult social care in the UK.
What thrilled me was the principle of wellbeing being cemented into law, and this became central to social work practice.
Promoting community capital and enabling people to live joyful lives is something that I practice as a social worker.
Tell us your social work story at stories@socialworkawards.com telling us your name, job, contact details and social care number (just so we know you’re a social worker, we will keep it private).