21 Nov 2022

Living and working as a social worker in a rural area

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Your experience of living and working in a rural community may vary from other newly-qualified social workers (NQSWs) depending on your personal and professional circumstances. Different factors will influence how you adapt to your new role.

It’s important to understand the rural economy and the challenges of living in a remote or rural area, as well as to develop knowledge of the community in which you are working.

[video link coming soon]

Living and working as a social worker in a rural area

NQSWs and other rural practitioners can be neighbours or members of the broader community and have a formal or statutory role. This requires the development of specific skills to manage relationships and boundaries. Below are some reflective questions to consider:

Did you grow up in the area where you work now, or live in the area before social work training? If so, how might your relationships with members of the community change?
Have you previously lived and worked in a rural area? If so, what skills and knowledge do you have which will help you?
Were you a student in the team or area where you are working? How might your experiences support your role as an NQSW?
Did you move into the area from an urban area? If so, what is different about working in this area?
Are you single? If so, how might you get to know people?
Do you have a family? If so, how will you manage the boundaries between family life and work?
What do you need to know about the culture of the area you are working in? Are there different ‘thresholds’ to areas you previously worked in?
Whatever your situation, there will be some common challenges for NQSWs around how boundaries are managed when living and working in a rural area.

[links to documents or media files on their way]