Learner Case Study - Margaret

Margaret Anne: Hooked on learning within the Social Services Sector!

The road to becoming a social worker had been a long one for Margaret Anne McAdam. Having left school with a few qualifications, she faced many obstacles in trying to further her education while bringing up two young children. But with help from local initiatives and friends, Margaret Anne passed her BA Diploma in Social Work at Glasgow Caledonian University with distinction and now works in a Criminal Justice team in Glasgow. She told her inspirational story to 250 delegates at "Leading the Way in Europe: The SCQF in the Social Services" a one-day conference on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework held in Edinburgh on the 27th April 2005. Having left school in the east end of Glasgow with just two O Levels, Margaret Anne went straight into a factory job. "In the east end, there weren't a lot of opportunities for progressing. Nobody in my family went to university so it wasn't expected", she says. Margaret Anne then took a 6 month business administration course through the community's East End Initiative and from there, applied to do an SVQ Level 3 in Social Care at Glasgow Nautical College and found help with child care through Strathclyde Afterschool Care Association. Margaret Anne gained her SVQ within a year and did an advanced course in social and pastoral ministry. She then applied to do a social work degree and after an entry test gained a place on the BA-Diploma in Social Work undergraduate route for mature students with family commitments. "This suited my child care needs perfectly because the hours were 10 to 3 and you got the schools holidays off". "I loved my experience at university. It was hard work but I enjoyed my course and got a lot of support from my partner and family". After qualifying in 2001, Margaret Anne worked in a youth justice team in Greater Pollok before joining the adult criminal justice team in 2003. She completed her PQ1 and plans on continuing her development.

She believes the SCQF can help people like herself - with family and work commitments - to gain access to social work education. "There are a lot of people who have the skills and abilities but have never had the opportunities," she says. "With the framework, people who are interested in social work would know exactly where to start. They would also know that informal learning counts towards progressing through the education system. It's also important that if you're qualified, you don't just throw your books out of the window - you have to keep a focus on your continuing professional development".