Georgina Baker chose to pursue a career in social work after working in support roles in health and social care and is now training to become an Approved Mental Health Practitioner.

Georgina, who is originally from Bournemouth, completed her undergraduate degree in social work at BU in 2019 and is now part of the Community Mental Health Team at BCP Council.

She said: “The course prepared me well for the reality of social work practice. During lectures you develop in-depth knowledge of social work theory and then on placement you see how that theory fits the practice. My final, 100-day practice really set me up for my first job as I got to carry out a full range of statutory duties. In fact, the work placements were one of the best things about the course for me. There was a great variety and I received excellent support throughout.”

After graduating, Georgina joined the Community Learning Disability Team at BCP Council where she helped to keep vulnerable adults safe from abuse. She is now on her way to becoming an Approved Mental Health Practitioner – a role she knew nothing about before starting her degree. She said: “I enjoy building relationships with service users and supporting them to achieve the best possible outcomes. Seeing a service user thrive when they have experienced difficulties and hardship is very rewarding.”

When asked for her advice to others starting out on their studies in social work, Georgina said: “Go for it. Don’t be afraid. Stay open minded when considering specific areas of social work practice – you may be surprised at the areas of work that you enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at BU and would highly recommend it as a place to study social work.”