From Zimbabwe to the UK: Chiedza’s inspiring journey of impact and growth

“Social work is such a rewarding career. It’s amazing when you actually see the impact you’ve had on a child’s life.”

My name is Chiedza, and I’m one of the 21 international social workers recruited from Africa in 2021. I was living in South Africa, and I’d never been to the UK before, so it was actually my first time coming here. Moving to a new environment was a bit of a culture shock, as the nature of the work here is different from what I had previously experienced. However, I’ve massively benefitted from training opportunities and chances for career development that people generally don’t get so quickly.

I’m originally from Zimbabwe, so I grew up seeing the challenges faced by the majority of people around me. When I started doing research about social work, I discovered the difference I could make by keeping children safe. There’s a general misconception about social work, that it exists to take children away or separate families. Of course, we have families who resist working with us, but I think that comes from a lack of understanding about what social workers do. A lot of this perception is based on what they’ve heard from other people, so it’s about educating people that our aim is ensuring the safety of children.

I once worked with a teenager with SEND. They struggled to engage with people they didn’t know, and this young person was no longer attending school because they couldn’t manage being in public spaces. From the start, their parents told me that this young person would not engage with me no matter what and that several people had previously tried. I made initial attempts to engage, and although they didn’t respond directly to me, I asked them if they could respond through their parents.

I then asked them how they felt about exchanging letters with me as a form of interaction, and the young person was actually keen on that. They found that expressing themselves through writing was a great way to convey their views. It’s a case I’m really proud of because there were a lot of things we managed to achieve. The young person eventually started accessing education again, starting with online learning, which was initially difficult as they were not used to engaging with anybody. They were able to take a walk in the streets. It was a slow, gradual process but it didn’t take a lot, just being creative and thinking about alternate ways of connecting, which happened to involve writing letters.

I think I will remember this case forever because things worked out better for the family as a whole, not just for this young person. I didn’t perform any sort of magic — it was due to their hard work, opening up to try different things, and looking at things from a positive mindset.

Social work is such a rewarding career. There are hardships and sometimes things can become overwhelming, but it’s amazing when you actually see the impact you’ve had on a child’s life. Social workers play an important role in helping children recognise the bright and positive aspects of their lives.

I’m so grateful that I started a social work career in the UK. People I know at other local authorities are always surprised at how much I’ve learned, achieved, and acquired in my short space of time with Buckinghamshire Council. I believe Bucks supports the growth of their staff, so I’ve been able to develop the knowledge and skills I brought with me. It’s been amazing; I’ve learned so much and can confidently say that I can now do my job to the best of my ability and capacity.

Our Assessment team is currently seeking Social Workers who share our vision of a promising future for all children. Find out more and apply: https://shorturl.at/ikAOW