-    Carly Halliwell
-    Age: 22
-    Course: Social Work
-    Graduated: 2007
-    Degree: 2:1
-    Job Title: Community Social Worker

-    What does your current job involve?

I’m a Community Social Worker working with rough sleepers & vulnerable adults within Preston City Centre. This role involves assessing and working in partnership with adults in vulnerable situations and who are often marginalised within society. The aim is to make positive changes in their lives, most importantly securing some form of accommodation for them. This role is quite varied and involves work with a wide range of service user groups and professionals.

- What are the best and worst parts of your job?

I don’t really know where to start, there are so many good points. I would say the best aspects of my job are the people I get to meet and work with, the fact that everyday is completely different and presents a new challenge and the fact that it is quite rewarding when service users achieve their goals and improve their situations. The worst aspect is the paper work! I prefer hands on work to sitting behind a desk, but it has to be done.

- How has your degree helped you?

Having a degree in social work was essential for my current post. The course at UCLan provided me with the knowledge and skills needed, not only secure this position, but also to become a competent social worker.

- What made you choose UCLan?

I chose UCLan because they offered a Social Work Degree with better opportunities for future employment as it offered a module that would enable me to practice social work in Europe. But, more importantly the pubs where cheap and the University had a good student atmosphere!

- What are your best memories from UCLan?

My best memories from UCLan are undoubtedly the friends I made, the endless nights out we had and the silly things we got up to! I most definitely had the best years of my life so far whilst at UCLan and hopefully I’ll be coming back to do it all again soon!

- What’s next for your career?

At the moment I’m happy where I am. The work I am doing offers so many opportunities to expand my knowledge and experience of homelessness. It definitely offers job satisfaction. I would like to get a few more years of experience under my belt and then hopefully I’m going to do a Masters and also become a practice assessor in social work. Then I guess I’ll see where that takes me.

- Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

Hopefully at university again! No, I would hope that in ten years time I would be in a management position within the field of homelessness, as it’s a real interest of mine and hopefully I’d be working in Australia where I can chill out with sun, sea & surf! In this line of work you have to work hard but definitely play harder!