interview advice please!

[muppeteer]

i have applied to be a residential social worker in a childrens home & have got an interview next week. can anyone give some advice/ tips please?

[muppeteer]

ps. especially need advice on coping with nerves!

[daftpixie]

I used to work in a challenging behaviour unit, my interview was in two stages.

1) With the directors, and they asked me alot of scenario based questions, ie what would I do if a collegue restrained a child and the young person asked me to call the police (answer, ring the police, you are there to act in childs best interests)

They also asked me what sort of paperwork I expected to deal with (ie daily records, LAC reviews, Care Plans, Incident logs, Medication records, Health and Safety records, First Aid/ Accident logs etc) I

was also asked about why I thought I would make a good RSW and also, what I thought I was weaker at (I said that I sometimes got too involved but has learnt to step back and not take things personally)

There were also questions about promoting education, working within policies and procedures, a big thing in care homes is maintaining boundaries and working consistantly and supportively with collegues, ie not undermining them in front of kids, and debriefiing after a particuarly difficult shift etc.

The job will also involve multi agency liaison, so will need to have right approach to deal with Social Workers, teachers, the police! Advocated, youth offending etc, and the big one, Parents!

[daftpixie]

2) Right, second part was an interview with the kids at the home, and this was the one I was most nervous about! BE YOURSELF!!!! They will see through you instantly if your not. Do not set yourself up to be someone your not, as this will bite you on the arse when you work there and you appear different to when they first met you!

The kids asked me loads of questions like, what would you do if you found me in my room with 6 lads/ smoking a joint/ drinking/ etc etc. If you dont know, the always say that you would follow the homes policies and procedures on that one!

If you need to know anymore let me know, I've done this work for a few years now, good luck, it is ok to be nervous, they expect it, and dont be intimidated! the girls who interviewed me said I would last a week!

[daftpixie]

Oh, have a look at the National Minimum Care Standards, and at CSCI (Commission of Social Care Inspectorates) website.

Also, read all the info on the home you can, particuarly thier mission statement/ statement of purpose, and about their practices and ethos. Dont be afraid o ask them questions either. And, if you havent got NVQ training, level 3 Children and Young people, express interest, the government wants us all to have it and is thinking of starting a 'social care register' for RSW, to be on it they want NVQ and CRB checks etc. GOOD LUCK!

[muppeteer]

daftpixie- thankyou so much! will take up all your advice- keep your fingers crossed for me! :)

[Gef]

Yes. Are you sure that this is what you want to do? Surely you looked into it before you applied. If you don't know what it involves then don't go for the interview.

[daftpixie]

Fingers are crossed muppeteer! Good luck x

[Jem79]

I worked as a RSW for four years my Job interview involved watching a video on a situation that might take place, which in my case the video involved a young girl trying to sneak out at night to meet her pimp boyfriend, and I had to explain how I would handle the situation.

I was also asked other case scenario questions as what would I do if I thought a male member of staff was being over friendly which one of the young female residents. And Finally i was asked genral questions about myself, such as what my qualities were .......

Any way All best would love to hear how you get on. Take care. and try not to worry, I'm sure you'll be fine.:-)

[Jem79]

oh yeah and was interview by some of the residents.

[muppeteer]

thanks v much! in response to gef- i do know a lot about the job as my mum done it for 10 years & i have done loads of research. i was just asking for any advice or tips as i get really nervous in interviews (have not been to 1 in 10 yrs!) & i think its best to be as prepared as possible & did not want to rely on the advice & views of just 1 person. i have waited a long time before applying as i wanted to feel ready for the responsibility.

[Echo]

I dont know much about this field in particular but having been through lots of interviews myself, here are a few tips for being prepared (which will help you cope w/nerves):

-Research the firm/employer you are going to be working for. Find out as much as you can and think of ways you could bring it up in the interview

-Practise,practise,practise. Practise interview questions(google if you dont have a list) with a friend or in front of the mirror.This is just to polish up your verbal skills so you don't blank out. Don't try to memorize lines etc- it'll only sound fake.

-On the day, be prompt- arrive 15 mins early.Be enthusiastic and polite to everyone you meet,inc. the receptionist. Make sure you are well groomed.Bring extra copies of resumes, your own list of Q's. Acclimatize yourself to the environment, it'll help you relax.

Follow-up- Very important. Send a Thank you note to the interviewer(get their contact info at the interview). Keep the note brief but make sure to send it within 24 hrs so they remember you.

Relax, after all you are going there to discuss the subject only you know the most about: yourself.

Good luck, I'm sure you do great.

[ilovetohelp13]

Try these interview tips from Payscale.com - http://bitly.com/Zh2jdR