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ABSTRACT
Professionals working in health and social care in the United Kingdom face long-term stress and burnout. Some staff decided to leave the health and social care profession, particularly since the United Kingdom left the European Union. While Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated the insufficient human resources in health and social care and the shortage of qualified social workers, the resultant stress and burnout is the long-term issues. This study aims to understand the motivations and reasons why second-career Master of Social Work students decide to join the social work profession during their mid-age. Phenomenology was employed and twenty Master of Social Work students at three British universities were invited. Using social cognitive career and motivation theory and a two-step data analysis procedure, the four main findings resulting from this study were the success of the internship arrangement in boosting careers in populated rural communities, the ability of rural social workers to improve the lives of aging populations, and the advantages of being part of a supportive work community, including experiencing a supportive managerial style. This study will fill the gaps in identifying issues related to workforce shortage, social work education, and internship placements in social work settings.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Luis Miguel Dos Santos
Dr Luis Miguel Dos Santos is an Assistant Professor at Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong. Previously, Dr Dos Santos worked as an Assistant Professor at Woosong University, South Korea.
Ho Fai Lo
Mr Ho Fai Lo is a doctoral candidate at City University of Macau, Macau.