Brandy-William’s book is an account of his experience as a black man undertaking a postgraduate degree in social work and his post-qualification work in statutory children and family social work in the UK. We follow his journey from a first-year student embarking on placement to his work as a newly qualified social worker. A key area explored in the book is Brandy-William’s role as a black male social worker and his challenges due to discrimination and racism from colleagues and service users.
The author hails from the British Virgin Islands and has a background in youth work having previously completed an undergraduate degree in youth work and criminal justice. Brandy-Williams chose to study for a postgraduate degree in social work to build on some of the work he was already doing with young people. In the book, he introduces a piece of research he conducted post-qualification and its findings which he was able to implement at work. He titled it, ‘paradigms of youth trust’ and it details the areas he has identified that influence trust between youths, their communities and the professionals that work with them. This research led to the development of a mentoring and youth violence locality team, which he was promoted to lead.
The book is divided into twenty chapters including six memorable moments and spoken word interludes. An example of this is a memorable moment where the author celebrated a milestone birthday by inviting his chef brother to prepare lunch for the team. I enjoyed reading spoken word #1 because it talks about our inner fears, insecurities and the things we do to overcome these fears, yet everything remains the same. The author’s experience of racial stereotyping and discrimination is discussed in the book and as a black African woman who has faced similar challenges in the workplace, I can attest that inequality is an issue in some professional settings.
Brandy-Williams outlines critical events in his life that impacted his journey into the profession – including being threatened with and experiencing homelessness during his final year of the course. As critical as this incident was, it was briefly discussed over five
pages and not revisited, and when discussed it was framed as an example of the lack of support he initially received from the university. As a reader, I thought that it would have added nuance to the story if this episode was explored further and I am curious to understand what strategies the author used to overcome these challenging circumstances. This is significant because the author achieved a distinction in his dissertation while living in temporary accommodation provided by a local authority. One thing that was clear throughout was the importance of building professional networks, because the author relied upon and leaned into these networks to overcome the challenges he faced on his journey from an ill-prepared student at placement, to completing care orders as a newly qualified social worker.
The book would have benefitted from further editing to correct grammatical errors, improve flow, and ensure that all sections were relevant and congruent. The inclusion of some of the grievances the author outlined felt at times inappropriate and these could be interpreted in multiple ways. I also felt that the book ended rather abruptly with the author being overlooked for a promotion to the position of a senior practice educator one-year post after completion of his Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (AYSE). Although it is noted that he undertook both placements and AYSE at the same local authority, leading to a degree of continuity and experience.
Overall, the book is useful for social work students, practitioners, and educators due to its timeliness and relevance to current social work programmes of study. It maps out the journey for those studying social work and what we can expect. Although our insights and perceptions may differ, the journey is structured in similar ways. For social work students, the book highlights the importance of building and maintaining professional networks as these relationships are crucial for support and advice on how to undertake complex tasks.
The inclusion of the author’s essays, research, and key assignments is helpful for students to understand what is expected to write at the master’s level as well as introducing reflective writing. Brandy-Williams is honest when dispensing advice about the difficulty for social work students embarking on placement and does not shy away from discussing grievances with his colleagues and employers. I agree with the author’s sentiment that while the university offers a good foundation; nothing can prepare students for the real world of social work. Instead, the people they work with and for are the greatest influence on becoming a social worker.