Careers and your future in Social Work

Jonathan Watkins is an independent social work consultant working internationally in social development and human rights.

He completed his MA in Social Work in 1982 and worked as a social worker in a variety of roles, including as a Commissioning Manager of mental health and learning disabilities services for a London local authority. Since 2000 he has been an independent social worker and in 2001 he completed an MA in Violence, Conflict and Development at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. To learn more about his work, please visit his website.

Interviewer: Natalie Ofosu-Sefah.

Jan Hutchinson is the Director of Programmes and Performance at the Centre for Mental Health.

Jan qualified as a social worker in 1994 and has managed a range of community mental health services in both the statutory and voluntary sector. Previously Jan was Associate Director of Social Care with South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, having first joined the Trust in 2004 as Vocational Services Manager. She has also worked with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Rethink Mental Illness, and Outlook Care. She served as a non-executive director with North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust from 2015-2017. Jan has run seminars and given presentations on the Centre's behalf in England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, and the Czech Republic. In 2017 Jan was awarded a Leadership Fellowship by ACEVO - the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations.

Interviewer: Natalie Ofosu-Sefah.

Lucy Omezi is a Team Manager at the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust.

Lucy graduated from the MA in Social Work at Brunel in 1996 and has worked in different roles within the area of mental health since. Listen to how Lucy managed her passion about working in youth offending service at the start of her career, and how mental health and management shaped her professional journey. Lucy’s key focus on reflective practice and self care are embedded in her professional journey and were key factors in her progression within the sector.

The interview was conducted by Natalie Ofosu-Sefah