Susan Carol Independent Social Work Services

25/10/2026

07/10/2026

Thinking about your next move in social work?

Perhaps you're:
• Considering moving from statutory social work into independent practice
• Wondering how to develop your career further
• Thinking about specialising in a particular area of social work
• Feeling ready for a more senior role but unsure how to get there
• Considering self-employment but don't know where to start
• Questioning whether your current role is still right for you
• Wanting to make better use of the skills and experience you've already developed

Sometimes, what you need isn't another course or a generic career service.

You need to talk to someone who understands social work and has actually walked the path you're considering.

I have 30 years' experience in social work, including statutory adult social care, mental health, safeguarding, senior leadership, Principal Social Worker and professional development roles. I have also made the transition from statutory employment to building my own independent social work practice.

I now offer confidential 1:1 career support for social workers who want to explore their options and plan their next step.

Our session can focus on whatever is most relevant to you — whether that's moving into independent practice, developing your professional niche, career progression, building confidence or simply working out what you want next.

This isn't about me telling you what career decision to make.

It's about giving you an experienced, independent perspective and a confidential space to think it through.

If you've been thinking “I know I want something different, but I'm not sure what that looks like yet”, I'd be happy to have a conversation.

📩 Message me or email [email protected] to find out more.

05/10/2026

You are not necessarily failing at social work because you are struggling. Sometimes the problem is the pressure, environment, workload or lack of support around you.

If you are a social worker who is:
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Struggling with confidence
• Carrying a difficult case
• Experiencing workplace pressure
• Not getting the supervision you need
• Worried about a professional decision
• Feeling isolated in your role
• Thinking about leaving the profession

I offer a confidential space outside your organisation where you can talk openly with an experienced social worker. I have 30 years' experience in social work, including statutory practice, mental health, safeguarding, senior leadership and Principal Social Worker roles.

You don't have to explain the realities of social work to me. I understand the complexity of the work. The aim is to help you think, reflect, regain perspective and consider your options.

If you need someone experienced to talk to, send me a private message.

01/10/2026

Thinking about leaving statutory social work?

Before you make a decision, have you had the opportunity to talk it through with someone who has actually made the transition?

I offer confidential 1:1 sessions for social workers who are:

• Feeling exhausted by statutory practice
• Unsure whether to stay or leave
• Considering independent social work
• Thinking about developing a specialist area
• Wanting to understand what working independently could look like
• Looking for honest, practical career advice

I have worked in statutory social care, progressed into senior professional roles and subsequently developed my own independent social work practice.

The session is not about telling you what you should do. It is about giving you a confidential space to explore your options, ask questions and make an informed decision about your own career.

If you're quietly thinking “There must be another way to use my social work experience”, perhaps it's time to have the conversation.

29/09/2026

Read my latest blog on why having an experienced mental capacity assessor makes a difference.

Following on from my last post on mental capacity and undue influence, I wanted to share a recent case that shows exactly why the two questions so often need to be considered together, and why the right assessor matters as much as the assessment itself. The details below have been anonymised, but th...

28/09/2026

Is your social work role becoming difficult to manage?

You might be experienced, capable and committed to your profession — and still find yourself thinking:

"I don't know what to do with this case."
"I don't feel properly supported."
"I need to talk this through with someone who understands."
"I'm questioning whether I can continue doing this job."
"I don't feel able to say this to anyone at work."

There is no shame in needing support. Social work is complex, emotionally demanding work. Sometimes an independent and confidential conversation can help you step back, think clearly and identify what you want to do next.

I offer 1:1 support to social workers who want a confidential space to:

• Discuss complex practice situations
• Reflect on difficult experiences
• Explore professional dilemmas
• Think through career decisions
• Develop confidence and professional judgement
• Consider difficult workplace situations
• Explore whether independent social work could be an option
• Simply talk to someone who understands the profession

I bring 30 years of social work experience, including statutory practice, senior leadership, mental health, safeguarding, professional development and Principal Social Worker experience.

You don't have to wait until you're at breaking point. Sometimes talking to the right person is the first step.

Contact me if you would like to discuss whether this support could be right for you.
[email protected]

25/09/2026

Do your clients ever ask you questions that go beyond your professional role?

Perhaps they ask:
“Is there any financial support available?”
“Social Services have sent me all this paperwork. What am I supposed to do with it?”
“My wife needs more help, but I don't know where to start.”
“I've been refused Personal Independence Payment. Is there anything else I can do?”

These are the types of issues that can arise when working with older adults, vulnerable clients and family carers. In one recent case, a client initially contacted me about Attendance Allowance. What began as a benefits enquiry developed into much wider specialist social work support.

The outcomes included:
✔ Attendance Allowance awarded at £76.70 per week
✔ Almost £500 in backdated payments
✔ Support to understand complex Social Services information
✔ Identification of support relevant to the client's caring role
✔ Assistance to access a Carers Card
✔ Face-to-face support for the client's wife
✔ Support with a PIP review following an unsuccessful request for an increase
✔ A detailed supporting letter explaining the impact of her difficulties
✔ A significant increase in her PIP award

The value was not simply in completing applications.

It was in having the knowledge and experience to look at the whole situation.

As an independent social worker with 30 years' experience, I can provide specialist support to individuals and families who may be struggling to navigate adult social care, benefits, caring responsibilities, vulnerability or complex life circumstances.

For professionals, this can provide a useful additional resource when a client needs support that sits outside your own area of expertise.

Rather than trying to navigate adult social care systems, benefits, care arrangements and wider welfare concerns yourself, you can refer your client to an experienced independent social work professional.

The aim is simple: to help ensure that vulnerable individuals and families do not miss out on support simply because they don't know what is available or where to start.

If you work with older adults, carers or vulnerable clients and would like to know more about the specialist support I can provide, please feel free to connect with me.

All details have been anonymised and changed where necessary to protect confidentiality.

23/09/2026

“Susan's knowledge, experience and understanding made a real difference to us, not just financially but in terms of our confidence and quality of life.”

Feedback like this means a great deal to me.

This client originally contacted me because he was unsure whether he might be entitled to Attendance Allowance. He was finding the process difficult and didn't know where to start. After taking the time to understand his circumstances, I supported him with his application. He was awarded the lower rate of Attendance Allowance and received almost £500 in backdated payments.

But what mattered to me was understanding the wider situation. The client was also caring for his wife and was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information and paperwork he had received about potential support.

So, we worked through it together. Face to face. At his pace.

Looking at what was relevant to his circumstances and what practical support might help. I also helped him access a Carers Card, providing additional reassurance should he become unwell or unable to return home to his wife.

Later, he contacted me again when his wife's request for an increase in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) had been refused.

After meeting with her and understanding the difficulties she experienced, I supported her with the review process and prepared a detailed supporting letter.

Her PIP award was subsequently significantly increased. The financial outcomes were important. But so was something else. The couple told me that they felt more confident, more informed and better able to understand the support available to them.

Sometimes people don't just need someone to complete a form. They need someone who will listen, understand the bigger picture and help them navigate what can feel like a complicated and overwhelming system. That is where my experience as an independent social worker can make a difference.

If you know someone who is struggling to understand what benefits, care or support may be available to them or someone they care for, please feel free to share my details.

All details have been anonymised and changed where necessary to protect confidentiality.

21/09/2026

Sometimes, a client asks for help with one thing… but their situation reveals a much bigger picture.

A client initially contacted me because he wasn't sure whether he might be entitled to Attendance Allowance. Following a discussion about his circumstances, I identified that he was likely to be eligible and supported him with his application.

The outcome?
✔ Awarded Attendance Allowance at £76.70 per week
✔ Almost £500 in backdated payments

But my involvement didn't end there. As we talked more about his circumstances, it became clear that he was also the main carer for his wife. He had previously contacted Social Services but had received a substantial amount of information and paperwork. Like many people, he felt overwhelmed and simply didn't know where to begin.

I was able to meet with him face to face, work through the information and help him understand what support might be relevant to him and his wife.

I also supported him to access a Carers Card, providing reassurance that if something happened to him while he was away from home, professionals would know that his wife was dependent upon him.

Later that year, he contacted me again. This time, his wife's application for an increase in personal independence payment (PIP) had been unsuccessful. I met with her, took the time to understand the difficulties she experienced, completed the relevant paperwork and prepared a detailed supporting letter. Following this intervention, her PIP award was significantly increased.

This is why I believe specialist social work support can offer something more than simply completing a form. My role is to look at the wider circumstances. To ask the questions that may not have been asked. To identify support that may have been missed. And to help individuals and families understand and navigate systems that can often feel overwhelming.

Sometimes a referral for help with one issue can uncover several opportunities to improve someone's financial security, safety and quality of life.

All details have been anonymised and changed where necessary to protect confidentiality.

17/09/2026

What value could an independent social work referral add to your service?

In one recent case, a referral for specialist adult social care support resulted in:

✔ A vulnerable client receiving independent professional support during a difficult transition into residential care
✔ Attendance at and support around a Best Interests Meeting
✔ Liaison with health and social care professionals
✔ An independent visit to understand the client's care needs and care arrangements
✔ Entitlement to the higher rate of Attendance Allowance
✔ Advice about telecare and personal safety
✔ Guidance regarding Lasting Powers of Attorney and potential deputyship
✔ Ongoing practical and emotional support for a client with no close family network

The referral came from a solicitor whose client was dealing with the impact of his wife's dementia and move into permanent residential care.

The client needed more than legal advice. He needed someone who understood adult social care. Someone who could explain professional processes. Someone who could liaise with services. Someone who could identify potential gaps in support. And someone who could help him understand the difficult decisions being made about his wife's future.

This is where independent social work can complement the work of solicitors and other professionals. I support individuals, families and professionals when adult social care, mental capacity, vulnerability, care arrangements or safeguarding concerns become complex.

For referring professionals, this can mean having access to specialist expertise without needing to personally navigate:

• Adult social care systems
• Care arrangements
• Best Interests processes
• Financial entitlements
• Safeguarding concerns
• Health and social care liaison
• Ongoing client welfare issues

For the client, it means having an experienced independent professional focused on helping them understand their circumstances and identify what support may be available.

If you work with older, vulnerable or disabled adults and encounter clients who are struggling to navigate complex care and welfare issues, an independent social work referral may provide the additional support they need.

All case details have been anonymised and changed where necessary to protect confidentiality.