Chelsea Jay Roberts

I chose to study Social Work at Wrexham University because the course had a strong reputation for being practical and placement focused. For me, it was really important that the degree wasn’t just theoretical but actually prepared students for the realities of practice.

I was drawn to the supportive environment the university offered. The lecturers had real life experience within social work, which meant the learning always felt relevant to what we would eventually face in the field. The course challenged me but also gave me the confidence to step into professional practice. Looking back now, that decision played a huge role in shaping the career path I’ve taken, even internationally.

Studying Social Work at Wrexham University helped me grow both personally and professionally. The course encourages a lot of self reflection, which is essential within social work practice.

It helped me develop emotional intelligence, resilience, and the ability to work with people from very different backgrounds and experiences. The degree also strengthened my confidence in professional decision-making and ethical practice.Those skills became incredibly important when I moved across the world and had to navigate a completely new system in another country. The grounding I received during my studies made that transition much easier.

Social Work is a challenging but incredibly rewarding profession, and the degree gives you the foundation to make a real difference in people’s lives. Take advantage of your placements, ask questions, and be open to learning from every experience. The skills you gain during the course go far beyond textbooks, they shape how you think, communicate, and advocate for others. You never know where the degree might take you. For me, it led to building a social work career on the other side of the world. 

My advice would be to fully embrace the experience.

The placements during my degree were one of the most valuable parts of the course. They allowed me to see what social work looks like in practice and helped build confidence in applying theory to real situations. Through placements, I developed key skills such as communication, professional boundaries, critical thinking, and working within multidisciplinary teams. These are skills I still rely on every day in my current role.

The experience also helped me understand the complexity of people’s lives and the importance of advocacy within social work. That foundation has carried through my entire career, even working within a completely different system overseas. 

After graduating in 2022, I began working within a multidisciplinary team supporting elderly clients in the UK. That role allowed me to build strong foundations in assessment, care planning, and collaborative practice with other professionals. Australia had always been part of my long term plan, so shortly after graduating I made the move. When I first arrived, I spent several months travelling around the country to understand different communities and where I wanted to eventually settle. 

Once I settled on the Gold Coast, I began working as a Mental Health Support Worker while going through the process of having my UK social work qualification recognised in Australia. From there I moved into an Aged Care Coordinator role, and later into a Support Coordinator position within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Those roles gave me a really strong understanding of how the NDIS system works from a coordination perspective. After becoming registered with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), I stepped into my current role practising as a Social Worker within the NDIS framework.

Today I manage my own caseload, work collaboratively with allied health professionals, complete social work assessments, and advocate for participants to receive the supports they need.

One interesting part of my role is that no two days are ever the same. I might be working with a child with additional needs one day, supporting someone experiencing psychosocial disability the next, or collaborating with doctors, occupational therapists, and mental health teams. 

Another unique part of my career is that I now subcontract under my own ABN in Australia, which means I work in a semi self employed capacity while managing my own caseload. It’s given me both clinical experience and an understanding of the business side of social work. I also relocated to Australia entirely on my own after graduating, which has been one of the biggest personal and professional adventures of my life.

Studying Social Work at Wrexham University helped me grow both personally and professionally. The course encourages a lot of self-reflection, which is essential within social work practice.

It helped me develop emotional intelligence, resilience, and the ability to work with people from very different backgrounds and experiences. The degree also strengthened my confidence in professional decision-making and ethical practice.Those skills became incredibly important when I moved across the world and had to navigate a completely new system in another country. The grounding I received during my studies made that transition much easier.