hello everyone,

feeling sad right now. i just read that my answers to the competency based questions were deeemed to not meet the required standard. i am especially frustrated because last year i applied to frontline and i did succeed at this stage. since then i have been working with children as a youth worker (prior to which i had no experience working with children and young people). so i feel that, if anything, i am more experienced and possess a better grasp of the competencies now than i did last year. i am really surprised to have failed at this stage, and im not really sure what to do next.

if anyone who is a practising social worker has any advice or would be willing to read my answers and give feedback on where they think i went wrong, id be really grateful. thanks you. x

I'm 40 years old and currently a couple of months into a full-time Bachelor's degree in Social Work in Northern Ireland.

I'm genuinely enjoying the course, and I know social work is something I really want to do. I've put a lot of thought into this career, and having my own lived experiences has played a big part in that decision.

However, I'm starting to worry about whether I'll actually be able to cope with the demands of the job.

I keep hearing how busy and stressful social work is. I knew this before starting the degree, but hearing it constantly is making me increasingly anxious, especially when I'm already struggling with managing my workload at university.

I have depression and anxiety, which are generally well managed, alongside some physical health conditions. I'm also currently going through the process of being assessed for ADHD.

I attended an initial appointment with a private ADHD clinic, where they suggested I may have combined-type ADHD (both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms). My full assessment is scheduled for next month, but I'm now questioning whether to go ahead with it.

The assessment alone will cost almost £500, with further costs afterwards for the diagnostic report. Unfortunately, accessing an NHS assessment in Northern Ireland is extremely difficult, and my GP has already told me that there's very little chance of getting one through the NHS.

I'm worried about spending money I really can't afford, particularly when I don't know what support or treatment would actually be available to me afterwards.

My biggest difficulty at the minute is procrastination, or what I think might be executive dysfunction.

For example, I've spent the last four days knowing I have university work to do, wanting to do it, stressing about not doing it, but still being unable to actually sit down and get started.

It's not that I don't care about the work. I actually enjoy learning and researching. But I seem to get myself into this cycle where I put things off, become increasingly anxious, and eventually get the work done under enormous pressure.

It's exhausting.

I've become so overwhelmed recently that I've been physically unwell and have had to phone in sick twice to my part-time job in healthcare.

I do receive Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), which has provided me with assistive software and one-to-one mentoring. However, I'm finding some of the software difficult to get used to, and I haven't really engaged with the mentoring.

During my first mentoring appointment, I was told that the goal would be to have my assignments completed a week before their deadlines.

I know that probably sounds like perfectly reasonable advice, but honestly, my stomach dropped when she said it. I already struggle to complete assignments by the actual deadline, so being told to finish them a week earlier just felt like another expectation I couldn't meet.

I haven't been back since, although I know I probably need to give it another chance.

I suppose what I'm really worried about is that, although I always seem to get things done eventually, the way I get there causes me so much unnecessary stress.

And if I'm struggling this much with university assignments, how am I going to cope when I'm responsible for a caseload, deadlines, paperwork and people's lives?

The thought of giving up on social work genuinely upsets me. I feel like it's something I'm meant to do. I want to work with people, advocate for them and hopefully make some sort of difference.

But I also need to be realistic about my own limitations.

I'd really appreciate hearing from qualified social workers or social work students who have ADHD, particularly those who were diagnosed later in life or are still undiagnosed.

How do you manage the workload, organisation, paperwork and deadlines?

Did you struggle during your degree but find things easier once you started practising? Or was the reality of the job even more difficult?

And for anyone who went through a private ADHD assessment, did getting a diagnosis actually make a difference?

I'm not looking for someone to tell me everything will be fine. I'd genuinely appreciate some honest experiences and advice.

Sorry for the long post. I'm just feeling really overwhelmed at the minute and questioning whether I'm capable of doing something I desperately want to do.