What our staff say about working for Sunderland City Council

Victoria Littler's story

Hear from Victoria Littler, who is one of our current Social Work Apprentices within the Adult Services Team.

"I started with Sunderland Council in 1999 as a Residential Officer,  supporting adults with Learning Disabilities in small group homes, promoting independence and social inclusion. Whilst in this role, I became an advocate for Person Centred Planning, which involved working closely with service users and their families to ensure that their voices, views, and wishes were heard when planning care and support and services. This led me to becoming a Transition Planner within the Futures Team, where I supported young people who were leaving Childrens Services and transitioning to Adult Social Care support.

I then became an Assessment and Review Officer within the Learning Disabilities Team. I enjoyed this job, meeting a variety of people and their families, however, I felt that I wanted to do more to support people, so when the Apprenticeship Scheme was rolled out,I was interested. Unfortunately, I was unable to immediately apply as I did not have the required maths grade. I had hated maths at school, so I was nervous about doing the qualification again, however, I found Functional maths was a much more 'common sense' way of teaching and I passed the course in four weeks!

I am now in my 3rd year of the apprenticeship. Completing my degree via the apprenticeship route has provided me with good support from my employer, and learnings which I have been able to immediately bring to my role. I am far more confident both professionally and personally and have developed skills for life that will continue to enhance my role as a Social Worker.

I will be 50 when I graduate, and would say to anyone considering the apprenticeship route as a mature student to go for it. It can sometimes be difficult, but you have a wealth of experience to bring to the table, and it's never to late to learn new skills!"

Lynsey Boag's story

Lynsey Boag first joined the council back in 2004 as a Residential Officer, before deciding to persue her dream of becoming a Social Worker in 2020. The council supported Lynsey through her degree apprenticeship and she recently graduated in 2023 - well done Lynsey!

Watch the short video to learn more about Lynsey's journey ⬇