2 minute read
"I retired... then realised I wasn't done"
When I was at my last job interview, I was asked what part of the job I thought might be challenging for me,” Bill Niven smiles.
“I said the toughest part, after carrying out an assessment in a nursing home, would probably be convincing them to let me leave and go home!”
At 70-years-old, Bill has been a social worker for the past three decades.
“I’m definitely a better social worker now than I was 20 years ago," confirms Bill, whose daughter is also a social worker.
“I remember reading a study last year that said social workers who are still in the profession after the age of 60 have higher levels of compassion, and a more positive attitude to having chosen social work as a profession, and to their current work environment, and younger counterparts.”
And Bill can certainly believe it. In fact, after retiring from social work six years ago, Bill reveals he actually chose to come back to the sector in 2018.
“For me, it was a combination of factors that brought me back,” he explains.
“I went into retirement with a list of things I wanted to do, and three years in, realised I’d done it all!
“I found myself at home, watching Netflix, reading books, and trying to decide what to have for dinner night after night. I realised I wasn’t done yet.
“The bottom line is that I enjoy working, and I like a challenge. I was still registered, so I thought ‘why not?’ I still felt I had a lot to give.
“I got a job working for CLIC Sargent, and worked there until last year.
“It felt good to feel useful again; that desire to work, and to make a difference in people’s lives never went away. There’s also something about working as part of a team, especially if it’s a good team, that’s just awesome, and the collective work you can do is just amazing.”
Bill Niven
Bill says he’s pleased to still be working, and enjoys what he’s doing, but is concerned that - while for him, it is a choice - for his own children, it will be a necessity.
“By the time my kids are my age, you won't be able to get a state pension until you're 70.
That’s all well and good if you’re fit and healthy, but I’m sure there are plenty of people who will find that difficult, and I do think it’s a concern.”
He continues: “It’s been interesting going back into the sector as an older social worker, and I’ve found on the whole that people have been really welcoming. I told them from the beginning, ‘there are some things I need to brush up on, after a few years away, but I’m a safe and experienced pair of hands,’ and I’ve been able to keep busy ever since.”
Bill is currently working with a mental health team on a three-month contract, and doesn’t know what he’ll do next.
“I think this industry needs good people working right now, with experience under their belts, and now that I’ve had my vaccines, I’m happy to be here and doing my part.”
