Having spent more than 15 years practicing in India, Arun chose to move to London to broaden his perspective, and has since become an established member of Greenwich's Children’s Services team.
Arun's story, from volunteering during the Indian Ocean tsunami to practicing in London, highlights both his personal commitment to the profession and the strong culture of support he has experienced since moving to the UK.
For Arun, social work has always been about more than processes and procedures. It is about creating meaningful connections with children and families, and working collaboratively with professionals to achieve the best outcomes.
“I enjoy the work because we create a lot of meaningfulness for children and their family. And I feel in social work I emphasise more on building relationships. As a social worker, you may not be able to do everything alone. You need to understand how important each stakeholder is in this process and we work together for the children.”
He has found Greenwich to be an environment where this approach is valued, with managers and practice leaders available and approachable at all times. The culture of openness has reinforced his belief in teamwork and listening as the foundation of good practice.
Arun places great importance on professional growth, and his first year in Greenwich has provided extensive opportunities to learn and develop.
“Greenwich has a very sustained systematic process of a growth oriented approach. It means they are a very educated institution. Means they will give lots of value to the education and upskilling you. I just joined one year [ago] and I already completed compassionate trainers of training. Now I'm giving training to the new people. I feel really good that and I get lots of opportunities so that something that's really wonderful.”
This focus on training and upskilling has allowed Arun to take on responsibility quickly, while also benefiting from the support of a professional educator to guide his induction. He describes this as a unique experience that gave him space to adapt, use his existing skills, and feel confident in his new role.
Arun’s career in social work began more than 15 years ago, inspired by his experience volunteering after the 2004 tsunami in India. That moment reshaped his life and led him to complete a Masters in Social Work, working for many years in child and family services before seeking international experience.
“Then that incident really changed my life. So then I decided to do social work. I got an opportunity to complete my Masters in social work. Then onwards, my life and perspective, philosophy, everything changed. Because the work is not just for money. It's much more than that. It's making meaningfulness in work and meaningfulness with the people and changing their life if possible.”
He applied to Greenwich through LinkedIn and was struck by how positive his first experiences were. The induction programme provided a structured introduction to systems and processes, while giving him the freedom to build on his existing knowledge and experience.
Adjusting to a new system of practice was one of the challenges of moving to London, but Arun highlights the support he received from managers and legal colleagues. Beyond this, he describes the diversity of the city as one of the most rewarding aspects of his work.
“The beautiful thing working in London is the diversity. You could meet the people from around the world. This whole world is in London. And when you do social work, you go much deeper and much more connected with the people. And this kind of a learning and kind of, connecting with the people, that's something that's actually really inspired me in social work.”
He also notes the difference in how social work is practised in the UK, with a strong emphasis on dignity, compassion, and systematic engagement with families.
“The moment you start practicing, you can see how you can value and respect with the dignity, you can help the people who are vulnerable. That's only with the social work that's something that's beautiful.”
Another feature of Greenwich that Arun highlights is the culture of accessibility and leadership. He describes programmes such as “coffee with the director” and sessions with senior managers as reinforcing his sense of belonging and support.
“I really admire about, the management and the system because you can talk to any person despite their role or their designation. We have a programme like a coffee with the director, and light sessions with the deputy director. Then, you get a frequent opportunity to meet with the managerial team. And that is something I found it very unique in this area.”
A year on from his move, Arun reflects on how much the experience has shaped his professional and personal outlook.
“In addition to that, I feel working with the children's service, I got lots of learning. My life, my perspective, my meaning making has changed because children and their experience contributed to us. Because their experience, their pain, their difficulty, it is true, they are experiencing. I feel happy that I could meet during that journey and I could do something, some helpful thing for them in their life.”
For Arun, social work is not just a profession but a lifelong commitment to making meaningful change. His story reflects both the challenges and rewards of international practice, and the importance of strong organisational culture in helping social workers thrive. His message to others who might be considering a similar move is simple:
“If you feel that you really want to contribute, then social work is the best profession. You must do it!”