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Home > Postgraduate study > Postgraduate courses > Social Work (Step Up) PgDip

Social Work (Step Up) PgDip

Why choose this course.

The Step Up To Social Work programme is a Department for Education scheme. This intensive 14-month full-time programme is for applicants who do not have a social work degree and want to become a social worker.

You will receive a £19,833 tax-free bursary during the programme. The course requires you to complete 170 placement days of hands-on social work practice in a local authority whilst completing academic learning at the University. You will graduate with a postgraduate diploma in social work and will be able to register as a qualified social worker with Social Work England.

This course is in partnership with Achieving for Children ( Kingston and Windsor and Maidenhead), London Borough of Sutton, Surrey County Council, London Borough of Croydon, London Borough of Wandsworth and London Borough of Merton.

Applications for the January 2024 intake are now closed. Information on how to apply for Step Up to Social Work and the fees and support for this course will be listed on the Step Up to Social Work website .

Reasons to choose Kingston University

• Through this course you will train to become a social worker in 14 months.
• During the programme you will receive a £19,833 tax-free bursary.
• The programme offers both hands-on learning and University-based academic learning.

What you will study

You will gain a thorough grounding in the theory and approaches which underpin the professional discipline of social work and develop the knowledge and skills to practise as a social worker.

In Year 1, you will develop your knowledge and skills to prepare for your first placement.

Core modules

Readiness for direct practice.

This module runs throughout the first year and focuses on readiness for direct practice. It is an interactive module which includes skills workshops and a high level of involvement from service users, carers and practice educators from partner agencies. You will learn about the role and tasks of social workers and develop professional skills in verbal and written communication. You will have the opportunity to receive formative feedback on written work and on your communication skills. People with lived experience and carers provide simulated interviews in the Practice Learning Suite.

First Placement

This module is a practice placement of seventy days, undertaken in an agency within the statutory or voluntary sector. We organise this placement for you, with the help of our Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership . You will be working alongside qualified social workers and social care staff, and provided with learning opportunities. You will be supported and supervised by practice learning staff in your placement setting. You will be expected to evidence your developing practice throughout your placement, which will be assessed against the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).

Becoming a Social Worker

This module is designed to provide a general introduction to social work theory, law and policy. The module will enable students to develop theoretical foundational knowledge of social work assessment and intervention, legislation and policy which underpin social work practice. Students will be introduced to key children and adult legislation alongside an introduction to safeguarding and assessing risk which will equip students with knowledge for their first placement.

Human Development and the Social Environment

This module will enable you to gain an understanding of human development that is underpinned by the value of difference and diversity. A life course perspective will inform the content of the module, incorporating key theoretical frameworks and research findings. There will be a critical focus on the interaction of social, political, cultural, economic and environmental influences on people's lives. Ideas of normative development, including key milestones in childhood and adolescence, will therefore be underpinned by a critical understanding of structural inequalities, which may affect individual development and perpetuate the difficulties experienced by some groups and communities. Relevance to social work will be highlighted through case studies, targeted reading, and facilitated discussions. Experiential and reflective learning will be promoted through a structured child observation task and reflective seminars.

In Year 2, you will build on the knowledge and skills from your first practice placement and learn how to critically analyse social work theory, legislation, and research to inform social work practice.

Second Placement

This module is a final practice placement of one hundred days, undertaken in an agency within the statutory or voluntary sector. We organise this placement for you, with the help of our Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership . You will be working alongside qualified social workers and social care staff, and provided with learning opportunities to develop your autonomous practice. You will be supported and supervised by practice learning staff in your placement setting. You will build on your previous placement experience and knowledge, and continue to evidence your practice to meet the requirements of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) at the final placement level.

Advanced Knowledge for Social Work Practice

This module builds on the learning from SW7047 (Becoming a Social Worker) and further develops critical understanding of law and social policy relevant to child and family social work, together with theories and methods to inform social work interventions. Students will gain an understanding of the thread between law and social policy and how decision making occurs within complex systems where social workers often face competing imperatives. Students will develop a robust awareness and nuanced understanding of theories and methods to navigate this practice terrain. This module will draw on both practice learning experiences (from students' first practice placement) and  module material to develop the knowledge and skills required to work collaboratively while ensuring risk assessment, decision making, and interventions are informed by evidence.

Critical Analysis of Research, Ethics and Practice

This module is undertaken alongside the final practice placement of 100 days enabling the integration of research and academic learning with placement learning and experiences. Drawing on students' current practice, this module enables students to further develop their ability to critically analyse how social work models, research, and theories inform planning, assessment, and interventions for ethical social work practice.

The assignments will assist students to evidence Social Work England Professional Standards (SWEPS) and the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) at the standard required for students at the end of their final placement.

Entry requirements

Typical offer.

The minimum entry qualifications for the programme are:

• a degree-level qualification in any discipline except social work from a UK higher education institute or an approved overseas equivalent
• a minimum 2:2 level 6 degree qualification, for example, an honours degree or a graduate certificate or a postgraduate qualification (level 7 and above) for example, a masters degree or a postgraduate certificate/ postgraduate diploma
• GCSEs in English or English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above, or the new grade 4 and above (or an approved equivalent)
• Non-native speakers who do not have the equivalent of GCSE English at grade 4 (formerly grade C) or an equivalent (e.g. Functional Skills Level 2 Literacy) require an Academic IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent overall
• a minimum of 6 months' full-time (or equivalent) direct experience of working with vulnerable children, young people and/or families/carers or adults, either in a paid or voluntary capacity
• must reside in England
• All applicants must confirm prior to interview that they have the ability to use basic IT facilities, including word processing, internet browsing and use of email.

A Home Office Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and clearance at enhanced level and a Self-Declaration of Health Status to confirm that the applicant does not have a health condition that would affect their ability to practise as a trainee social worker are also required for entry.

Admission with Recognised of Prior Learning (RPEL): Applicants offering prior qualifications and/or experiential learning may be exempted from appropriate parts of a course in accordance with Kingston University's mechanisms and policies for the recognition of prior learning and achievement. The Department's RPEL Advisor meets with all those who consider that they may be able to make a claim for RPEL and arranges a programme of support and assessment for applicants to help them make a successful claim.

For further details please read our academic regulations.

International

All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirements. For this course it is Academic IELTS of 7.0 overall with special conditions in all elements. Please make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements , which includes details of other qualifications we'll consider.

If you require a Student Route visa to reside in the UK you may not be able to enrol on a part-time programme at the University. Kingston University has carefully considered the Student Route visa and has decided not to offer Student Route visa part-time study. Student Route visa sponsorship is only available to students studying on a full-time course.

Country-specific information

You will find more information on country specific entry requirements in the International section of our website.

Find your country:

• Middle East

Teaching and assessment

You will be learning through lectures, seminars and workshops with case studies and group work activities. You will develop your knowledge and skills through simulation activities in the Practice Learning Suite with people with lived experience and practice educators.

You will have two placements, supported by practice educators to enable you to reflect and critically analyse your practice through supervision.

Guided independent study (self-managed time)

When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking and preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS – the online virtual learning platform.

Support for postgraduate students

As a student at Kingston University, we will make sure you have access to appropriate advice regarding your academic development. You will also be able to use the University's  support services . 

Your workload

Year 1: 25% of your time is spent in timetabled learning and teaching activity.

• Scheduled learning and teaching: 230 hours
• Guided independent study (self-managed time) and placement : 970 hours (nominal)

Year 2 : 75% of your time is spent in timetabled learning and teaching activity.

• Scheduled learning and teaching: 104 hours
• Guided independent study (self-managed time) and placement : 796 hours (nominal)

How you will be assessed

Assessment typically comprises essays, poster presentations and group presentations. Practice will be assessed by a portfolio of evidence of learning in practice including direct observation and reflection.

The approximate percentage for how you will be assessed on this course is as follows: 

• 55% coursework
• 45% practical

Feedback summary

We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.

Your timetables

For the majority of your teaching, you will be in the University four days a week for this intensive course. Placements are normally full time, Monday to Friday. At the beginning of your placements you will spend time in both placement and university.

Class sizes

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally enrols 14 students and lecture sizes are normally 14. However this can vary by module and academic year.

Who teaches this course?

Every member of the teaching staff has substantial practice experience in social work. In addition, many are actively involved in social work research, presenting regularly at conferences and publishing in books and journals. In addition, our course teams draw on the wealth of experience provided by our professional contacts and service users and carers who feed into the design of our courses and provide teaching and supervision to enrich your learning.

Mrs Sue Lansley

Course director.

Mrs Marva Pickersgill-Mckenzie

Course fees and funding, fees for this course.

Applications for January 2024 are expected to open in March 2023. Information on how to apply for Step up to social work and the fees and support for this course will be listed on the Gov.UK website.

Visit our  Fees and funding page  to find out about the student funding options available to help you fund your postgraduate studies. 

Postgraduate loans

If you are starting a course at Kingston, you will be able to  apply for a loan  of up to £10,000 to study for a postgraduate masters degree. 

If you are an international student, find out more about  scholarships and bursaries .

Discounts for Kingston University alumni

Kingston University is pleased to offer a 10% discount on full-time and part-time postgraduate degree course tuition fees (including PGCE courses) to our alumni. Visit our  Alumni discount page  to find out more.

After you graduate

On completing the course you will be eligible to apply to the Social Work England to register as a social worker.

Employment opportunities are available in:

• Children's services and family support
• Community care and adult services
• Adult/youth criminal justice services
• Community, day, residential and health settings
• Mental health, disability, learning disabilities, older adults, addictions, and forensic services
• Portable social work qualification that you can use to work overseas
• Post-qualifying programmes available

Good career development opportunities and post-qualifying training and awards are now an established part of the social work profession.

Links with business and industry

Developing together social work teaching partnership.

We provide social work education in partnership with a diverse range of local authorities and voluntary sector organisations called ' Developing Together '. This provides strong and mutually supportive relationships between the University and social work employers.

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to buy your own copy of key textbooks, this can cost between £50 and £250 per year.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan . You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residence. Free WiFi is available on each of the campuses. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.

Photocopying and printing

In the majority of cases written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.

Travel costs are not included in your tuition fees but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses, Surbiton train station, Kingston upon Thames train station, Norbiton train station and halls of residence.

Social Work Skills Lab

The skills lab is a purpose-built facility where social work students have the opportunity to learn and to practise key social work skills.

Social workers undertaking continuing professional development courses develop their assessment and intervention skills and other skills such as mentoring, teaching and providing reflective supervision.

What's available?

The skills lab is divided into several sections including:

• a seminar/case conference room for a maximum of 20 people;
• a simulated living-room and front door to assist in developing skills relating to home visits;
• five interview rooms simulating work environments;
• a control room with two-way mirror and viewing monitors; and
• all rooms have fitted cameras and microphones so that activities can be recorded.

A flexible, creative space

The skills lab has been designed to be a multi-functional space which allows flexible use. The furniture is all portable and can be changed according to the simulated activities required.

The small rooms can be used for practising communication skills and simulating supervision sessions.

The large room can be used as a teaching or seminar room and can be set up as a simulated case conference room or duty desk.

Participants have the opportunity to engage in creative skills development activities and benefit from live supervision and feedback from the recorded material.

Current research in this subject

Many of our staff are research active, often in partnership with NHS Trusts. This ensures they are in touch with the latest thinking and bring best practice to your studies.

Social work research activity focuses around several key areas:

• risk and child abuse
• children's rights
• learning processes and partnership approaches in professional education
• management of child protection systems
• safeguarding adults
• mental capacity
• effectiveness of community-based responses to crime.

We conduct much of our social care research and consultancy either in partnership with or on behalf of the social service, voluntary sector and probation agencies.

Course changes and regulations

The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course.  Course changes explained .

Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.

Regulations governing this course  can be found on our website.

Related courses

Advanced Social Work MA

Practice Education PgCert

Social work (post-qualifying) credit-bearing short course

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• dropdown#toggle click@window->dropdown#hide" role="button" data-dropdown-target="button" tabindex="0" class="link-dropdown"> Browse Jobs Jobs Why Yorkshire and the Humber?

Step Up to Social Work is an intensive full-time, fully funded, Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work training programme that allows you to become a qualified social worker in just 14 months . 

We are looking for people who are committed to making a difference for disadvantaged children and families.  You need to have a willingness to learn, be emotionally resilient and be able to undertake this challenging yet hugely rewarding academic degree programme.

This is a Department for Education nationally funded programme delivered by partnerships across the country. There are two partnerships within this region – Yorkshire and Humberside Partnership, and West and North Yorkshire Partnership.

Leeds Council is the lead partner for the West and North Yorkshire Partnership, which also includes Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, North Yorkshire, Calderdale and Kirklees local authorities.

Sheffield City Council is the lead partner for the Yorkshire and Humberside Partnership, which is one of the largest in the country and includes Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, Barnsley, East Riding, Hull, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, and York.

Hundreds of trainees have qualified through Step Up to Social Work in this region and have gained employment as children and families social workers over the last 10 years. The employment rate for Step Up alumni in our region is extremely high – often, everyone who applies for a job after completing the course is successful!

This is a unique opportunity to earn while you learn, as the DfE provides funding via a tax free bursary payment of £19,833 and payment of University fees to successful applicants.  Childcare costs are not funded by this programme. This will allow you to change or start a new career in social work and be able to continue to pay your bills and fund your living costs while you are studying.  The programme only runs once every two years, dependent on government funding, so if you’re interested, make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to apply!

Applications for Cohort 8 are now closed - best of luck to everyone who applied! Interviews will take place in June/July 2023 and this cohort will start in January 2024 and finish March 2025.

Step Up to Social Work entry criteria

This is a Postgraduate Social work degree programme, so you will need either a BA or BSc Honours degree with a minimum 2:1 classification. Your degree doesn’t have to be in a related setting.

You will also have to have GCSE in Maths and English grade A-C (or equivalent) and you will need to have your qualification certificates to send us prior to any interview that is offered. If you cannot find these, you can order replacements online . It may take a month to get your replaced certificates so apply for them well in advance of any interviews as you will not be able to attend an interview without them.

You will also need to evidence significant experience of either working or substantial volunteering with vulnerable children and families, and/or vulnerable adults.

We are particularly interested in applications from men and people from ethnic minority communities, as these groups are under-represented in this area of social work.

The Step Up to Social Work programme is also a great way for people wanting to change their career to fast-track into social work. People with life and work experience often embrace life as a social worker very quickly.

Your 14-month programme will fly by very quickly, and if your local authority has vacancies, you will be guaranteed an interview for a social worker job in children and families statutory social work. The starting salary for a social worker in most authorities in this region is around £30k per year.

Check out our case studies to learn more about what our Children’s Social Workers have to say who have  completed the training and watch our new videos of those who have completed the Step up to Social work programme.

Studying through Step Up to Social Work

We spoke to Lewis, who is now a Senior Fieldwork Manager, leading a team of 6 qualified social workers in Sheffield after completing the Step Up to Social Work course, to find out what attracted him to the programme and what the application process was like from a student’s perspective.

The bursary is one of the major benefits of this route into social work, but the placement opportunities were also a highlight of the course for Lewis. 

With a guaranteed interview for any relevant vacancies in your authority, this course has a very high rate of employment, but getting the most out of the course also prepares you well for career progression in your new field.

Children’s social work can be challenging, but making a difference to children and young people’s lives also makes it hugely rewarding as a profession.

Applying to Step Up to Social Work

Applications for the next Step Up to Social Work cohort have now closed.  Those who are shortlisted for interview will be invited to an assessment centre which will be held in June/July and following success, applicants will be offered a trainee contract to start the degree programme in January 2024.

Frequently asked questions about Step up to social work

You may apply and your host authority will make reasonable adjustments for you however you must recognise that this is a very intensive programme with approximately 30 days holiday (excluding bank holidays). The bursary payment is not extended beyond the 14 months and placements cannot be altered or extended. You will need plenty of family support and will have to travel and work in a frontline setting whilst on placement. Each placement day is at least 7 hours.

If you are resigning from employment then you must think very carefully before you agree to sign a contract for this programme as you will be giving up your maternity rights under your employer’s terms and conditions.

In addition to academic qualifications and experience, you should also make sure that you are able to demonstrate the following skills and knowledge:

Emotional resilience, the ability to cope with and adapt to the emotional impact of helping children and young people who are often in very stressful situations

A solid understanding of current social work theory and research

You should be aware of the risk indicators of different types of harm in children and young people

You need to show that you are able to think intuitively and logically to make decisions

Good, accurate report writing is a key skill for the job

Understand the Knowledge and Skills Statement (KSS) for child and family social workers. This is the standard of good practice used to assess applicants, so it’s important to familiarise yourself.

You should also show understanding of the entry-level Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) for social workers and be able to complete your application form with these in mind.

Have an awareness of the Social Work England Professional Standards.

You can find these statements and frameworks and more information on the British Association of Social Work site   

As mentioned above, this programme is highly intensive and different holidays cannot be arranged outside of the programme. You may wish to delay your application for the next cohort should there be another one. 

If you have met the required benchmark at the assessment centre tests, then your name will go on a waiting list and you may be offered a place in another authority or in another partnership which may be in another part of the country.

You should consider this offer very carefully as you may need to relocate and this will have an impact on your finances as there is no additional funding for relocation.

You are strongly advised to work out your finances carefully before accepting any place offered.

You will be given a copy of the reading list as part of the keeping in touch events prior to the start of the programme.

Trainee contracts are typically sent out in October. This gives you plenty of time to work out your finances and decide whether to accept the offer. You are advised to consider your finances very carefully including any travel costs and any reduction in benefits that may apply. 

Assessment centres will take place in June or July 2023 for the Cohort of students who will start their degree in January 2024.  This may take place face-to-face however some local authorities may wish to interview virtually.

You should expect to attend an assessment centre for at least 4 hours.

The written exercise will be administrated by the DfE support contractor which is Capita.  They will be in touch with you to complete your written exercise separately to the assessment centre.

There will be a formal panel interview with a manager from your preferred authority and a university representative and this will last 30 minutes.

There will be other assessment tasks including a group exercise with foster carers and young people and a practice scenario. Your answers will be assessed against the entry criteria of the PCF .

All exercises will be marked against the PCF so you need to be knowledgeable and evidence your current experience around these domains.  The PCF can be viewed on the BASW site.

No, if you are offered a place on Step Up to Social Work following the Assessment Centre you will be required to resign from your current job by the time the programme starts in January 2024 as your status changes to being a student.

The ethos of the course is for people who wish to change their careers and become children and families social workers.

You must be sure that you are willing to do this, as you will lose your continuous service if you are employed by a public sector organisation (such as a local authority). This will mean that your service will start afresh should you join a local authority as a social worker.

Most local authorities now run social work apprenticeship 3-year BA in social work degree programmes for their existing staff, so if you are in doubt about your losing your employment rights then you should seek advice from your local authority about this route into social work. 

No, it is not possible to guarantee you a job but the Local Authorities within the Regional Partnerships will offer a guaranteed interview to Step Up to Social Work candidates and we will let you know when vacancies arise within the last 3 months of your course.

We will offer all students the opportunity to attend an employability workshop which will give you guidance on how to complete an application form and interview tips.

The employability rate for Step Up to Social Work students is currently 99% in this region.

If you are offered a job during the course, you won’t be able to start working until after the end of the course and the final bursary payment. As there will be a gap between you completing your degree and you gaining your SWE registration then the majority of local authorities will offer you an opportunity to work as a support worker pending you qualifying and gaining registration.  This will support you financially and help you gain organisational knowledge.

We will arrange for those who have been offered a place to meet other students across the region in Autumn 2023 at our Keeping in Touch Day event. This day will give you the opportunity to find out more about the programme and meet practice educators to ask more about placements.  It is your responsibility to find out about any loss of benefits whilst you are on the course.  If you are in receipt of child credit/Universal credit/free childcare places you must find out how accepting this course will affect these by contacting your citizens advice bureau or benefits advice centre etc.

If you have any health-related questions or are worried about anything, there will be an opportunity to talk to the university lecturers or local authority reps about this.

We will also invite speakers and have fun activities for you to bond with each other. We will pay your travel expenses to attend the day; please keep any train tickets to make your claim.

As many people will still be in employment, they may not be able to attend this day. You may want to take annual leave as it is a very informative day.

We will also run remote drop-in sessions and provide a suggested reading list and information to keep you informed until you start your programme in January.

There is a tax free bursary payment of £19,833 (£1,416 per month) in total for the 14 months. Your course will end mid-March 2025 so you will have to plan your finances carefully as your last bursary payment will be in February 2025.

Your tuition fees will be paid by the DfE if you live in England at the time of your studies . If you do not, then your fees will not be paid – you can still apply but would have to pay your own fees.

Payment will be made directly into your bank account and will be tax free .

Course fees will be paid directly to the University provider as the DfE are also funding your fees.

Depending on the Local Authority you train with, this payment will be made around the 30 th  or 16 th  of the month, so you might need to change any existing direct debits to plan around this.

Your first payment will be around 30 th  January and therefore you should ensure you have enough money to pay for your travel/expenses to University from early January.

Some students car share to save on travel expenses. You will receive a student card from the University which will allow you to apply for discounted train travel as well as many other student discounts and a reduction in council tax.

The Yorkshire and Humber regional partnership have contracted with a University who delivers the programme using a hybrid model of online and face to face teaching. There will be on 12 face to face teaching days throughout the programme.  You will attend University one day a week whilst you are on placement to promote the application of theory into practice.

Each successful student will receive a laptop in order to be able to study remotely. The laptop will need to be returned to the University if you withdraw or fail the programme.  

Make an initial application online  and ensure that you have completed all the sections on the application form especially providing information about having significant experience of working or volunteering with vulnerable children and families for a period of at least 6 months.

You will need to have a copy of your degree qualification certificate and your GCSE in Maths and English grades A-C or equivalent at the time of applying. These documents will be needed by the university provider should you be offered a place, and you will not be able to be interviewed without a copy.   If you cannot find your Maths and English GCSE’s or equivalent (e.g. level 2 functional skills) then you should apply for copies now to ensure they arrive in good time.

Public transport is difficult in some regional areas and therefore you may need to provide us with your driving licence details.

If selected, you will be asked to attend an assessment centre. During the pandemic, the assessment centre may be virtual.  We will let you know whether it will be virtual or face to face if you are shortlisted for interview.

The key assessment process components will involve:

A formal interview with a course academic member of staff and a social work manager

Role play or group exercise

A short interview with people with lived experience

A written exercise

Visit the  Gov.uk site to start your application.  

This means you would have to move home to be able to undertake the placements in the host authority. This can be expensive and you should work out your finances carefully before accepting an authority which means you have to temporarily relocate.

You will not be offered any additional monies to relocate or to travel further. These additional costs must all be calculated within your bursary payment.

Step Up to Social Work is a pre-qualifying social work programme developed through a partnership between the local authorities (LA) within the Yorkshire and Humberside Region and the contracted University provider. It is an intensive 14-month programme that starts in January and leads to a Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work and will enable you to apply to register with Social Work England. It covers the same curriculum as other pre-qualifying social work programmes but in a shorter timescale. Therefore, you can expect it to be a more intensive and emotionally demanding learning experience.

Students will have a trainee contract with a host Local Authority and two contrasting placements will be provided by the Local Authority with the final placement guaranteed in a statutory children and families setting.

In order to be eligible, you need:

An honours degree qualification (such as a BA or BSc) at 2:2 or above in any subject area

You must also have a GCSE in Maths and English grade A-C or equivalent and be able to produce the certificates at the time of applying.  Should the assessment centre take place on a face-to-face basis, you will be asked to bring the original certificates for these and your degree with you.

We won’t be able to interview you without these certificates so don’t be offended if we turn you away.  You must also have at least 6 months experience of working with adults or vulnerable children and families either in a work capacity or substantial voluntary capacity.

You must be able to upload your certificates with your application form and produce the originals on the assessment centre day, otherwise we will not be able to interview you.

If you cannot find your certificates, there are a number of internet sites to help you, but please bear in mind the time it takes to order new copies (4 weeks) as the closing date for applications is March 2023. Unfortunately, we are unable to process your application if you do not have these certificates. 

Non-British EU nationals would only be eligible to apply if they have been a resident in the EU for 3 or more years unless they have the appropriate study visa. All other non-British applicants must have been granted the right to remain/work in the UK (and provide passport details for checks) or otherwise have the appropriate study visa. This will be checked at the application form stage as settlement status rules may apply.

The regional partnership administrator will send you a letter/email to notify you that you have been shortlisted to attend the assessment centre.

If you are unable to attend on the date allocated to you we may be able to offer an alternative date dependent on availability of interview panels.

If you change your mind and are unable to attend then we ask you to let us know at least 24 hours prior to the interview so that we can change our timetables.

As long as you have an Honours degree with either a 1st or 2:1 degree classification (level 6) or a 2:2 classification then you can apply.

You must have copies of your certificates to bring to the assessment centre or email directly otherwise we will not be able to interview you. You will be advised nearer the time of the assessment of whether to send these online or bring them in person.

In addition to higher education, applicants must also:

Have GCSEs in English Language and Maths (or equivalent) at a C grade or better

Have relevant experience (voluntary or paid) working with adults and/or vulnerable children, young people or families for at least 6 months

Live in England

Possess the right to work and study in the UK (including access to public funds) for the duration of the programme (until March 2025)

Not already have a social work qualification

Unfortunately, because the DfE have agreed funding for this cohort of Step Up to Social Work, but not any future cohorts as yet, you cannot defer your place, as we have no guarantee that a further Step Up programme will be funded.

We won’t place you in a team where you were previously employed. This would be a potential conflict of interest, and we want you to be able to experience as wide a range of settings as possible to get the most out of the course.

No, the bursary payment covers travel costs as well as all your other expenses. Some Local Authorities cover a wide geographical area and you will need to be a car driver to travel around on your placements. There is no additional payment for travel expenses on your placement.

The Yorkshire and Humberside partnership university provider will teach remotely but with a base in Sheffield and the Humber region.

The programme starts at the beginning of January and the enrolment process will be completed online.

You can expect to receive face-to-face teaching for up to 12 days during the programme period. The teaching day is 10am to 4pm and takes place in Sheffield.  The remainder of the course is taught virtually but placements are face to face on worksites in host authorities.   Most local authorities are now back to working face-to-face with children and families.

A full programme and calendar of events will be given to you prior to the start of the course.

There are two periods of assessed practice:

The first placement will be for 70 days and the university calendar will show when this starts.

The second and final placement will be for 100 days.

Manchester Metropolitan University are the provider for the Yorkshire and Humber region.  During the placement period you will still be expected to attend university either virtually or in person one day a week. 

Your host authority will arrange these placements, and they will be in contrasting settings to give you the broadest range of experience possible

You will sign a trainee contract with one of the Local Authorities within the Regional Partnership. This Local Authority will identify and provide your placements and allocate a Practice Educator to mentor and assess you. We will guarantee that one of the placements at least will be in a frontline statutory setting. You will be asked to complete a personal profile to help the Local Authority identify a suitable placement for you.

A placement day is a minimum of 7 hours excluding breaks and you also need to account for any travelling time to get to your placement. You will be expected to be at your placement during the same ‘office hours’ as the team.

However, the needs of service users can mean that it is sometimes necessary for social workers and social work students to work extended hours, sometimes at short notice. When this happens, student social workers will be able to ‘take back’ this time in line with the host Local Authorities’ policies & practice.

You will be assigned a practice educator and a work based supervisor whilst you are on placement with your host authority and you will also have a University tutor. Each authority has a Step Up to Social Work representative and you will be notified of who this is when you sign your trainee contract so you can contact them at any time.

You will be undertake a “Readiness to practice” assessment prior to going on your first placement.  If you fail this assessment, discussions will take place between the University, the host Local Authority and the student as to whether a further assessment should take place.  

The university has a robust concerns process that will be followed if any concerns are raised on placement. If a fail recommendation is made the university fitness to practice regulations will commence. The host Local Authority and University will discuss the options available to you at this point.

You will not be required to drive if your host authority is a large city as you are able to use public transport. Some authorities don’t have good transport links and therefore you will need to have a driving licence and the use of a car.

You will need to provide your driving licence at the assessment centre if you are being interviewed for an urban and rural local authority (North East Lincs, North Lincs, East Riding).

You must be able to produce your driving licence at the Assessment Centre if you are being interviewed for one of the urban and rural areas (see above). No offer can be made without this. We have accommodated people in the past who have not passed their test by the start of the programme and this has caused major problems so we are unable to alter this decision.

If you are employed in any authority within the Yorkshire and Humberside region you will not be afforded a career break. Career breaks are generally for up to one year only and this programme is for 14-15 months. The ethos of the Step Up to Social Work programme is for the DfE to fund people who wish to change their career to become a children and families social worker. The bursary gives you the opportunity to step out of employment to train and continue to be able to pay your household bills, however this is dependent on the cost of your bills and outgoings, you must be sure to check your finances carefully as the cost of living has increased significantly and yet the Step up bursary payment remains the same.

You will be a University student so will receive a student card. You will be entitled to access any benefits that students may get e.g. discount on council tax, discounts that shops give students etc.

No. The DfE are funding your course fees. You should read your trainee contract carefully as you may have to repay your bursary if you withdraw from the programme without good reason.

The Local Authority, Regional Partnership and University will work together in an attempt to maintain a student on the programme. However, because the programme is externally funded there are external constraints on the availability of the funding and therefore funding will not be available or cannot be deferred after the end of the 14 month programme.

As all participants are registered University students, the University has an ongoing responsibility to support any student who is unable to complete the Step Up to Social Work programme due to ill health. This may include a transfer to one of its other qualifying social work programmes, support in transferring to a qualifying social work programme or a different programme at another University. You would have to pay course fees for transferring to another programme and would not receive the DfE bursary.

If days are lost on placement due to illness, then it may be possible to extend the placement to ensure that your placement days are completed.  This may involve you finishing the programme later than other students. The bursary payment will not be extended beyond the final programme date so you must be aware of this.

Should you become pregnant during the programme then we will meet with you and discuss any reasonable adjustments that need to be made.  We are only able to make a bursary payment to you if you attend the programme and complete all necessary work required. The programme will not be extended for any maternity leave due to restrictions of the DfE funding.

Odd days can be taken whilst on placement as long as you have the permission of the team manager and course programme manager and can make the days up before the end of the placement. 

The Regional Partnership in Yorkshire and Humber have secured a significant number of places on the next Step Up to Social Work programme.

Sheffield City Council is the lead authority for the Yorkshire and Humberside region and supports the following authorities: Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster Trust, East Riding, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, Rotherham, York and Hull.

Leeds City Council is the lead authority for the West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire regional partnership, supporting Leeds, Calderdale, Bradford, North Yorkshire, Wakefield and Kirklees.

If successful, you will be offered a place in your preferred authority however if there are no places left you will be asked if you would like to be referred to another authority within your region or one outside of your region which means you would have to be willing to relocate. Any costs associated with relocation will need to come out of your bursary. We will also hold a waiting list in case people change their minds about accepting the trainee contract. 

We have agreed to include approximately 30 days of holiday excluding Bank Holidays – not all Partnerships give holidays but we want you to take care of your health and wellbeing.

Holidays will be planned out by the University and will usually take place around Christmas and the summer holidays. A calendar of holiday days will be provided well in advance of the start of the programme.  No other holiday times can be taken.

Your first day on the programme in  January 2024  will take place face to face in Sheffield.

You will already have been contacted by the University to complete a registration form and to enrol on the programme.

You will be provided with a laptop prior to your first day of training.

The “Keeping in Touch” day and drop ins will serve as an opportunity to speak to representatives from your host authority and the University, who will be able to answer any further questions before you sign a trainee contract.

All offers will be conditional subject to references, academic checks and DBS checks.

We will hold “Keeping in Touch” events so that you can meet other students who will be on the programme.  This is an opportunity for you to ask any other questions prior to signing the trainee contract. 

You are reminded that if you accept the offer of a place on this programme that you must resign from your current employment ready to start your programme in January 2024.  You are advised to find out how much notice you need to give your employer.

From our experience of previous cohorts, we would advise against taking a part time job, as the programme is so demanding. There can also be tax implications as the bursary is tax free as you are classed as a “student”. Being in employment will change your employment status and you are advised to contact HMRC to find out the tax implications. Should you wish to have a job at the weekends and this does not affect your studying then you are allowed to do this but you will have to inform HMRC as your tax code may change.

You will be required to study and complete assignments so you may not have any spare time for a part time job. The bursary awarded is much higher than a mainstream University to ensure that you are fully committed to this programme. Should you gain employment in the weeks leading up to the end of your programme and your contract then you must declare this to your host representative who will stop your bursary payment as we cannot pay your bursary and a salary at the same time.

Once you have been offered a place you will be asked to complete an Occupational Health form, where you can declare any requirements. If necessary, the University provider will discuss with you how best to support you on your programme.  Should you require reasonable adjustments for the assessment centre and the written exercise then you must indicate this on your application form and also remind the administrator to give you an additional 25% time and provide written medical evidence that you need this adjustment.

Assessment centres for Step Up to Social Work across the country will finish by the end of July 2023. The lead authority for the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Partnership will contact you at the beginning of August to inform you of the outcome of your assessment centre.

Due to the high numbers of applicants we won’t be able to give you feedback.

Further information

For more information on step up to social work, look at:.

The Department for Education (DfE) guidance: Step Up to Social Work: Information for Applicants

For North and West Yorkshire regional Partnership contact:  [email protected]

For Yorkshire and Humber regional Partnership contact:  [email protected]

If you’re interested in other routes into the profession, find out more about social work apprenticeships and social work courses in our region.

A candidate helpline is available if you have any questions not covered by the FAQ document or if you need any support or advice regarding the online application process. The helpline can be accessed via: [email protected] or 03300 417486

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Step up to social work

Applications for the 2024 programme have now closed.

Applies to England

Applications for the 2024 programme have now closed. We’ll update this page with details about the next programme, when it’s available. Use Explore Careers for information on how to become a social worker.

Step up to social work is an intensive, 14-month, full-time programme. If you want to become a social worker but do not have a degree in social work, you can train through this programme.

What you’ll need to apply

To apply to the programme, you’ll need to have:

• a minimum 2:2 undergraduate degree qualification (level 6)
• 6 months’ full-time (or equivalent) direct experience, either in a paid or voluntary capacity, of working with vulnerable children, young people and/or families, carers or vulnerable adults
• GCSEs in English or English language and mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above (or an approved equivalent)

You must have completed your degree programme before applying. Final year students are not eligible to apply.

Training and funding

If your application is successful, you will:

• train through a combination of academic study and hands on social work experience in a local authority
• receive a bursary of £19,833 to support you during your training

What you’ll get when you qualify

Once you successfully complete the programme, you will qualify with a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work. This will allow you to apply to register with Social Work England as a qualified social worker.

'Step up to social work' has been updated to show that applications are now open and to include a link to the applications.

First published.

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PDSUTSWK - PG Diploma Step Up to Social Work

• Course Specification - Start year 2023/24
• London Met Course structure - Modules offered in 2023/24

Course Specification

About the course and its strategy towards teaching and learning and towards blended learning/e-learning.

The course has been designed to meet the requirements of Social Work England Education and Training Standards and is accredited by Social Work England. Once you've successfully completed the course, you can then join the Social Work England register that all qualified social workers must register with to practise in England. PG Dip Step Up to Social Work at London Metropolitan University has 5 key themes which seek to reflect the current stakeholder demands and requirements for social work as follows: ● Encouraging People with Lived Experience participation ● Valuing diversity, promoting equality and social justice ● Developing positive relationship–based social work practice ● Promoting research –minded and evidence-based social work practice ● Nurturing emotionally resilient, intelligent and confident practitioners We are proud of this tradition and keen to build on this success and enhance our reputation with students, people with lived experience, social work practitioners, local and regional employers and other key stakeholders. The course offers a social justice framework, emphasising empowerment, advocacy, anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive practice, professional activism, relationship and strengths-based practice as well as a thorough consideration of safeguarding principles and knowledge. The underpinning values and principles of the Education for Social Justice Framework are integrated within all levels of the course. The course has a focus on strengthening the infrastructure to build ‘belonging’ environments in which to learn and develop positive learning and professional identities. Together with increased support and initiatives for students to develop positive, dialogic relationships with the academic team where their voice and feedback is valued, this course has actively put in place strategies to begin to address and reduce the awarding gap. People with Lived Experience colleagues have contributed to the development, design and delivery of this course in the following way/s (this list is not exhaustive): ● Developing case studies ● Identifying different, creative ways to share their stories ● Co-designing and co-facilitating sessions ● Marking presentations ● Developing and participation in experiential learning and teaching activities ● Developing and writing Good Practice guides for working with People with Lived Experience ● Co-producing strategies to widen the diversity of People with Lived Experience colleagues involved in the social work courses The course content is also informed by the Social Work Subject Benchmark Statement as defined by the QAA (2019), which informs essential practice for a Social Worker upon qualification. The overarching standards for Social Workers in England are currently defined within the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) which has been used to develop the curriculum. These nine standards or capabilities are as follows: 1. Professionalism; 2. Values and Ethics; 3. Diversity; 4. Rights and Justice; 5. Knowledge; 6. Critical Reflection 7. Intervention and Skills 8. Contexts and Organisations 9. Professional Leadership. These nine capabilities have been integrated across the PG Dip Step Up to Social Work curriculum in terms of the content, learning outcomes, learning and teaching strategies and assessment and enhanced learning opportunities. Additionally, 30 skills days are incorporated within the taught Readiness for Direct Practice taught module as well as within practice whereby students can consolidate and integrate their theoretical knowledge. Overall, the course content ensures students are prepared to become resilient, effective and reflective practitioners and who are fit to practise in Social Work. Additionally, the course content and each module has been mapped with the Knowledge and Skills Statement for Child and Family Social Work.

All students have access to the wide range of London Metropolitan University student support services which includes:

● Disability and dyslexia support services ● Counselling, Money advice and Accommodation services ● Library and Learning Resources services ● Careers and Employability services ● Student Journey and Student Hub ● Academic Tutors and Academic Mentors ● Student Union

The learning and teaching strategies applied on the course aim to develop and consolidate student’s values, skills and knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of social work. The teaching programme provides the underpinning theoretical and practical basis for learning in the area of social work. Students’ thinking and practical skills are developed through complementary activities including lectures, seminars, workshops, group work, on-line educational resources, tutorials, assignments, preparing for and undertaking practice- based learning to acquire the requisite professional capabilities. 

Students undertake a series of taught modules in the key areas of social work. In addition, students undertake two placements of 70 days and 100 days. Placement modules are undertaken with qualified practice educators and onsite supervision. Prior to placement, students complete a week-long induction into university processes and academic and support key colleagues. Additionally they complete the Readiness to Practise module, which equips them with the foundational knowledge, communication skills and values required for their first placement. During placement students are supported in their learning via dedicated a Practice Learning Agreement meeting and a Midway Review meeting with their practice educator and placement tutor. Established processes are in place to ensure the student receives a structured induction which is recorded in the practice learning agreement and that any concerns are addressed in a timely manner via The Cause for Concern procedure. Students are further supported by their Academic Tutor at the university. The placements are designed to enable students to demonstrate capability in the 9 domains in the Professional Capability Framework at the appropriate level. Ie. First of final placement level.

Suitable placements will be found within one of the employer's seven local authorities. Both 70 and 100 days placements will be undertaken within statutory settings and legal interventions consistent with the role of a social work practitioner. All placements will be identified, quality assured, and approved by the employer consortium.

The academic teaching team comprises suitably qualified and experienced university staff  that are all registered as social workers with Social Work England as set out in the professional requirements for social work education.  Students are expected to complement formal teaching with guided VLE learning resources and independent self-directed learning and completion of specified assignments.  Students are encouraged to use all the resources and facilities made available by London Metropolitan University and those available within the M25 area under the SCONUL exchange Scheme.

The course also seeks to promote student’s self-awareness and self-management as well as a reflective approach to their learning with a view to the enhancement of their personal and professional development (PPDP). Students are encouraged to develop their employability attributes through reflecting on their learning from the taught and the placement modules. The portfolio components of the placement modules will support their Personal and Professional Development Planning as they will provide opportunities to evidence their practice capabilities in relation to knowledge, skills and values.

Course aims

As a student on the course you will: ● Engage with and understand the concept of radical Social Work ● Build on your existing knowledge, expertise and experience ● experience an environment in which you are able to enter into constructive and ongoing dialogue with the teaching and learning staff and with your peers. ● Have the opportunity to engage with social work practice from a range of perspectives and these will include non-eurocentric, Global South issues and debates. ● Learn about rights, personal, community, and professional activism ● Develop your professional identity and values of a social worker which will be underpinned by a commitment to Social Justice, anti-oppressive practice and anti-racist social work ● Learn about theoretical knowledge, skills and values and how to apply them in practice ● Become accountable, reflective and self-critical and critically integrate knowledge from research and theory to underpin your practice and professional development ● Learn to demonstrate autonomy and originality in solving problems, and act independently in assessing, planning and implementing interventions at a level of professional excellence ● Engage with people with lived experience of social work and social care services as an integral part of year learning ● Gain a critical understanding of interprofessional learning and working in multi-disciplinary teams ● Be supported to understand and meet the Professional Standards of Social Work England and the BASW Professional Capabilities Framework as they relate to your developing practice.

Course learning outcomes

1. Practise Social Work through the critical understanding of the principles of anti-racist social work and anti-oppressive practice. 2. Recognise and promote the fundamental principles of human rights, social justice and economic well-being. 3. Work with people with lived experience of social work to challenge inequality and injustice 4. Develop awareness of activist campaigns and political movements led by groups including for example, women, disabled people, people from Black, Asian and minoritised communities and LGBTQIA+ people. 5. Understand the principles of co-production of services involving the sharing of power between professionals, citizens and communities to plan and deliver support together for social change 6. Apply methods and techniques appropriate to your own research or advanced scholarship in Social Work 7. Deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences 8. Exercise self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level 9. Manage your own lifelong learning, knowledge, understanding and skills in relation your personal and professional development 10. Demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition and creativity and will act as inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible practitioners/professionals in their discipline.

Principle QAA benchmark statements

Social Work https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-social-work.pdf?%20sfvrsn=5c35c881_6

Assessment strategy

All module assessments are based on enabling the student to achieve the module learning outcomes and encourage student reflection, critical conversations and evaluation. Modules utilise a range of formative assessments to enable students to receive developmental feedforward opportunities, gauge their progress and support their understanding of the assessment requirements before the summative assessment is required to be submitted. A diverse range of formative tasks has been embraced and embedded into module design. A sample are game show quiz formats, debating societies, the ‘What? So What? Now What?’ self-reflective cycle, presentations, use of Padlet for feedback and whole class discussion and MS Teams Chat for on-going dialogue, support and feedback between classes. The creative range of assessments will reflect our students’ identities, own experiences and cultural capital and introduce a variety of ways that students can articulate their understanding and knowledge. Careful consideration has been given by the course team in reducing the amount of assessments, recognising that the overall assessment load on social work courses can be high due to the complexity of practice that needs to be assessed against a range of professional capabilities. The course assessment strategy included examining how to meaningfully reduce the assessment load on students by carefully mapping and rationalising the learning outcomes for each module to avoid duplication and unnecessary overlap of the learning being assessed. The course assessment tables set out the volume timing and nature of summative assessments across the three/two years. Each module guide includes the module assessment and marking criteria and all staff seek to work within the university assessment timetable which includes three weeks marking and moderation processes. The course team also explicitly discusses the ‘time on task’ required for each module assessment, as part of a strategy to help students prepare realistically and plan for it.

Organised work experience, work based learning, sandwich year or year abroad

The course includes two compulsory placement modules Social Work Practice Learning 1 and Social Work Practice Learning 2. Placements are organised, quality ensured and allocated by the employer consortium. Each placement is designed to meet the required 9 domains of the Professional Capability Framework and the SWE Professional Standards and KSS for Children and Families. The first placement is 70 days and the second placement is 100 days. Students will be supported on their placement by a suitably qualified and experienced practice educator who is responsible for holistically assessing their practice against the Professional Capability Framework and all students will be allocated a placement tutor to further support and guide them during their placement. Students must pass the required modules including the first placement before proceeding to the next stage of study. All placements are evaluated as part of an established continuing improvement cycle using the Pan London Common paperwork Quality Assurance in Practice Learning template (QAPL). Students, practice educators and placement supervisors (where applicable) are asked to complete an evaluation of the placement so that further support or training can be provided to placement organisations if required and areas of good practice can be reflected upon and shared widely amongst partner agencies.

Course specific regulations

Course Regulatory schedule for Social Work Programmes Status This schedule forms a part of the Regulations for all Social Work programmes and should be read alongside the University’s Regulations, which govern courses and the responsibilities of students. All University students are bound from the commencement of their course or from the point of enrolment, by all relevant Regulations, Procedures and policies. Students enrolled on all social work programmes are governed by: The University’s Academic Regulations which govern the standards of the University’s awards, the responsibilities of students and the formal roles played by staff in relation to admission to courses and programmes of study, assessment of student’s work and conferment of awards; Regulations and Procedures, which govern the conduct of students, in particular, the Regulations applicable to all students in cases of Misconduct – incorporating a Code of Discipline; Fitness to Study; Fitness to Practise Social Work; Responsibilities placed upon students regarding not only their conduct but also their professional suitability and Fitness to Practise, as set out in the Social Work England Professional Standards. Social Work students are expected to understand and work towards these professional standards in preparation for when they apply for registration. Students should ensure that during the course, including whilst on placement, they do not do anything that contravenes the Professional Standards or the policies and procedures of their placement provider. All breaches of the professional standards/codes will be progressed in accordance with the Fitness to Practise Social Work Procedures or other University Regulations or Procedures as appropriate In addition, social work students on the qualifying programmes have specific regulations governing professional practice placements that are also outlined below in the weblinks It is the responsibility of all students to read the Social Work England Standards and the relevant University Regulations (accessed via the University’s online Student Handbook) to familiarise themselves with all responsibilities and requirements

Issues that may affect a student’s suitability to commence or continue training as a social worker Students must familiarise themselves with the Fitness to Practise Social Work Procedures, which set down the suitability requirements and the process for reporting and investigating any breaches. It is the responsibility of each student to bring to the attention of the Principal Lecturer for Social Work or nominated staff member, in a timely manner any matter including ill health of any kind that could be considered to have a bearing on their continued suitability for social work training. Likewise, students are required to bring to the attention of the Principal Lecturer for Social Work any matter as indicated above that could be considered to have a bearing on the suitability of another social work student Failure to disclose any circumstance or information affecting a student’s suitability occurring prior to entry to the course or subsequent to enrolment shall be deemed a breach of the University’s Code of Discipline and shall be progressed in accordance with the Student Disciplinary procedures (see 5 and 6 above). Incorporation of previous course structure and modules into the current course N/A Re-registration of module and timetabling

As the PG Diploma Step Up to Social Work is a government funded programme, there is never a guarantee that another cohort will be funded. As far as possible, the course will be scheduled to allow students to progress successfully on their modules, but any that need to be retaken is subject to another cohort of the PG Diploma Step Up to Social Work being available. Students will only be funded by their training borough for two opportunities to undertake assessments. Students who do not successfully pass their assessment at the second attempt (resubmission) will be required to self- fund any further assessment opportunities.

Social Work Awards Students may pass the Social Work course with either a postgraduate diploma or MSc.

PG Dip Step Up to Social Work All core modules must be passed Students can take an additional Research Mindedness for Practice module (SW7P00) and exit with MSc in Social Work

External Examiner Appointments Responsibility for recruiting external examiners for the social work course rests with the Head of Social Work. Appointments are made via the University’s quality assurance processes. The appointed external examiner must be appropriately experienced and qualified and be from the relevant part of the Social Work England Register. Placement Requirements can be found here: https://londonmet.app.box.com/s/ohq8zr2jtn0qgxmnfqprfqn5c61xxrhp      Termination of training information can be found here: https://londonmet.app.box.com/s/kb69rdx059iqi8h66bzc6snbirtwm4cr   Whistle-blowing & Complaints Procedures in Relation to Practice Placements can be found here: https://londonmet.app.box.com/s/wlto4k0usjyburnab0ezzh0jo5kcmc8m

Fitness to Practice Procedures can be found here: https://londonmet.app.box.com/s/a53a007cu3gkjcns9ha0gwups5l7845v

Modules required for interim awards

PG Dip Step Up to Social Work All core modules must be passed

Students have the option to register an additional Research Mindedness for Practice module (SW7P00) and exit with MSc in Social Work

Arrangements for promoting reflective learning and personal development

The student’s Personal, Professional Development Plan (PPDP) creates an opportunity for the student to identify their overall professional goals related to the PCF and Social Work England’s Professional Standards. Students are given the PPDP at the start of the Readiness for Direct Practice Module They also complete these during each of their professional placements. The mid-way placement meeting is an opportunity to review the student’s PPDP. The student must have begun to complete this prior to the mid-way stage meeting by stating their goals for the end of placement. This should be shared regularly in weekly supervision in order for it to be discussed and signed by the tutor, practice educator and student during the mid-way meeting. Before the end of the placement the PPDP should be completed and signed by the Practice Educator and Placement Tutor. The completed and signed form must be included in the placement portfolio.

Career, employability and opportunities for continuing professional development

Upon the student’s successful completion of the Programme and attainment of the Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work qualification, student’s may apply for existing vacancies for Newly Qualified Social Worker (NQSW) posts within their Host Local Authorities. Any offer of a post will be subject to available vacant NQSW posts and can only commence once Social Work England registration is confirmed. Students should prepare for the fact that there may be a delay of some weeks, between the completion of the programme and Social Work England registration being received, and employment as an NQSW. For the avoidance of doubt, there is NO guaranteed offer of employment for student’s following completion of the programme, or obligation for trainees to take up posts in their host authority.

Entry requirements

You’ll be required to have:

• a 2:2 degree qualification
• six months’ full-time (or equivalent) direct experience, either in a paid or voluntary capacity, of working with vulnerable children, young people and/or families, carers or vulnerable adults
• GCSEs in English or English language and mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above (or an approved equivalent)

Official use and codes

Course structure, help understanding the course structure.

The Course Structure shows which modules are available for students starting a stage (year) at different times and, for each module, when and where it can be taken.

If no period and location is displayed next to a module it is not offered this year. (For extension of knowledge, open language programme and elective modules, check individual modules for availability)

Click INFO next to a module for further information to assist programme planning

Click CODE to display the full specification of the module.

Day & Time - shows when the module is running:

Stage 1 Level 07 January start Offered

Further information.

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PGDip Step Up to Social Work

• Course Details
• Entry Requirements
• Employability
• Teaching Team
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Location: High Wycombe
• Duration: 14 Months
• Start Date: January 2024

Step Up to Social Work is a 14 month post graduate intensive full-time qualifying programme. The course will start in January 2024 and is funded by the Department for Education.

Once you’ve successfully completed the course, you’ll be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work enabling you to register and practice as a social worker.

Why study this subject?

Social work is both a challenging and rewarding career through which you can make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children and families. You will need to build relationships with families facing difficult times, show a lot of patience and be a good listener. You will also need good observational skills, analytical thinking and sound judgement to make the right decisions and protect children. Social work regularly tests resilience, stamina, and resolve - all of which you will need to succeed, and social work can be life changing for those you support. 

The Step Up to Social Work programme is a unique opportunity to receive support while you begin to start a new career in social work. On the 14-month training programme, you will receive hands-on experience of working in a real-life social work role through placements in a local authority while undertaking your qualification. Once you’ve successfully completed the course, you’ll be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work enabling you to apply to register and practice as a social worker.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

This is an employer-led course delivered by the Berkshire Regional Social Work Partnership on behalf of the Department for Education together with BNU. The programme only runs once every two years, dependent on government funding, so make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to apply.

It’s fully funded: you can receive a tax-free bursary of £19,833. This will allow you to change or start a new career in social work and be able to continue to pay your bills and cover your living costs while you are studying. It’s also a fast-track course, meaning after 14 months you can qualify as a social worker, register with Social Work England and be able to seek employment.

It’s employer-led: you are hosted by one of the Local Authorities in the partnership, undertaking 170 days on placement and gaining real social work experience, knowledge and skills in combination with academic study.

The campus is close to home: within 35 minutes from London and located within High Wycombe, we are easy to get to and fit around your schedule. We also aim to support you in achieving employment in the local area.

What facilities can I use?

Our library is packed with all the information you need for your assignments – you’ll have access to hundreds of specialist books, articles, industry publications and specialist online resources. All resources you require for completion of this course will be provided on our High Wycombe campus such as access to our 24/7 library, which is open all day and night and has computers with all the relevant software.

We also provide laptops on loan, and you can access our AppsAnywhere service , which allows you to use software from a personal computer at home or loaned from the University.

What will I study?

Step Up to Social Work is an intensive full-time, fully funded, Postgraduate Social Work training programme with the objective of helping you to become a qualified social worker in just 14 months.

We are looking for people who are committed to making a difference for disadvantaged children and families. You need to have a willingness to learn, be emotionally resilient and be able to undertake this challenging yet hugely rewarding academic degree programme.

This course aids you in changing or starting a new career in social work and provides support so you can continue to pay your bills and fund your living costs while you are studying. The programme runs once every two years, dependent on government funding, so if you are interested, make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to apply.

We will have a total of 24 places across our region partnership which includes, Slough children first, Reading Brighter children for future, Bracknell Forest council and West Bucks Council. The closing date for applications is the 24 March 2023.

Successful applicants will start the Step Up to Social Work programme in January 2024 and finish in March 2025. This is a unique opportunity to earn while you learn, as the Department for Education provides funding via a tax-free bursary payment of £19,833, over the duration of the programme, and payment of your fees for successful applicants.

Further information

For more information please visit:

Apply for Step Up to Social Work – GOV.UK (gov.uk)

Application is through the Department of Education website (and not the Buckinghamshire New University website). The application window is now closed. We’ll update this page with details about the next programme, when it’s available. Use Explore Careers for information on how to become a social worker.

PGDip Social Work Programme Specification

What are the course entry requirements?

You will need to have a copy of your degree qualification certificate and your GCSE in Maths and English grades A-C or equivalent at the time of applying. These documents will be needed by us should you be offered a place.

To apply to the programme, you’ll need to apply on the Berkshire Regional partnership site. You will need to have a minimum of:

• 2:2 undergraduate degree qualification in any subject (level 6)
• 6 months’ full-time (or equivalent) direct experience, either in a paid or voluntary capacity, of working with vulnerable children, young people and/or families, carers or vulnerable adults
• GCSEs in English or English language and mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above (or an approved equivalent)
• Attendance of an assessment day or interview may be required
• ID proof such as a driving licence may also be required

For more information please visit the government website .

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our  Academic Advice section .

What are the tuition fees

Students will receive a bursary from DFE of £19,833 for the duration of the course. This may be subject to change.

Contact our partner at Bracknell Forest Council:  [email protected] Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.

Questions about fees?

If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our Enquiries team by calling 0330 123 2023 or emailing [email protected] .

What are my career prospects?  

This training programme allows you to become a qualified social worker in just 14 months. Once you’ve successfully completed the course, you’ll be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work enabling you to register and practice as a social worker.

This course will also allow you to apply to register with  Social Work England  as a qualified social worker. Once you have achieved the qualified status, you could look at jobs with a starting salary of around 33k per annum, although BNU does not guarantee you a job after graduation, or a salary, this course could help you increase your chances of securing employment locally and nationally.

Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. We also help you find employment in the local area after graduation with our career success service .

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Step up to Social Work

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Central Eastern Regional Partnership Promotional video

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Video - Hear from Laura Shephard, Course Co-ordinator for Step up to Social Work at the University of Bedfordshire

Video - Hear Marsha talk about her experience of the course

Video - Hear Lucy talk about her experience of the course

Social work is both a challenging and rewarding career through which you can make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children and families. You will need to build relationships with families facing difficult times, show a lot of patience and be a good listener. You will also need good observational skills, analytical thinking and sound judgement to make the right decisions and protect children. Social work regularly tests resilience, stamina, and resolve - all of which you will need to succeed. Social work can be life changing for those you support.

Recruitment for the programme is now open, with assessment centres scheduled for June/July 2023, and a January 2024 programme start date. The programme runs once every two years, dependent on government funding, so if you are interested, make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to apply on the Step up to Social Work application portal . Closing date 3 April 2023.

Postgraduate Diploma

Through our successful 14-month Step Up to Social Work programme you will receive intensive, hands-on experience of working in a real-life social work role through placements in a local authority. Once you’ve successfully completed the course, you’ll be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work enabling you to register and practice as a social worker.

This is a unique opportunity to earn while you learn, as the Department for Education provides funding via a tax-free bursary payment of £19,833, over the duration of the programme, and payment of University fees for successful applicants. This will allow you to change or start a new career in social work and be able to continue to pay your bills and fund your living costs while you are studying.

Entry criteria

We are looking for dedicated individuals who have experience of working with vulnerable children, young people, families or vulnerable adults and who can demonstrate their maturity and emotional resilience. We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates and aim to have a workforce that represents the society that we serve.

You will need to have a minimum 2:2 level 6 degree qualification, for example an honours degree or a graduate certificate (this can be in any subject) to apply to the programme. You should also have GCSEs in English or English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above, or the new grade 4 and above (or an approved equivalent). You will need to show all of your original certificates to us as part of the application and assessment process. If you cannot find these, you can order replacements online

We are particularly interested in applications from men and from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, as these groups are under-represented in this area of social work.

Your 14-month programme will pass very quickly, and if your local authority has vacancies you will be guaranteed an interview for a social worker role in children and families statutory social work. The starting salary for a social worker in most authorities in this region is around £30k per annum.

University of Bedfordshire Partnerships

The University of Bedfordshire is partnered with two Step Up Regional Partnerships: South East (Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes, Central Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire) and the Central Eastern (Hertfordshire, Luton and Bedford.) Students can expect to start the programme in January 2024, completing their training in March 2025.

Please see below for the Central Eastern Evenbrite links for their Q&As -

• Step Up to Social Work Info Session Tickets, Thu 2 Mar 2023 at 12:15 | Eventbrite

Please see below for the SE Regional Partnership Eventbrite links for their Q&As -

• Step Up to Social Work Info Session Tickets, Fri 10 Mar 2023 at 12:00 | Eventbrite
• Step Up to Social Work Info Session Tickets, Tue 14 Mar at 16:30 | Eventbrite
• Step up to Social Work Info Session Tickets, Thu 30 Mar at 13:45 | Eventbrite

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Step Up To Social Work

Producing high-calibre social workers for the realities of frontline social work practice.

Our programme

Manchester Metropolitan University was one of two universities commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to develop and quality assure the initial Step Up To Social Work Programme Pilot.

The pilot ran for the first time in 2010 and we’ve continued to deliver the programme with local authority partnerships ever since.

We’re committed to developing sustained partnerships. We work with employers to produce high-calibre social workers who are equipped for the realities of frontline social work practice. This was recognised in the national evaluation of the programme by the DfE.

The programme aims to build on skills that students already have from a variety of different work settings, backgrounds, and experiences.

Course Overview

The integration of theory and practice is a key theme running throughout the programme and the local authorities ensure that teaching is relevant for contemporary social workers.

Being a fast-track programme, the programme moves quickly in order to fit in the academic work and practice placements you’re required to take to qualify within 14 months.

The pace of the academic work varies over the course and the assessments are a mixture of assignments, time-constrained assignments and online assessments, all of which are submitted electronically.

The programme includes over 170 days of placement which will be in your supporting local authority. You’re expected to travel to placements and after completing the programme, most graduates work within their supporting local authority. The first placement will be for 70 days and the second placement is 100 days long, four days a week.

We’ve developed the programme to ensure that your learning will prepare you to become a skilled social work practitioner, working with children and families in a local authority setting.. 

To facilitate the integration of theory and practice, the programme has been organised so that you study academic units alongside being on placement. 

Course Length

The next cohort will begin January 2024 and finishes at the end of March 2025.

There are some breaks in the programme when you can take a holiday. However, you will not have the long holidays normally associated with university undergraduate courses.

It is likely you will have to study during the evenings and weekends in order to qualify in 14 months.

Our Partnerships

We currently have three regional partnerships with local authorities; Greater Lancashire, the North East of England and Yorkshire and Humberside.

Planning the programme with local authorities means that social workers learn about issues and skills that are important for effective social work with children in a local authority setting.

Greater Lancashire

Greater lancashire partnership includes:.

• Lancashire County Council
• Blackburn with Darwen Council
• Blackpool Council

Key strengths include:

• overall student satisfaction levels for their programme of study
• strong partnership working
• student preparedness and readiness for practice at the point of qualification and employment
• a course that is mapped against the Knowledge and Skills Statement for approved child and family practitioners (KSS, March 2018)

External examiners have commented that high attainment levels and high completion levels reflect the success of partnership working. The commitment to joint working, including co-delivery with service users and an overall commitment to supporting and developing students to very high standards ready for the workforces of each local authority.

The success of our partnerships arises from:

• a positive ethos of joint working
• employer and University responsiveness to high quality educational and practice-based provision
• flexibility to meet employers’ needs over a wide geographical area
• creative and innovative provision which is employer-led
• currency of knowledge and flexibility within the curriculum

Step Up To Social Work is a high-quality bespoke programme based on:

• a blended learning approach to social work education encompassing online delivery, direct  face-to-face teaching sessions, workshops, tutorials and small group learning opportunities
• utilisation of electronic technology for the programme online delivery aspect
• sustained focus on integrating theory and practice, throughout the programme, stimulated by an integrated practice/academic structure focusing upon skills development

Practicalities

The programme provides support through face-to-face workshops, online academic support and personal tutor arrangements. You’re expected to be highly motivated, and able to work independently and engage fully in online material.

Face-to-face teaching will occur in the region; in previous cohorts this has been in Preston. Some local authorities expect you to have a driving licence.

The local authorities in the partnership are very committed to providing good learning experiences for Step Up students through the provision of statutory placements.

What previous students think of the course

Really comprehensive information, with lots of links to other resources that may be of use to the module being studied, but also to practice. I feel that they’re able to offer much more information than would be available if delivered face-to-face. I like the availability of interactive workbooks and the ability to access electronic versions of academic texts.

The quality and relevance of the teaching at Manchester Met is very good. It not only prepares you to be technically competent at the task of being a social worker but encourages them to think about the profession and become mindful of the challenges faced within the field and what changes are required. I believe that this supports you to progress quickly upon qualifying.

North East Partnership comprises of the following local authorities:

• South Tyneside
• Middlesbrough
• Northumberland
• Redcar and Cleveland
• North Tyneside

We’ve been working as a regional partnership to train future social workers through Step Up To Social Work since 2015.

During that time we’ve trained over 100 students. Many of whom have progressed to social work roles within the local authorities in which they trained, or moved to other local authorities in the region.

We’re now looking to recruit our next cohort of students, who will start the programme in January 2024.

Our partnership is hugely committed to Step Up and you can be assured of the support you need throughout your programme, both from our network of local authority staff and colleagues at Manchester Met.

You’ll also build a strong community with your fellow Step Up students as you travel on your journey together.

Experiences of our students

To learn more about the individual local authorities in the North East Regional Partnership, please visit their websites:

• Darlington Borough Council
• Durham County Council
• Gateshead Council
• Hartlepool Borough Council
• Middleborough - Children Matter
• Newcastle City Council
• North Tyneside Council
• Northumberland City Council
• Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
• South Tyneside Council
• Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
• Sunderland - Together for Children

Yorkshire and Humberside

The yorkshire and humberside partnership comprises of the following local authorities:.

• Sheffield City Council
• Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
• Doncaster Children Services Trust 
• East Riding Council 
• Hull City Council 
• North Lincolnshire Council  
• North East Lincolnshire Council
• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
• City of York Council

For further information about the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Partnership, please  visit the Children’s Social Work Matters website .

How To Apply

The application form is available from the Department for Education (DfE) website, where you will also find the experience and qualifications needed for the programme.

For any further questions about Step Up To Social Work that cannot be answered by a local representative, please email Dr Jenny Fisher.

• Twitter icon Social Care and Social Work on Twitter

Book an open event

The postgraduate online event on the 17 June – 21 June 2024 is the perfect opportunity to find out more about your course of interest, speak with our academics, and discover the opportunities that further study has to offer.

Join us live to learn more about :

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• Employment prospects: Understand work placement opportunities, industry connections, and course accreditations
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PgDip Social Work (Step Up to Social Work)

We are looking for committed graduates who are determined to make a difference – both personally and professionally - and can demonstrate maturity, and emotional resilience.

Entry requirements for the programme are:

• a minimum 2:2 Level 6 qualification, for example, a degree with honours of graduate certificate
• GCSEs in English or English language and mathematics at grade C or above (or approved equivalent)
• experience of voluntary or paid work with children, young people or families
• residency in England.

This course is full-time and demanding. If you are successful, 100% attendance is required at placements, teaching days, and skills sessions as required.

This challenging course will prepare you for a career in the field of social work. We are proud of our 100% employment rates of our graduates within West London upon completion of the programme.

Professional Accreditations

On successful completion of the course you will be able to to register as a qualified social worker.

About the course

• Immersive 14-month programme which qualifies you as a social worker enabling you to start working in your dream career
• 170 days on placement in one of eight London boroughs, along with course-long links to a host team, allowing you to enter employment prepared
• Real-world experience to ensure you are prepared with the knowledge, skills and experience to equip you for practice
• Classroom and skills based learning, facilitated by social work academics and practictioners with expertise in practice and research
• Opportunities to join the University's research community. Strong MSc research projects are published across West London Local Authorities, with the opportunity to work towards journal publication.

Step Up to Social Work is a national programme supported by a Department for Education bursary, offering a fast-track route into social work with children and families.

As part of this programme, the University of Hertfordshire has partnered with the West London Alliance, supporting committed, resilient graduates to train in one of eight West London Local Authorities to qualify as social workers. Academic study is integrated with hands on learning, preparing you for the challenges and rewards of a career in social work with children and their families.

Find out more information about the alliance please visit the  West London Alliance Step Up to Social Work  website.

Why choose this course?

• No tuition fees
• £19,833 bursary
• Eligible for registration with Social Work England as a professional social worker
• 100% employment rate of our graduates within West London
• 2nd in the East of England for Social Work (2023 Complete University Guide)
• 2nd for health and social care in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, Advance HE, 2023)

What will I study?

You’ll be taught in central London by experienced academics in collaboration with practitioners in the field and those with a lived experience.

Teaching and tuition are facilitated by a core team of social work academics, meaning you’ll benefit from academic, pastoral and placement support from a small team who know you. Yet, you’ll also benefit from multiple perspectives, as we routinely invite social workers, health professionals, lawyers, young people and carers to bring their expertise to the classroom.

You’ll also complete 170 days on placement in one of eight West London boroughs, where a number of innovative practice models are embedded across the region. These include, systemic practice, signs of safety and trauma informed approaches.

Upon completion of the programme, you’ll have the opportunity to complete a dissertation and gain a master’s qualification over the course of your first year in practice.

Further course information

Student experience.

At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.

Find out about how we support our students

You can also read our student blogs to find out about life at Herts.

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University's Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed "When tuition fees change"), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet

Blog Children’s social care

https://childrenssocialcare.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/04/step-up-to-social-work-learning-to-support-and-empower-vulnerable-families/

Step Up to Social Work: Learning to support and empower vulnerable families

Step up to social work is a department for education initiative which aims to encourage graduates and career changers to start a new career in social work, working with vulnerable children, young people and families., a full-time, fully funded programme, step up consists of 14 months of intensive study and real-life placements, leading to a postgraduate diploma in social work. in turn, it enables applicants to apply for a role as a social worker upon completion..

This year more than ever, it is essential that there is a substantial pool of talent from the breadth of society to apply to participate in the next cohort of Step Up to Social Work . A successful programme, working to increase the number of excellent social workers, will make a substantial contribution in meeting the challenge to protect the most vulnerable in society.

The application process to recruit the next set of trainees is now open, with final applications needing to be submitted by 7 April 2021.

Below we hear from three current Step Up students about their motivations when applying for the programme and their experiences of being on the course so far.

Amos, 28, training in Barnet

Amos, who will be graduating from Step Up in 2021, says this of the programme:

“Step Up is a great opportunity to develop both practical skills and theoretical knowledge to become an effective social worker, whilst working alongside experts in the field.”

Prior to Step Up, Amos spent around three years working in primary and secondary schools as a learning support assistant for students with autism, supporting young people by helping them to overcome the barriers to their learning. He also went on to be employed in the charity sector for a further three years at an educational social mobility charity.

When asked about his motivation when it came to applying:

I see myself as a person who is driven by wanting to pursue social justice on one side and supporting and empowering the most vulnerable members of society to make crucial changes in their lives on the other. I believe that my skills are closely aligned with that of a social worker, being able to actively listen and my ability to build trusting relationships. All my work experience before training harnessed my skillset and required me to be empathetic, non-judgemental but also to make professional decisions, sometimes in difficult circumstances.

When asked about his hopes once he’s a fully qualified social worker:

“Being able to support and empower families to make lasting changes that can positively impact their lives and the lives of those around them.

I would like to specialise in systemic practice, undertake extra training within my borough to gain a comprehensive understanding of this important social work framework and move into a career which puts the protection of young people, families and the vulnerable at the core.”

And his advice for those thinking of applying for the next round of Step Up?

“Make sure you are ready for the challenge and look upon it as a really exciting opportunity to gain new skills, develop personally and professionally and gain an extensive understanding of a whole line of work!”

Mark, 36, training at Goldsmiths University

Mark, who also is also due to graduate in 2021, tells us that he was partly motivated to enrol in Step Up due to his own personal experiences as a child.

“I was inspired to train in part as a result of my own experiences of poverty as a child and wanting to support others to access opportunities I had missed out on.”

Mark’s previous employment and voluntary work, which includes being a Samaritans volunteer and in accommodation for people with substance abuse needs, has led him to believe social work is the right path.

I really enjoyed working holistically with children and young people and felt social work would be a good way to develop my skills in this area. I also felt social work would be a good way to open up several other career doors in terms of work with young people, including youth offending services, residential and safeguarding. I hope this course will be a foundation to a more varied and perhaps more impactful future.

His highlight so far?

“The ability to work closely with children and families to explore opportunities for individual empowerment and positive change. The face-to-face work is really enjoyable, as is the reflection with colleagues.

At present, I’m proud of the work I have been doing with a young girl who appears to have learning needs but is otherwise fairly quiet in the classroom. Having looked at her attainment at reviews, we are now seeking to explore her needs in depth.”

Mark is certain that his plans, once he has graduated from the programme, include working with looked after children.

“I would also like to explore opportunities to develop advocacy support for children and families - particularly for children in need and for those affected by school exclusion risks.”

Finally, when asked for his advice and hopes for future candidates:

“Make sure you have strong experience of work with vulnerable young people.

I’m particularly aware I’m a man in a setting where there aren’t many men – it would be helpful to explore ways to engage men more in the workforce.”

Zeeshaan, 35, training at Middlesex University

Zeeshaan is a foster carer for his community and also a former Police Officer who had, up until making the decision to switch to social work, been in the Metropolitan Police for 9 years.

“Coming from a policing background, I have already worked closely with social workers when dealing with vulnerable young people and I have also worked in the child abuse investigation team.

Again being a foster carer, I have worked closely with social workers and a number of looked after young people.”

He goes on to explain his reason for applying:

“I have so much hands-on experience working with young people that I wanted this to be brought under a registration. I would like to work my way up and become a manager in the service.”

How is he finding Step Up so far?

“The Step Up programme is intense but well organised. This year has been heavily impacted by the pandemic, but Middlesex University has been excellent in transferring our learning onto a virtual platform and has kept us on track to finish on time.”

His highlights include:

“Being able to effect change in people’s lives. Knowing you have helped other people. Holding cases and being the lead professional in challenging yet rewarding situations.”

Any tips for future applicants?

“Be up for the challenge. This is an excellent course which I would recommend to anyone. It has a bit of everything and will give you an excellent insight into the role. It requires a lot of hard work and determination. It’s all worth it in the end!”

To find out more about the Step Up to Social Work programme, visit the information page for applicants .

Online applications are open until 7 April 2021. Successful applicants can expect to start the programme in January 2022, completing their training in March 2023.

Sharing and comments

Share this page, 13 comments.

Comment by Ana posted on 04 May 2021

Hi, does anyone know how to get in contact with someone regarding issues with submitting application to step up to social work program? I can't get any replies to emails and my application keeps getting reopened again and again, asking me to re-enter information that is already there. Thanks.

Comment by Admin posted on 04 May 2021

Thanks for your comment Ana. Please can you get in touch with [email protected] ?

Comment by Ana posted on 05 May 2021

Hi, no unfortunately not. As I mentioned, I'm not getting replies to any of my emails and they keep re-opening my application for the 3rd time now I think, asking me to enter something that's already there. So not sure how to proceed further as there's no way to communicate with anyone.

Comment by Nerice posted on 07 May 2021

Hi I’m having the exact same problem, I’ve been emails regarding uploading information that was already there. I’ve emailed the team and cannot get a response

Comment by M K posted on 05 May 2021

I am having exactly the same problem as Ana. I have contacted the above mentioned email, which appears to be manned by a number of people and takes quite a while to hear back from. I wish there were a telephone number to call, and be able to resolve the problem! I am anxious that I will not be considered due to a perceived lack of evidence of necessary qualifications, even though they are all there.

Comment by Admin posted on 06 May 2021

Apologies for these difficulties. We are looking into the problem with Capita who I have shared your contact email addresses with. They will be in touch with you directly to resolve the issue.

Comment by Selmasu Ermis posted on 06 May 2021

I have studied Level 3 Health And Social courses how could I join step up traning.

Comment by Laura Price posted on 12 May 2021

It would be next years application now as this year has closed unfortunatley

Comment by Yasemin Akin posted on 08 May 2021

Admin I completed my application and required documentation. I uploaded everything and they are saying incomplete. Now Step up have clised applications

PLEASE acknowledge my concerns.

Yasemin Akin

Comment by Laura Price posted on 09 May 2021

Hello, does anyone know when we will hear one way or the other about the next stage? It’s been a month now since applications closed. Many thanks

Comment by Kelly Nattress posted on 11 May 2021

I'm also wondering this. The next stage of the process for applicants starts in June/July...

Comment by Judith Okoro posted on 11 May 2021

When will i be contacted to know if i was successful or not?

Comment by Admin posted on 11 May 2021

Applications for this cohort have now closed and sifting is underway. If you have submitted an application, you should receive a response soon.

Capita is aware of an issue with potential missing information in some applications. We have passed on the contact email addresses of those who have raised concerns and they are looking into the problem. Please ensure that any emails to Capita are clearly labelled in the subject header.

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Enter a profession which is both a challenging and rewarding career, through which you can make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children and families

Applications are now closed for the 2024 Step Up to Social Work programme.

Please note that the DfE may award funding for another round of Step Up programmes to begin in 2026.  However, this is unconfirmed. 

If you were unsuccessful in your 2023 application, missed the opportunity to apply and or are unable to wait for the next possible programme, you could consider alternative routes into social work, such as the University of Birmingham's Masters in social work programme. 

MA Social Work 

We have places available on our MA Social Work course at the University of Birmingham. These places have a bursary attached for eligible students. The NHS bursary can support you with your study fees and the cost of living. Read more about the bursary , including eligibility criteria. 

If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer: [email protected]

The Step up to Social Work programme  

As a social worker, you will need to build relationships with families facing difficult times, listen, enable and advocate and work with empathy, compassion and humility. Your emotional intelligence, resilience, stamina, and resolve will be tested as you negotiate complex human rights, ethical and moral issues, which demand self-awareness, a non-judgemental attitude and high order thinking skills. The tests of social work are rewarded with the chance to facilitate positive change in the lives of those you work with.

This programme, delivered by the University of Birmingham and in collaboration with the West Midlands Regional Teaching Partnership, will ensure you meet the requirements for a social work qualification on successful completion of all modules and placements. Once awarded a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in Social Work, you will be able to register with Social Work England and practice as a social worker.

Social Work is an academic and practice-based discipline therefore, all students will be expected to perform with academic skill in equal measure to practical skill. This duality is reflected in the 14 month programme, which features several assessed modules designed to develop your social work knowledge, skills and values.

We offer a range of learning activities throughout, drawing upon contributions from our 'Lived Experience' (service user and carer) team, local professionals and former students. In addition to the taught sessions, you will complete 2 practice learning opportunities ('placements') in which you are expected to apply your research and theory informed learning in practical ways. Placements are identified by the Regional Partnership team and will be based in the Local Authority area you are assigned to.  

The Step Up programme is backed by a £25m investment by the Department for Education to support 700 individuals to enter the social work profession in local authorities across England in 2024. The Department for Education covers the cost of your university tuition and provides a tax-free bursary of £19,833 paid over the duration of the programme to support you during your training.  This bursary reflects the fact that it is highly unlikely that you will be able to take any paid employment at any point in the 14 month programme and that you are committing to post graduate employment in a Children and Families service within a Local Authority or Trust.

Please note that if your programme is extended for any reason e.g. missed placement days or repeat placements days, you may not complete in 14 months and will need to consider contingencies.

Our Standard Requirements

International requirements.

Holders of a Licence, Diplome, Diplome d'Etudes Superieures, Diplome d'Ingenieur or a Diplome d'Architecte from a recognised university in Algeria will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of one of these qualifications will normally be expected to have achieved a score of 15/20 for 2:1 equivalency or 13/20 for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Argentinian university, with a promedio of at least 7.5, may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent

A Bachelors (Honours) degree from an accredited Australian higher education institution may be considered for admission to a Masters degree.   Applicants with 3 year Bachelors with distinction from a recognised university, can be considered for admission to a Masters degree.

Holders of a Diplom, a Diplomstudium/Magister or a three-year Bachelors degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 for 2:1 equivalency or 3.0 for 2:2 equivalency, or a high-scoring Fachhochschuldiplom (FH) from a recognised Austrian Fachhochschule, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Students with a good 5-year Specialist Diploma or 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan, with a minimum GPA of 4/5 or 80% will be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Birmingham.

For postgraduate research programmes applicants should have a good 5-year Specialist Diploma (completed after 1991), with a minimum grade point average of 4/5 or 80%, from a recognised higher education institution or a Masters or “Magistr Diplomu” or “Kandidat Nauk” from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan.

 Holders of a bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Bahrain will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a Bachelors (Honours) degree of three years duration, followed by a Masters degree of one or two years duration from a recognised university in Bangladesh will be considered for postgraduate taught study. Students with a Bachelors degree of at least four years duration may also be considered for postgraduate study. Degrees must be from a recognised institution in Bangladesh.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0-3.3/4.0 or 65% or above for 2:1 equivalency, or a GPA of 2.6-3.1/4.0 or 60% or above for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Students who hold a Masters degree from the University of Botswana with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (70%/B/'very good') will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Please note 4-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a Diploma of Higher Education. 5-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree.

Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

A Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree from a recognised Brazilian university:

• A grade of 7.5/10 for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
• A grade of 6.5/10for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement

Holders of a good Bachelors degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma za Zavarsheno Visshe Obrazovanie (‘Diploma of Completed Higher Education’), a pre-2001 Masters degree or a post-2001 Bachelors degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 5 out of 6, mnogo dobur/’very good’ for 2:1 equivalence; or 4 out of 6, dobur/’good’ for 2:2 equivalence; will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students with a minimum average of 14 out of 20 (or 70%) on a 4-year Licence, Bachelor degree or Diplôme d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce (DESC) or Diplôme d'Ingénieur or a Maîtrise will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Canadian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A GPA of 3.0/4, 7.0/9 or 75% is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1.

Holders of the Licenciado or equivalent Professional Title from a recognised Chilean university will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD study will preferably hold a Magister degree or equivalent.

Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below.  Please note: for the subject areas below we use the Shanghai Ranking 2022 (full table)  ,  Shanghai Ranking 2023 (full table) , and Shanghai Ranking of Chinese Art Universities 2023 .

需要具备学士学位（4年制）的申请人可申请研究生课程。请根据所申请的课程查看相应的入学要求。 请注意，中国院校名单参考 软科中国大学排名2022（总榜） ，  软科中国大学排名2023（总榜） ，以及 软科中国艺术类高校名单2023 。  

Business School    - MSc programmes (excluding MBA)  

商学院硕士课程（MBA除外）入学要求

School of Computer Science – all MSc programmes 计算机学院硕士课程入学要求

College of Social Sciences – courses listed below 社会科学 学院部分硕士课程入学要求 MA Education  (including all pathways) MSc TESOL Education MSc Public Management MA Global Public Policy MA Social Policy MA Sociology Department of Political Science and International Studies  全部硕士课程 International Development Department  全部硕士课程

  All other programmes (including MBA)   所有其他 硕士课程（包括 MBA）入学要求

Please note:

• Borderline cases: We may consider students with lower average score (within 5%) on a case-by-case basis if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience. 如申请人均分低于相应录取要求（5%以内），但具有出色学术背景，优异的专业成绩，以及（或）相关的工作经验，部分课程将有可能单独酌情考虑。
• Please contact the China Recruitment Team for any questions on the above entry requirements. 如果您对录取要求有疑问，请联系伯明翰大学中国办公室   [email protected]

Holders of the Licenciado/Professional Title from a recognised Colombian university will be considered for our Postgraduate Diploma and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent.

Holders of a good bachelor degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma Visoko Obrazovanje (Advanced Diploma of Education) or Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, for 2:1 equivalence or 3.0 out of 5.0, dobar ‘good’, for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree(from the University of the West Indies or the University of Technology) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A Class II Upper Division degree is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1. For further details on particular institutions please refer to the list below.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Masters degree or Mphil from the University of the West Indies.

Holders of a good four-year government-accredited Bachelors degree from a recognised Higher Education college with a minimum overall GPA of 3 out of 4 for 2:1 equivalency, or a GPA of 2.75 out of 4 for 2:2 equivalency; or a good four-year Bachelors degree (Ptychio) from a recognised University, with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 5.5 for 2:2 equivalency; will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a good Bakalár, or a good pre-2002 Magistr, from a recognised Czech Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, velmi dobre ‘very good’ (post-2004) or 2, velmi dobre ‘good’ (pre-2004), for 2:1 equivalence, or 2.5, C, dobre ‘good’ (post-2004) or 3, dobre ‘pass’ (pre-2004) for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good Bachelors degree/Candidatus Philosophiae, Professionbachelor or Eksamensbevis from a recognised Danish university, with a minimum overall grade of 7-10 out of 12 (or 8 out of 13) or higher for 2:1 equivalence, or 4-7 out of 12 (or 7 out of 13) for 2:2 equivalence depending on the awarding institution will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Ecuadorian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 70% or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Magister/Masterado or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Licenciado with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Egypt will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4 for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8 for 2:2 equivalency. Applicants holding a Bachelors degree with alternative grading systems, will normally be expected to have achieved a 75% (Very Good) for 2:1 equivalency or 65% (Good) for 2:2 equivalency. For applicants with a grading system different to those mentioned here, please contact [email protected] for advice on what the requirements will be for you.

Holders of a good Bakalaurusekraad from a recognised university or Applied Higher Education Institution with a minimum overall grade of 4/5 or B for 2:1 equivalency or 3/5 or C for 2:2 equivalency, or a good Rakenduskõrgharidusõppe Diplom (Professional Higher Education Diploma), will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with very good grades (grade B, 3.5/4 GPA or 85%) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

Holders of a good Ammattikorkeakoulututkinto (AMK) (new system), an Yrkeshögskoleexamen (YHS) (new system), a Kandidaatti / Kandidat (new system), an Oikeustieteen Notaari or a Rättsnotarie, a good Kandidaatti / Kandidat (old system), a professional title such as Ekonomi, Diplomi-insinööri, Arkkitehti, Lisensiaatti (in Medicine, Dentistry and Vetinary Medicine), or a Maisteri / Magister (new system), Lisensiaatti / Licenciat, Oikeustieteen Kandidaatti / Juris Kandidat (new system) or Proviisori / Provisor from a recognised Finnish Higher Education institution, with a minimum overall grade of 2/3 or 3-4/5 for 2:1 equivalence or 1-2/3 or 2.5-3/5 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good three-year Licence, License Professionnelle, Diplôme d'Ingénieur/Architecte Diplômé d'État, Diplôme from an Ecole Superieure de Commerce / Gestion / Politique, or Diplome d'Etat Maitrise of three years duration or a Maîtrise from a recognised French university or Grande École will be considered for postgraduate taught study.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a minimum overall grade of 13 out of 20, bien, for 2:1 equivalency, or 11 out of 20, assez bien, for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Holders of a good three-year Bachelor degree, a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university, or a good Fachhochschuldiplom from a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences), with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 for 2:1 equivalency, or 3.0 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students from Germany who have completed three years of the Erstes Staatsexamen qualification with a grade point average (GPA) of 10 from the first six semesters of study within the Juristische Universitätsprüfung programme would be considered for entry onto LLM programmes.  Students from Germany who have completed the five year Erstes Staatsexamen qualification with a grade point average (GPA) of 6.5 would be considered for entry onto LLM programmes. 

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good four-year Ptychio (Bachelor degree) from a recognised Greek university (AEI) with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 5.5 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalency, or a good four-year Ptychio from a recognised Technical Higher Education institution (TEI) with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 6.5 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

4-year Licenciado is deemed equivalent to a UK bachelors degree. A score of 75 or higher from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) can be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 60 is comparable to a UK 2.2.  Private universities have a higher pass mark, so 80 or higher should be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 70 is comparable to a UK 2.2

The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.

Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Alapfokozat / Alapképzés (Bachelors degree) or Egyetemi Oklevel (university diploma) from a recognised Hungarian university, or a Foiskola Oklevel (college diploma) from a recognised college of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 3.5 for 2:1 equivalency, or 3 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a Bachelors degree of three or four years in duration from a recognised university in India will be considered for postgraduate taught study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved 55% - 60% or higher for 2:1 equivalency, or 50% - 55% for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Either: A four-year Bachelors degree (first class or very good upper second class)

Or: A three-year Bachelors degree (first class) from recognised institutions in India.

For MSc programmes, the Business School will consider holders of three-year degree programmes (first class or very good upper second class) from recognised institutions in India.

For entry to LLM programmes, Birmingham is happy to accept applications from 3 or 5 year LLB holders from India from prestigious institutions.

Holders of the 4 year Sarjana (S1) from a recognised Indonesian institution will be considered for postgraduate study. Entry requirements vary with a minimum requirement of a GPA of 2.8.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Iran with a minimum of 14/20 or 70% will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate taught programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Iraq will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency, or 2.8/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Israel will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 80% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a good Diploma di Laurea, Licenza di Accademia di Belle Arti, Diploma di Mediatore Linguistico or Diploma Accademico di Primo Livello from a recognised Italian university with a minimum overall grade of 100 out of 110 for 2:1 equivalence, or 92 out of 110 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold the Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies, Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Students with a Bachelor degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for entry to a postgraduate Masters degree provided they achieve a sufficiently high overall score in their first (Bachelor) degree. A GPA of 3.0/4.0 or a B average from a good Japanese university is usually considered equivalent to a UK 2:1.

Students with a Masters degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for PhD study. A high overall grade will be necessary to be considered.

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Jordan will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Students who have completed their Specialist Diploma Мамаң дипломы/Диплом специалиста) or "Magistr" (Магистр дипломы/Диплом магистра) degree (completed after 1991) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate Masters degrees and, occasionally, directly for PhD degrees.  Holders of a Bachelor "Bakalavr" degree (Бакалавр дипломы/Диплом бакалавра) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of  2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, may also be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/50

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Kuwait will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a good pre-2000 Magistrs or post-2000 Bakalaurs from a recognised university, or a good Postgraduate Diploma (professional programme) from a recognised university or institution of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 6.5 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Lebanon will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a score of 16/20 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency, or 14/20 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Libya will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency. Alternatively students will require a minimum of 3.0/4.0 or BB to be considered.

Holders of a good Bakalauras (post 2001), Profesinis Bakalauras (post 2001) or pre-2001 Magistras from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalency, or 7 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good Bachelors degree or Diplôme d'Ingénieur Industriel from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20 for 2:1 equivalence, or 14 out of 20 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (70-74% or A or Marginal Distinction from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 60-69% or B or Bare Distinction/Credit is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Malaysian institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum of 3.0) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Higher Education Institution with a minimum grade of 2:1 (Hons) for UK 2:1 equivalency, or 2:2 (Hons) for UK 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (Honours) from a recognised institution (including the University of Mauritius) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2:1).

Students who hold the Licenciado/Professional Titulo from a recognised Mexican university with a promedio of at least 8 will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who have completed a Maestria from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a Bachelors degree, licence or Maîtrise from a recognised university in Morocco will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a score of 15/20 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency, or 13/20 for 2:2 equivalency.

Students with a good four year honours degree from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. PhD applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors (Honours) degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Nepal will be considered for postgraduate taught study. Students with a Bachelors degree of at least three years duration plus a Masters degree may also be considered for postgraduate study. Degrees must be from a recognised institution in Nepal.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.2/4.0 or 65%-79% average or higher for 2:1 equivalency, or a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 60%-65% for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Dutch university, or Bachelors degree from a recognised Hogeschool (University of Professional Education), or a good Doctoraal from a recognised Dutch university, with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalence, or 6 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (minimum 4 years and/or level 400) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0

Holders of a good three-six-year Bachelorgrad, Candidatus Magisterii, Sivilingeniø (siv. Ing. - Engineering), "Siviløkonom" (siv. Øk. - Economics) degree from a recognised Norwegian education institution with a minimum GPA of B/Very Good or 1.6-2.5 for a 2.1 equivalency, or a GPA of C/Good or 2.6-3.2 for a 2.2 equivalency; will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Oman will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years in duration from a recognised university in Pakistan will be considered for postgraduate taught study. Students with a Bachelors degree of at least three years duration followed by a Masters degree of one or two years duration, or holders of a two year Bachelors degree and a two year Masters degree in the same subject, may also be considered for postgraduate study.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 2.8-3.0/4.0 or 65% or above for 2:1 equivalency, or a GPA of 2.6/4.0 or 60% or above for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

A two-year degree followed by a three-year LLB will count as a full Bachelors degree.

All qualifications must be from recognised institutions. For further details on recognised institutions, please refer to Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in the Palestinian Territories will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3/4 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency or a GPA of 2.5/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.    

Holders of the Título de Licenciado /Título de (4-6 years) or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Paraguayan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 4/5 or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  The Título Intermedio is a 2-3 year degree and is equivalent to a HNC, it is not suitable for postgraduate entry but holders of this award could be considered for second year undergraduate entry or pre-Masters.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría / Magister or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Título/Grado de Licenciado/a with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of the Licenciado, with at least 13/20 may be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. The Grado de Bachiller is equivalent to an ordinary degree, so grades of 15+/20 are required.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría or equivalent qualification.

Holders of a good post-2001 Licencjat / Inzynier (Bachelors degree), or a pre-2001 Magister, from a recognised Polish university, with a minimum overall grade of 4.5/4+ out of 5, dobry plus ‘better than good’ for 2:1 equivalence, or 4 out of 5, dobry 'good' for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good Licenciado from a recognised university, or a Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised Polytechnic Institution, with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, bom com distinção ‘good with distinction’, for 2:1 equivalence, or 14 out of 20, bom ‘good’, for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Qatar will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a good Diplomă de Licenţă, Diplomă de Inginer, Diplomă de Urbanist Diplomat, Diplomă de Arhitect, Diplomă de Farmacist or Diplomã de Doctor-Medic Arhitect (Bachelors degree) from a recognised Romanian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalence, or 7 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a good Диплом Бакалавра (Bakalavr) degree with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 from recognised universities in Russia may be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes/MPhil degrees. 

Students who hold a 4-year Bachelor degree with at least 16/20 or 70% will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in the Saudi Arabia will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Students who hold a Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies,Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. A score of 14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2

Students who hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (or a score of 60-69% or B+) from a well ranked institution will be considered for most our Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees with a 2:1 requirement.

Students holding a good Bachelors Honours degree will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good three-year Bakalár or pre-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, Vel’mi dobrý ‘very good’ for 2:1 equivalence, or 2, C, Dobrý ‘good’ for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Holders of a good Diploma o pridobljeni univerzitetni izobrazbi (Bachelors degree), Diplomant (Professionally oriented first degree), Univerzitetni diplomant (Academically oriented first degree) or Visoko Obrazovanja (until 1999) from a recognised Slovenian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8.0 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalence, or 7.0 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. 

Students who hold a Bachelor Honours degree (also known as Baccalaureus Honores / Baccalaureus Cum Honoribus) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (70%) or a distinction (75%).

Holders of a Masters degree will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelor degree from a recognised South Korean institution (usually with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average 3.0/4.0 or 3.2/4.5) will be considered for Masters programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Título de Licenciado / Título Universitario Oficial de Graduado (Grado) /Título de Ingeniero / Título de Arquitecto from a recognised Spanish university with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10 for 2:1 equivalence, or 6 out of 10 for 2:2 equivalence, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a Special or Professional Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in Sri Lanka will be considered for postgraduate taught study.

Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved 60-74% or a CGPA 3.30/4.0 or B+ for 2:1 equivalency, or 55-59% or a CGPA 3.0/4.0 or B for 2:2 equivalency depending on the awarding institution.  

Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd) for 2:1 equivalency, or G (godkänd) for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd), and/or a good Magisterexamen (Masters degree), International Masters degree or Licentiatexamen (comparable to a UK Mphil), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good " Baccalauréat universitaire/ Diplom / Diplôme; Lizentiat / Licence; Staatsdiplom / Diplôme d'Etat" degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Syria will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70%, or ‘very good’ for 2:1 equivalency or 60%, or ‘good’ for 2:2 equivalency.  

Holders of a good Bachelor degree (from 75% to 85% depending upon the university in Taiwan) from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate Masters study. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level. Holders of Bachelors degree from prestigious institutions (see list below) will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4.0 for 2:1 equivalency or 2.7 for 2:2 equivalency. Applicants with grades slightly below these requirements may also be considered for an offer if they have a relevant Bachelors degree, good scores in relevant modules, or relevant work experience.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from all other institutions will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.2/4.0 for 2:1 equivalency, or 2.8 for 2:2 equivalency.

Prestigious institutions: Assumption University Chiang Mai University Chulalongkorn University Kasetsart University Khon Kaen University King Mongkut University of Technology - Thonburi (known as KMUTT or KMUT) Mahidol University Prince of Songla University Srinakharinwirot University Thammasat University

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Caribbean and West Indies university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. 

Students with a Bachelors degree from the following universities may be considered for entry to postgraduate programmes:

• Ateneo de Manila University - Quezon City
• De La Salle University - Manila
• University of Santo Tomas
• University of the Philippines - Diliman

Students from all other institutions with a Bachelors and a Masters degree or relevant work experience may be considered for postgraduate programmes.

Grading Schemes

1-5 where 1 is the highest 2.1 = 1.75 2.2 = 2.25 

Out of 4.0 where 4 is the highest 2.1 = 3.0 2.2 = 2.5

Letter grades and percentages 2.1 = B / 3.00 / 83% 2.2 = C+ / 2.5 / 77%

Holders of a postdoctoral qualification from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.  Students may be considered for PhD study if they have a Masters from one of the above listed universities.

Holders of a Lisans Diplomasi with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/4.0 from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a Yuksek Diplomasi from a recognised university will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a Bachelors degree of four years duration from a recognised university in the UAE will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3.0/4, 3.75/5 or 75% for 2:1 equivalency or 2.8/4, 3.5/5 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.  

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (2.1) or GPA of 3.5/5.0

Holders of a good four-year Bachelors degree/ Диплом бакалавра (Dyplom Bakalavra), Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist Diploma) or a Dyplom Magistra from a recognised institution, with a minimum GPA of 4.0/5.0, 3.5/4, 8/12 or 80% or higher for 2:1 equivalence, or a GPA of 3.5/5.0, 3.0/4, 6/12 or 70% for 2:2 equivalence, depending on the awarding institution, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

The University will consider students who hold an Honours degree from a recognised institution in the USA with a GPA of:

• 2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement 
• 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement 

Please note that some subjects which are studied at postgraduate level in the USA, eg. Medicine and Law, are traditionally studied at undergraduate level in the UK.

Holders of the Magistr Diplomi (Master's degree) or Diplomi (Specialist Diploma), awarded by prestigious universities, who have attained high grades in their studies will be considered for postgraduate study.  Holders of the Fanlari Nomzodi (Candidate of Science), where appropriate, will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of the Licenciatura/Título or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Venezuelan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Scales of 1-5, 1-10 and 1-20 are used, an overall score of 70% or equivalent can be considered equivalent to a UK 2.1.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Maestria or equivalent qualification

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Vietnamese institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum GPA of 7.0 and above) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.  Holders of a Masters degree (thac si) will be considered for entry to PhD programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 or a mark of 2.0/2.5 (A) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a good Bachelor Honours degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

You should commit to academic study Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 4.00pm approximately. You need also to commit to a first placement of 70 days (Monday to Friday) and a second for 100 days (Monday to Friday). There will be 1 independent study day per week during module teaching weeks, and a series of 'Practice Consolidation Days' for reflection during your placement.

All teaching and learning activities are linked to Social Work England’s professional standards and the British Association of Social Worker’s capabilities framework, to ensure you meet the requirements for a social work qualification at the close of the programme. Once you have successfully completed all modules and 2 placements, you will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work enabling you to apply to register with Social Work England and practice as a social worker. 

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Guide for the First Year Social Work Student

Aug 21, 2020

By Emily Glazer

Emily Glazer

Congratulations! If you are reading this that means you are probably starting your first year of school as a social work student or maybe you’re currently in social work school, looking into possible careers and majors. Now that we are getting towards the end of summer and transitioning into fall, that means some are going back to school! If you are a first-year social work student what can you expect?

The first day, week, month, even semester of school can bring a variety of emotions. I hope these tips, tricks, and information on social work can help you to feel more relaxed about beginning your journey.

Planning Your Schedule

• If classes are on campus, (make sure to read your school’s most updated COVID-19 policy) give yourself a break when you have a full day of classes. You might not think you will need it, but you will.
• Give yourself enough time to walk to different parts of the campus. If you have a social work class on one end of campus, but then you have a prerequisite on the opposite end of campus, make sure you allow yourself the time to get to your next class. When it comes to walking across campus you want to give yourself a cushion—just in case you stay after your previous class, the weather is bad, whatever it is, having time to get to your classes can help a lot.
• Choose electives that interest you! Your elective classes are there for you to explore what your school has to offer outside of your chosen major. Some electives will be specific to your major, but the others you choose are up to you, so take the ones that you think you will enjoy the most. Who knows? You might end up double majoring in it or having it become your minor. That is what happened to me. I ended up becoming interested in sociology after my introduction class, took the electives, and continued on that track for a minor.
• Understand the style of the class in which it is taught. There’s face to face instruction, online, and hybrid. What are all of these? In face to face classes, you’ll meet on a regular basis in the classroom. This is where you will have your lectures, group work, in class assignments, and more. When it comes to online classes, you will never show up to a physical classroom and your professor will present you with Power Points, discussion boards, assignments, and exams all virtually. Hybrid classes are a combination of face to face and online instruction. Your instructor will lay out all the dates you need to be in the classroom and when you are not in the classroom, you will be expected to do class virtually.

Staying Organized

How do you juggle classes, work, and everything that comes in between? Maybe you really want to go to that club meeting at 12:00 but you have a 2:30 class and the paper is due, and you haven’t finished it yet. What do you do and how do you stay organized as a college student?

• Buy a planner! This will be your best friend. Write down all your class times, work schedule, social plans, and whatever else it is that is keeping you busy as soon as you know them. That way you don’t accidentally double book or miss an important deadline. Having a planner to refer back to makes life a lot easier. (Helpful tip, I also liked keeping a daily schedule in the front that had my class days, times, and room numbers. It really helped me at the beginning of each semester!)
• Refer to your syllabi and keep printed copies on hand for each class. Your professors will give you a copy of their syllabus on the first day of class and may make it available online before then. The syllabus not only contains all the class rules, procedures, and guidelines for that specific professor, but it has a calendar for the semester. All your due dates will be listed with instructions to that specific assignment. The dates of your exams and possible days off will also be listed. Make sure to go through your syllabi and mark down any date in your planner and highlight the information that you find important. Keep in mind that some details in your syllabi might change as the semester progresses. Reading your syllabi might feel overwhelming at first, but once you get adjusted and really figure out the style of the class it will all become easier.
• Get your textbooks before the first day of class and stay on top of your readings. Most likely, there will be weekly readings and staying on top of them helps you to come prepared to your classes and have a better understanding of the material.
• Don’t overbook yourself. College is filled with clubs, activities on campus, friends, and of course classes. Just make sure you are not taking on more than you can handle. You don’t have to be in every club and take part in each and every activity. Just try out what interests you.

Getting a Taste of Social Work

You have your planner, your syllabi, your textbooks, and have already made it to your first club meeting, that is great! Now what?

Your first semester of social work classes are going to be very exciting! These are your classes where you are going to get an overview as to what exactly social work is, how it began, and you’ll get an understanding for all the different types of social workers out there. It might feel as if there is a lot of information to absorb, but by taking it one class at a time and reviewing your notes each week, everything will come together.

There is also no pressure to know what type of social worker you want to become. There are many different types of social workers out there and you are just learning. Chances are, what you think you want, may not be what you go into. Before I started school, I thought I wanted to work in child welfare, but now, here I am getting a master’s degree in counseling on the path to becoming a school-based therapist!

Starting college is an exciting time, this is your first step to becoming a social worker. Don’t be afraid to ask questions along the way. Your professors and advisors are all there to help you. Enjoy the ride!

Here’s to a great school year. I hope it is filled with lots of good vibes and positivity!

Reprinted with permission from Social and Relevant: All things relevant to the modern social worker, by a social worker. You can reach Emily Glazer at [email protected] and follower her @social_and_relevant on Instagram.

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Home » PCF Toolkit

• PCF Toolkit

The Professional Capabilities Framework is the profession-owned, overarching framework of social work education and professional development in England. There are nine domains within the framework and social work students and qualified social workers are required to evidence their capability against each of these.

This is a straightforward toolkit for Practice Educators to use with their students. The tools can be used to assess and facilitate a student’s learning and enable them to evidence how they are demonstrating their knowledge, skills and values across the domains.

The toolkit is a mixture of worksheets, exercises and discussion tools that you as a Practice Educator can utilise with your student on placement. The tools have been categorised by domain, just click on the domain you want to explore with your student below.

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Student selection

Ensure the highest calibre of social work students with the attributes, competencies and passion needed to thrive in the profession are recruited to our academic programmes.

Curriculum development

Develop a curriculum that aligns with local need and is grounded not only in research and the CSWs’ KSS, but also in practice.

Readiness for practice

Give students the experience and support they need to ensure they are ready to practice within our region as Newly Qualified Social Workers.

Academics in practice

Ensure practice across our region is consistently informed by theory and research and that academics’ teaching is equally informed by practice.

Regional progression and development

Create regional progression pathways and CPD opportunities capable of attracting and retaining the best and brightest social workers in the UK.

Future workforce

Better understand our regional labour market to enable us to develop a robust plan to meet our partnership’s current and future workforce demands.

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It's now easier to find out what it’s like to work with us, browse jobs, and apply. Visit our new website now  then take our survey to tell us what you think.

Step Up to Social Work

Step Up to Social Work is a Department for Education-funded, fast-track programme that sees high calibre candidates qualified as Social Workers in 14 months. The programme is designed to support highly skilled graduates into social care. Applications for Cohort 8 have now closed. 

Candidates receive a tax-free bursary payment of £19,833 over the duration of the programme and payment of University fees.

On completion, candidates obtain a postgraduate diploma in Social Work, allowing them to register and practice as a social worker. Step Up is employer-led, delivered by the North, Central, East London Regional Partnership, made up of the London Boroughs of Islington, Hackney, Haringey, Enfield, Camden and Barnet, in collaboration with our academic partner Middlesex University. All of our boroughs are currently rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. We are at the forefront of improving outcomes for children and families with a number of innovative practice models including systemic practice, signs of safety and motivational interviewing. We also offer fantastic opportunities for training and development and support candidates to consolidate academic learning with real-life placement experiences.

Benefits of Step Up

• It’s funded: Step Up students receive a bursary of £19,833 to train and there are no tuition fees to pay meaning it’s a unique opportunity to earn while you learn
• It’s fast-track: after 14 months students qualify as a social worker, can register with Social Work England and are able to seek employment
• It’s employer-led: students are hosted by one of the Local Authorities in the partnership, undertaking 170 days on placement and gaining real social work experience, knowledge and skills in combination with academic study
• It’s a path to employment: upon successful completion of the programme, we aim to support graduates to apply for social work positions within the boroughs of the partnership

Qualifications needed to apply

Social work is both a challenging and rewarding career through which you can make a real difference for vulnerable children and families. Candidates will need to build relationships with families facing difficult times, show a lot of patience and be a good listener. Candidates will also need good observational skills, analytical thinking and sound judgement to make the right decisions and protect children. We are looking for strong graduates who have experience of working with children, young people and families and who can demonstrate their maturity and emotional resilience. Candidates must have:

• A minimum 2:2 Level 6 degree qualification (in any subject other than Social Work)
• GCSE English or English Language and Mathematics at Grade C or above, or the new grade 4 and above (or approved equivalent)
• Demonstrate significant experience of either working or substantial volunteering with vulnerable children, young people and/or families/carers or adults

We particularly welcome applications from men and from BAME candidates, as these groups are under-represented in this area of social work.

How to apply

Online applications for Cohort 8 are now closed. If the DfE decide to fund a future Cohort it is likely the application window will open in February 2025 with the programme starting in January 2026.  Applications are managed centrally by the Department for Education , so please refer to their website for any future updates.

What our students say

The North, Central, East London Regional Partnership has supported three cohorts of Step Up students through their programme. Many of our graduates have successfully found employment in our Local Authorities and are now supporting current Step Up students on placement.

Some of our students have said the following about their experience on the programme: “I enjoyed my placements most, being able to work in an adult and child setting and still having the time at university to reflect on what I had learnt whilst on placement… The practice educators were so supportive and I made good use of the regular supervision.” – Paris, Step Up student in Islington Cohort 5 “I have loved being on this course! I have learned more than I thought possible…The support and care from everyone has been unbelievable, everybody wants you to achieve and do well and it really shows.” – Faye, Step Up student in Enfield Cohort 6 “The course offers the perfect blend between academic and practical learning…I’ve been made to feel that the staff are on my side, and really want for me to pass and become a good social worker.” - Michael, Step Up student in Haringey Cohort 6 “The social workers that I have worked with during my placements have been passionate and I have found it inspiring to work alongside them - it has really made me feel that my decision to train as a social worker was the right one.” – Liz, Step Up student in Hackney Cohort 6 “I would advise anybody that was considering applying for Step Up to Social Work to go ahead and apply... Do not doubt yourself, there is no time like the present, if you want to be a social worker it is a great opportunity to learn, gain work experience and qualify at the same time alongside a bursary.” – Shelbie, Step Up student in Barnet Cohort 6 For me, the biggest supporting factor was the promotion of taking care of yourself and prioritising your emotional wellbeing that all facilitators, academics and sponsoring boroughs within the programme have made paramount…We really are a family in this Step Up cohort…It is so great to learn from other students cross-borough and in supervision, and to exchange experiences and ideas. My peers have played an invaluable part in my learning journey.” – Maggie, Step UP student in Haringey Cohort 7 “For me, Step Up has felt like a logical next step and I’ve learnt a lot about the work and myself in the process. There have been points where it has been very intensive but overall I have enjoyed the chance to learn and study again, while also working and applying that learning. It is great to have a group of students in the same position as you and that has been one of the best sources of support.” – Alastair, Step Up student in Islington Cohort 6 “I enjoyed the environment and being able to experience what it is like to work for a local authority and to have the experience of how the life of an honest social worker can be. They don't hold back and give you the whole experience of what being a social worker is like.” – Leticia, Step Up student Barnet Cohort 7 Two of our students from Cohort 6, Amos and Zeeshaan were both interviewed by the DfE about their experiences on Step Up.  Find out what they had to say.  

More information

If you are interested in finding out more about Step Up or whether you are eligible to apply, please read our FAQ’s below. If you have any further questions please contact Claire Bendjillali, Step Up to Social Work Programme Manager at  [email protected] More information about the role of a children’s Social Worker can be found by reading the  Knowledge and Skills Statement  and the  Professional Capabilities Framework .

Frequently Asked Questions about Step Up to Social Work

How is step up to social work different from other social work programmes, what are step up to social work applicants expected to know, how do i apply for step up to social work, what funding is available and do i have to pay course fees.

Students receive a tax free bursary of £19,833 in total, paid over 15 months.   The bursary is paid directly into your bank account.   Your tuition fees are paid by the DfE if you live in England at the time of your studies.   Tuition fees are paid directly to the University.

What qualifications do I need for Step Up to Social Work?

To apply, you need to have a 2:2 degree in any subject other than Social Work. Applicants must also:

• have GCSE in English and Maths at a grade C or above, or equivalent
• have significant relevant experience (voluntary or paid) working with vulnerable children, young people or families for at least 6 months full time, or longer part time

Applicants must be able to provide copies of all qualification certificates. You will be advised nearer the time how and when to provide them. You will not be able to proceed with the assessment centre if you are unable to provide your certificates. The eligibility criteria for Step Up to Social Work is set by the Department for Education. If you do not have the correct qualifications or do not have sufficient relevant work or voluntary experience, then your application will be rejected.

I can’t find my qualification certificates, what should I do?

I have a temporary student visa, can i still apply, can i have a career break from my current employment or can i be seconded to the step up programme from the local authority i can currently employed by, what local authorities in the ncel rp are offering places will i get my first choice local authority, what is the assessment process what does the assessment centre consist of.

If you are successful at the application stage you will be invited to complete a one hour written exercise.   It is expected this will take place in June 2023.   The written exercise is accessed via an online platform.   Further details will be sent to you closer to the time.

You will then be invited to attend the assessment centre.   The assessment centre is expected to take place in June/July 2023.   At the assessment centre there will be a formal interview with a Senior Social Worker or Manager and a University academic, a Practice Scenario (role play) and a Group Exercise.   You will need to pass all 4 assessment elements in order to be offered a place on the programme.

The NCEL RP will be holding the assessment centre virtually.   If you anticipate any difficulties in accessing a virtual assessment centre, you must let the Programme Manager know as soon as possible so that reasonable adjustments can be made.

I will need special equipment and/or reasonable adjustments to access the assessment centre and to undertake the programme – how will I get this?

If you require special equipment and/or reasonable adjustments, we ask that you let the Step Up Programme Manager know at the earliest opportunity so that necessary arrangements can be made.   Once you have been offered a place on the programme, you will need to complete an Occupational Health form where you can declare any requirements.   The University will also be able to refer you to the Occupational Health service once you are a registered student.

Needing special equipment and/or a reasonable adjustment does not prevent you from applying to or gaining a place on the Step Up programme.   We have supported many students who have required reasonable adjustments due to dyslexia, ADHD and physical and mental health conditions for example.   We would always encourage you to be open and honest about any support you may require at the earliest opportunity so that we can ensure the support you need is put in place as soon as possible.

What will happen after I receive an offer?

If i am offered a place but can’t start in january 2024, can i defer my place until the next cohort.

The DfE have agreed funding for Cohort 8 of Step Up to Social Work.   You are unable to defer your place as the DfE have not agreed funding for future cohorts as yet.

I have been placed on the reserve list. What is the likelihood I may be offered a place on the programme?

When will i receive the student bursary contract, where and when is the step up to social work programme taught, will i officially be a student, when will i be on placement what are the hours i am on placement, can i choose where i have my placement, how many days holiday will i have and can i take my holiday at anytime, will i be paid travel expenses during the programme, what financial support am i eligible to apply for, particularly to assist with childcare costs.

To be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, claimants need to expect to be in paid work. This is shown by earning at least the National Minimum Wage for 16 hours a week on average within three months from that work. As you will receive a bursary, which is a grant and not income from paid employment, the bursary does not qualify. However as a student you may qualify for a childcare grant or student funding through the traditional higher education route. It is your responsibility to assess your finances and explore what financial assistance you may be eligible for. We advise you to do this well in advance of accepting your place on the programme. Further information is available through these links:

• Childcare grant
• Tax free childcare
• Student finance

Can I have a part time job whilst I am on the Step Up programme?

Am i guaranteed a job at the end of the programme, what happens if i am ill or fall pregnant, and need to take a break from the programme, do you have a suggested reading list.

Yes, we will provide you with suggestions for reading at the Keeping Warm days in the Autumn.

Where can I go if I have any further questions?

• No Select from the following options Please choose a reason I can't find what I am looking for It's broken

Data protection: We will handle your personal information in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and in accordance with the council’s Fair Processing Notice.

Writing Guide

Professional social workers create a variety of documents, including proposals, case reports, and treatment itineraries. Social work programs prepare students for these tasks through writing assignments such as research papers and essays. To prepare for these writing assignments, students should have a basic understanding of grammar, punctuation, citation styles, and essay formats before entering a social work program.

Professional social workers create a variety of documents, including proposals, case reports, and treatment itineraries.

Social workers handle vital information, which makes the ability to communicate clearly in writing a crucial skill. For example, a child welfare worker gathers information concerning the wellbeing of a child. If the phrasing in the related case report is too complicated, the professional may overlook safety details, which could endanger the child. Additionally, concise wording is important. Wordy documents can take excessive amounts of time to read, which could prevent social workers from considering other cases on a suitable schedule. To master the social work writing style, students should learn to provide necessary information succinctly.

Social work programs may begin assessing writing abilities during the application process through personal statements, so applicants should polish their writing skills before applying.

Featured Programs in Social Work

Types of writing social workers will do in school, personal statements.

Many applications require a personal statement that provides in-depth information highlighting the candidate’s qualifications and positive traits. Whereas a resume may briefly reference a volunteer opportunity at an organization, a personal statement could describe lessons learned while volunteering or elaborate on personal contributions that benefited the organization.

Schools examine these qualifications while reviewing statements, but they also consider the statements as social work writing samples and evaluate each applicant’s writing skills. For this reason, candidates should proofread these documents and include the standard introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. By following these practices, applicants demonstrate their understanding of college-level writing concepts.

Applicants should focus on strengths and experiences related to social work and avoid vague statements and cliches. Instead of noting their lifelong passion for the field, a student could address a single incident that sparked interest in social work. The school may provide a prompt on which applicants should base their statements. These prompts may involve career goals or ambitions in the social work field.

If the school lists personal statements as optional, applicants should consider submitting a statement to demonstrate their work ethic. However, if the school makes no mention of personal statements, students should refrain from submitting one, given the amount of application materials each school must review each year.

Social work courses may include essay examinations during which learners must answer questions in a limited time frame. Students rarely see the questions in advance. To prepare, students should become familiar with all major course components by attending classes, taking clear notes, and keeping up with readings and assignments. Study groups may also be beneficial.

To prepare, students should become familiar with all major course components by attending classes, taking clear notes, and keeping up with readings and assignments.

During the exam, students should begin by outlining the thesis and supporting evidence. This outline guides the student through the writing process and ensures the response remains on-track. These assessments often require three main supporting points, so students may include five paragraphs within these outlines: the introduction, three body paragraphs, and the conclusion.

Learners should also use time-management techniques during these assessments. Students may allot a certain amount of time for each paragraph, plus time to proofread. Using this strategy, students can write and polish each paragraph.

Candidates should carefully answer the assigned question, ensuring they read the question correctly. A single word can alter the prompt’s meaning. For example, an essay explaining how an event happened is different than one detailing why the event happened.

Research Papers

Whereas an essay may include personal opinions, a research paper focuses on facts. For example, an essay discussing a novel could include the student’s thoughts about the work. A research paper would use scholarly evidence to examine aspects of the novel, such as themes, characters, and historical significance.

Essays and research papers also differ in length. An essay may require only five paragraphs. A research paper, however, may be 10 pages or longer.

Students in social work courses can research topics such as drug or alcohol issues, government policies, child welfare, community involvement, and mental wellness. Social work research papers often include sections for methodology, literature, and research results, as well as an abstract and a reference list that fulfills APA requirements.

Students should use a variety of primary and secondary sources when writing research papers. Citing multiple sources reinforces the student’s claims. However, students should refrain from relying too heavily on quoted material; excessive quotations implies the writer does not understand the topic well enough to paraphrase the source information.

Learners may also submit papers to tutoring services before submitting to reduce the chances of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

How Do You Write an Essay?

Social work programs may require various writing assignments to prepare students to complete professional writing for social work practice. Each form of academic writing serves a distinct purpose, and an understanding of various writing styles provides a foundation to help students during these assignments.

Narrative papers often depict personal experiences, such as memorable vacations or first attempts at hobbies. Narrative works also include opinion pieces, such as book reports. When writing a narrative essay, students should have a clear focus.

Expository writing explores a specific topic and requires the writer to carefully examine the topic. The facts presented in an expository piece can come from research or, if the assignment’s structure limits research time, through means such as logic or an example. Cause and effect pieces, compare and contrast works, and process descriptions may all qualify as expository writing if they are meant to present information. All expository pieces should include a thesis and logical transitions.

Persuasive writing requires students to take a stance on a topic and to support that stance with evidence. Research is crucial to persuasive writing, and students should incorporate multiple sources to support their thesis. Additionally, writers should present countering opinions and prove the instability of opposing viewpoints through facts, logic, and examples. Ultimately, persuasive writing should convince readers that the writer’s position is the accurate stance on the topic.

Comparative

These assignments require students to compare two or more similar concepts, such as political positions, marketing plans, or fictional themes. Professors may assign topics or allow students to select their own. Before writing, learners should brainstorm similarities and organize them into body paragraphs. For instance, a student comparing two artistic pieces may construct paragraphs about color, medium, and setting.

Cause and Effect

This type of paper explains a presumed cause for a specific occurrence. For example, a student may claim that limited health insurance options lead to untreated illnesses in the United States. With this topic, the student could divide supporting evidence into separate paragraphs, such as the cost of health insurance, the benefits of health insurance, and the process of finding insurance information. Using this strategy, the writer covers various health insurance problems to verify the paper’s main point.

Citations Guide for Social Work Students

Using source information without proper citation leads to plagiarism, the act of claiming a source’s ideas without giving the source due credit. Consequences for plagiarism can include failing assignments, failing courses, being expelled from school, and enduring a lawsuit. Since departments require different citation styles, degree candidates should ensure they use the proper citation format for each assignment.

American Psychological Association (APA) Style

APA format was established in 1929 to create a common format for writing. These guidelines allowed writers to more easily interpret one another’s findings. Professionals in fields including psychology, criminology, and business use APA style.

APA format requires specific headers, page numbers, a cover page, an abstract, divided sections, and a reference list. APA in-text citations specify the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number. Students may substitute these details for the work’s title, “n.d.” (“no date”), and a paragraph number or section title, respectively, if the primary information is not available.

The company decided that the new marketing policy was “their best idea in 20 years” (Simmons & Hatfield, 2016, p. 23).

Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)

In 1906, the Chicago University Press established this citation style, which professionals in fields including history and philosophy employ today. Students following Chicago style may use in-text citations but often use footnotes or endnotes instead. Chicago style also requires a specifically structured cover page, page numbers, and a bibliography.

Footnotes and endnotes resemble bibliography entries but have different punctuation. In a bibliography, students use periods to separate a book’s publisher, publication place, and publication year. In footnotes and endnotes, this information is in parentheses. Additionally, endnotes and footnotes should include page numbers.

The company decided that the new marketing policy was “their best idea in 20 years” (Simmons and Hatfield 2016, 23).

Modern Language Association (MLA) Format

Established in 1883, the Modern Language Association supplies guidelines that many English, literature, and communication departments adopt.

MLA format includes a works cited page at the end of the document and specific page headers and numbers in the upper right-hand corner of each page. Basic assignment information, such as the student’s name, the date, and the course title, appears in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. MLA does not require a cover page, which separates this format from other styles. MLA in-text citations include the author’s last name and the page number.

The company decided that the new marketing policy was “their best idea in 20 years” (Simmons and Hatfield 23).

Associated Press (AP) Style

This style, established in 1977, covers wording, organization, and source documentation. Journalists and news reporters often use this format.

AP style uses brief paragraphs and concise sentences to quicken the pace of the writing. The style requires writers to abbreviate certain words, use a person’s first name only on the initial mention, and eliminate titles. Writers should also replace vague words with more specific options.

Instead of using parenthetical citations, writers can reference the sources in dialogue format. This detail and the lack of reference list are AP style’s distinct elements.

The company decided that the new marketing policy was “their best idea in 20 years,” according to Simmons and Hatfield.

The Best Writing Style for Social Work Majors

Most types of writing in social work require learners and professionals to use APA format. This style is ideal for social work professionals, who often work with documents containing vital information. When dealing with these types of documents, clear details and concise wording are essential. The rigidness of APA style helps writers provide an organized overview of the document’s topic.

Common Writing Mistakes Students Make

Active vs. passive voice.

When writing in active voice, writers state the doer of the action before the sentence’s verb. An example of an active construction would be, “He wrote the book.” Passive voice places the object of the action prior to the verb: “The book was written by him.” Though the information remains the same, active voice states the message more concisely.

Passive voice is a style error, not a grammar issue, and can even be useful in certain situations. Writers may use passive voice when the noun or pronoun undergoing the action supplies the sentence’s emphasis, such as in the following sentence: “The U.S. was founded in 1776.” Because passive voice serves certain purposes and has no technical grammar flaws, using unnecessary passive constructions is a common error.

In most cases, students should choose active voice for concision and clarity. Consider the sentence, “The food was enjoyed.” The reader cannot tell who enjoyed the food, whereas an active sentence with an equal number of words answers this question: “Jane enjoyed the food.”

Punctuation

Punctuation marks include periods, commas, semicolons, dashes, and quotation marks, and confusing their purposes may lead to flawed sentence structures. For example, a semicolon joins two independent clauses, or phrases that can stand alone: “The dog barked; it was loud.” Using a comma in this situation constitutes a grammatical error called a comma splice: “The dog barked, it was loud.”

Punctuation missteps can also alter meaning. In the sentence, “Please stop, David,” the comma before the name directs David to stop. “Please stop David,” on the other hand, would instruct an unknown person to stop David from performing a task.

Writers may confuse colons and semicolons. Colons indicate a pause before an emphasized idea, such as in the sentence,”She knew where to drive: Montana.” The colon places importance on the destination, Montana. Semicolons, on the other hand, may separate nested lists, as in the following sentence.

“The attendants choose between hiking, swimming, and basketball; running, yoga, and tennis; or weightlifting, bicycling, and baseball.”

Writers should become familiar with punctuation rules to craft accurate and clear sentences.

Grammar refers to language rules for phrasing and wording, including concepts such as verb tense and noun-pronoun agreement. Students may struggle with grammatical details, since the language includes irregularities that alter guidelines. For example, constructing past tense verbs often involves adding “d” or “ed.” However, irregular verbs use different formats; the past tense of “eat” is “ate,” and the past tense of “go” is “went.”

Writers may also struggle with homophones, which sound similar but have distinct meanings. Commonly confused homophones are “there,” “their,” and “they’re,” which indicates a place, shows possession, and is a contraction for “they are,” respectively. To avoid grammatical mistakes, learners should thoroughly study the language’s structure.

Writing Resources for Social Work Students

• Paradigm Online Writing Assistant This website guides learners through various stages of the writing process, including topic selection, revisions, and idea organization. Additionally, students may find information on different types of writing, such as argumentative works and informal pieces.
• Write Content Solutions This website provides tips on grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure and assists students with researching and citing sources. Students can improve their writing skills using practice worksheets available through the website.
• Purdue Online Writing Lab The Purdue OWL offers information on the writing process and assists applicants to undergraduate and graduate programs. Students can explore MLA, APA, AP, and Chicago formats through the writing lab.
• Writer’s Digest This website provides articles on creating pieces in specific genres, for individuals with particular levels of writing expertise. Topics include homophones and time management. The website also provides information about writing conferences and publications.
• TutorMe This website assists students struggling with essay structure or citation format. Tutors may help learners polish their writing through grammar and punctuation checks and general proofreading.

Take the next step toward your future in social work.

Explore schools offering programs and courses tailored to your interests, and start your learning journey today.

Step Up and Stand Out! Annual Performance Evaluations for Social Workers

by Jennifer Luna

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto/Mary Long

Step Up and Stand Out

by Jennifer Luna, MSSW, Your Social Work Career Coach

     Whether you have been in your job for several years or are beginning your first position after graduation, chances are you will have to do a performance evaluation every year. An annual performance evaluation provides the best context to have a discussion with your supervisor about YOU! This is an opportunity to talk to your supervisor about your career aspirations, challenges, and most importantly, your accomplishments throughout the year. The results of this process can propel your career to a raise, a promotion, or leverage for applying for other jobs. Annual evaluations should be viewed as a regular part of career management, not only to record your accomplishments, but to keep track of your areas for growth and what you need to succeed in your current role and—ultimately—your career.

What is a performance evaluation?

     A performance evaluation is a formal procedure that supervisors use to assess social workers’ performance based on their job description. Although they vary in format, they may include rating scales, self-evaluation, and a review of goals based on the job description. A self-evaluation written by the employee provides an opportunity for the social worker to inform the supervisor of not only accomplishments but day-to-day tasks that the supervisor may not be aware of. By the same token, the supervisor may recognize areas for growth or missed opportunities of which the social worker is unaware. This is a great opportunity for both to be reaffirmed of the job at hand and informs social workers of their performance metrics and supervisor expectations.

     Social workers are natural evaluators . The good news for us is that as social workers, we are naturally inclined to incorporate evaluation in our day-to-day work. Evaluation is one of the foundations of our professional education and a common practice in all aspects of our work, regardless of field of practice. We have received evaluations as part of our social work field education. Additionally, we are taught to utilize the strengths-based perspective, and we understand the importance of a person-centered approach to successful outcomes. We are also committed to evaluation in our practice, especially as it relates to evidence-based practice and positive outcomes for our clients, our organizations, and society at large.

Let’s get started!

     Before you begin your evaluation, ask yourself these questions:

• What are my career goals?
• What are my areas of growth or improvement?
• What are my short-term goals?
• What do I need to achieve my career goals?
• What are signs that I may have outgrown my job? Examples: Limited opportunities for career growth, job boredom, burnout, lack of recognition, feeling unchallenged, feeling as though you are standing still, not moving forward. 
• What is my supervisor looking for in my performance? What is considered peak performance?
• Are my skills being used to the fullest potential?

     By reviewing these questions before you begin your performance evaluation, you will have a good idea of how to emphasize your strengths with intention. You will also begin to know and understand what you need from your employer to move forward in your job. As you review these needs, it is important to think of specifics, such as a training that you would like to attend, a certification, or an opportunity to work with a specific population or organization in which a successful outcome will add to your dossier.

A performance evaluation should be viewed as a 4-step process.

     Step 1. Demonstrate to your supervisor your accomplishments, strengths, and talents for the year. Many organizations use a self-evaluation performance system. This is your time to unabashedly toot your own horn! Don’t be coy—you have to communicate your accomplishments in a way that demonstrates critical thinking, problem solving, and growth. Take out your calendar and review your year, paying close attention to project deadlines, meetings, and other day-to-day responsibilities that collectively show what you have done throughout the year.

     Step 2. Take the opportunity during the performance evaluation for you and your supervisor to review areas of your work that may need improvement or growth. Depending on your agency or supervisor, this may be phased different ways in this portion of your evaluation such as: areas of growth, limitations, or “does not meet expectations.” Remember, these are just things you have not learned yet! Use the strengths-based perspective when considering this portion of the review. What would you like to learn or improve on in order to move your career forward in your current job, or to take with you when you leave?  This portion of the evaluation will also likely include workstyle or personal characteristics.  Have you demonstrated that you are a team player or a leader?  Have you been dependable and responsible in your day-to-day work with colleagues and clients?  Are there areas in which you feel you are struggling, and how can you address this in a professional manner with your supervisor? It is always better if you address these areas head on and transparently. There may be a simple fix to such growth areas, but unless you articulate that you are having difficulties, your supervisor may not know.

     Step 3. Set goals for the following year.   This can be one of the most exciting parts of your evaluation! You have an opportunity to gain buy-in from your supervisor on goals that you have set for yourself, and to gain an understanding of what your supervisor expects of you.  While negotiating these goals, tell your employer why they are important to the success of your organization and to you professionally.  For example, if you are seeking to present your work at a conference, explain to your employer the importance of developing your communication skills and highlighting the great work of the agency. Every organization wants a great spokesperson! If your supervisor suggests goals that do not align with yours or your career interests, it is still important to consider them and find a way to meet in the middle.  In most social work careers, there are concessions we must make.  If, for example, your supervisor would like for you to take on more cases, you might specifically identify what the impact would be on your day-to-day work, and then negotiate more time to produce case notes or even flex time to make up for the extra workload.

     Step 4. Gain leverage for a raise, a certificate, or another job perk . It is crucial that you know the things you are going to ask for before you go into your evaluation. Even if you are not sure how your evaluation will turn out, you will be prepared. In anticipation of this opportunity, ask yourself these questions: What do I want to ask for? Why do I deserve it?

     The following are a few items to consider:

• Salary increase
• Annual bonus
• Certification—e.g., coaching certification
• Leadership training
• Conference registration and/or travel funds
• Professional memberships
• Title change to more appropriately fit duties
• Opportunities inside your organization and outside
• Flex time for special projects, or permission to work remotely

     Now, let’s apply what we know to your annual performance evaluation. As you write about your accomplishments, use thoughtful key words and terms to describe your accomplishments and areas for growth. Your evaluation should provide the following three elements:

• An accurate understanding of what you do for your work
• A sense of how you perform your work
• A description of your drive to evoke a sense of ownership and accountability of your work

     As you write your evaluation, use strong “power terms” to evoke a positive reaction to your performance, and leave the supervisor with a desire to learn more about what you do, not just the average job description. From a career advancement perspective, this process will help you to strengthen your vocabulary and articulate your skills and knowledge in a way that is interesting and compelling. It will also help you to begin to express your overall work experience as part of a strategic career trajectory. The more confident you become in articulating your successes and experience, the better prospects you will have for new opportunities and areas of advancement. When writing your evaluation, make sure you depict industry language, especially if you are a social worker in a non-social work environment.

     Below are examples of how power words can make a significant difference in describing your abilities:

“Created a new program for the kids.” vs. “Coordinated all efforts to facilitate and evaluate a prevention program for more than 30 students identified as at risk for substance use. Resulted in a 59% reduction in student absences and increase in student participation.”

“Assisted with group for clients.” vs. “Co-facilitated anger management group for children ages 10-12.”

“Won employee of the quarter.” vs. “Awarded employee of the quarter recognition for leadership of new program.”

“Found resources for families.” vs. “Identified and connected resources for  52 families, including food, transportation, and housing.”

“Looked at survey in order to record data points.” vs. “Analyzed data from statewide survey, recorded data points and contributed to final report.”

“Set up meetings to talk about diversity and inclusion issues.” vs. “Founded ad hoc committee to address diversity and inclusion efforts.”

Tips for completing a successful evaluation

• Check your emotional tone, especially when writing about the work you have done. Stay objective and positive.
• Be specific, and use quantitative figures if necessary to describe areas of your workload.
• Use a clear, strong, developmental narrative of the work you have done when describing a project.
• Be prepared to have a conversation. Be transparent, and discuss your strengths with confidence and humility.

How to handle negative feedback

     Negative feedback on an evaluation can be difficult to handle, but don’t worry—you got this! Remember, a performance evaluation is a tool to help you identify areas in which you can do better and grow in your job and ultimately your career.  If there is an issue you have identified yourself, be transparent and make sure you mention it in your evaluation before your supervisor does.  If you mention it first, this will make it easier for your supervisor to discuss it with you, and they will understand that you are aware of it.  If you learn of an issue that you are not aware of, do not get emotional, but rather get curious.  If you disagree with the feedback, ask for clarification of the issue, and for examples of how you can do better. In almost all cases, your supervisor wants you to succeed. After you are clear on what the issues are, set a plan in place with specific actions for improvement and measurable goals to keep you on track. Once you have a plan, set up a timetable for reevaluation and additional meetings to assess improvement or corrective action, if necessary.

     With these tips in mind, you will have a successful evaluation, a good sense of how you are performing in your role, and an opportunity to advocate for yourself without even breaking a sweat!

Jennifer Luna, MSSW, writes about social work career development. Jennifer is a social worker, career coach, keynote speaker, and trainer. She serves as Director of the DiNitto Center for Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Jennifer utilizes a collaborative yet strategic coaching approach to assist social workers in identifying their strongest skills, areas of knowledge, key strengths, and leadership characteristics.

All material published on this website Copyright 1994-2023 White Hat Communications. All rights reserved. Please contact the publisher for permission to reproduce or reprint any materials on this site. Opinions expressed on this site are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Social Work: Starting Your Assignment

Starting your assignment research.

• Step 1 - Plan
• Step 2 - Analyse & Define
• Step 3 - Develop Your Research
• Step 4 - Evaluate
• Step 5 - Write & Cite

A  literature search and review   is the starting point for any assignment topic.  A literature review provides evidence for an undergraduate assignment. Students new to a discipline may find that starting with an overview or review of relevant research in books and journals, the easiest way to begin researching a topic and obtaining the necessary background information.

In general, you are expected to use research-based scholarly resources , particularly  books and journals , in preference to information found on websites or in newspapers.

Start your library research as early as possible to allow time to identify the resources you need, access books in the High Use Collection and if necessary request books on loan. Seek out key texts in the High Use Collection or your Reading Lists in your BlackBoard unit.

• Introduction to literature reviews
• Literature Reviews - ECU Academic Skills

The first step to beginning your research is to look at your assignment question and analyse what it is asking you to do. 

A tip here is to use a dictionary to look up the words used in the question, i.e. discuss, analyse, explain.

You can also use this same technique for the phrases surrounding the assignment topic to help you identify key terms or phrases, and their synonyms can help you identify the search terms you can use in ECU Library or the databases. 

Where to search:

• Use the  ECU Library to search for books, reports, videos, journal titles and electronic publications.
• Use the subject specific databases to find journal articles on a topic. 
• Library Guides  or pathfinders provide an overview of library resources and relevant links for each subject
• You can access the databases, or Library search, from the Library homepage or from the Social Work Library Guide.

The scope of the literature search and type of information required will depend on the requirements of the assignment.

Books provide a useful starting point for an introduction to the subject. Books generally also provide an in-depth coverage of a topic.

Journal Articles :

If you are looking for current research or information on a very specific topic,  journal articles  may be the most useful, as they are published on a regular basis. It is normally expected that you will use some journal articles in your assignment.  You are also required to view the whole publication (the full text), not just the abstract, if using the information in your assignment. It is generally preferred that you use peer reviewed or scholarly articles in your assignments. 

Free Web Publications :

Useful information can also be found in free web publications from government, professional or research organizations (e.g. reports from Australian Bureau of Statistics and other Government Departments). Statistical information can generally be found in government publications. Any web publication should be carefully evaluated using the four Rs - Recent, Reliable, Readable and Relevant - to ensure that you are looking at useful information. You are also required to view the whole publication (the full text), not just the abstract, if using the information in your assignment.

When selecting and reviewing sources of information to use for your assignments and other academic work, it is necessary to ensure that they are of the appropriate standard. 

Keep in mind the following 4 R's. (This is particularly important when selecting publications freely available on the internet, i.e. they were found through Google).

• Recent  - Is the publication timely and up-to-date? 
• Reliable  - Who is the source? Is the source an expert? Can the information verified? Is the information biased?
• Readable  - Can you easily read and understand the information?
• Relevant  - Is the information appropriate for your topic? 

To confirm if a particular journal article is peer reviewed, look up the journal on  Ulrich'sweb

Referencing is a formal, systematic way of acknowledging sources that you have used in your assignments or written essays and a way of formatting references so that they can be easily traced. The referencing style generally used at ECU is the APA style. 

It is important to reference all sources that you have relied on in your assignment for a number of reasons, including:

• to provide evidence of your research, 
• to provide support for your argument, 
• to avoid plagiarism, and
• to allow the reader to follow on from your research. 

Take a look at the Referencing Library Guide  Library for more information. 

External & Remote Students

• External Library Services - Eligibility
• Reciprocal Borrowing
• Students Resident in Australia
• Off-Shore Students

Document Delivery Services

Eligibility:

• students living within certain postcodes are not eligible to use the External Library Service, even if you are enrolled externally or online you may apply for an exemption due to extenuating circumstances
• if you have a disability which may affect your mobility or study, contact the Student Equity (disabilities) office

External Library Services

Telephone: (61 8) 6304 5525

Email: [email protected]

ALL external students resident in Australia may borrow, in person, from other Australian University Libraries

• if you work or live near any of the participating Australian university libraries listed in the link below and would like to borrow directly from that library, you will need to take your photo ID and proof of enrolment to the library. Some libraries who are not members of the reciprocal agreement may still allow you to join if you approach them individually. If you require a letter of introduction from ECU library, please ask the External Library service for the introductory letter
• if you wish to borrow from another WA university library, read the information on Reciprocal borrowing and fill in the online registration form
• if you wish to request a copy of a journal article held by UWA, Curtin or Murdoch University Library, place the request through  Document Delivery's VDX online request form
• Complete the WAGUL registration form

ALL: Material from ECU Library

• you may borrow from ECU Library. Request books through ECU Library search & set your campus location as Remote. Books will be posted out to you but you will need to pay for the return postage for these items
• you may request a copy of a chapter of a book held by ECU Library by completing the online form in the link below (or by printing, faxing or emailing the PDF form in the same link) to the External Library
• you may request a copy of a journal article if it's available in print at ECU Library - use the Place Hold button through the ECU Library search record
• Request a copy of a chapter of a book  
• the Library does not lend books to off-shore students, however you have access to thousands of titles through the library's ebook collection. Find ebooks through ECU Library Search.
• you may request a copy of a chapter of a book held by ECU library - by completing the online form in the link below (or by printing, faxing or emailing the PDF  form in the same link) to the External Library
• may request a copy of a journal article if it's available in print at ECU Library. Use the Place Hold button in the Library Search record

Borrowing in person, from a local university library in your country

Some libraries may allow you to join if you approach them individually. Some may charge a small annual fee (payable by you). If you require a letter of introduction from ECU Library, ask the External Library service for the introductory letter

• Request a copy of a chapter of a book

PostGraduate students may ALSO use Document Delivery's VDX online request form

• to request to borrow books which are unavailable at ECU (This is for students resident in Australia only, not for Off-shore students)
• to request copies of journal articles which are unavailable at ECU or UWA university libraries
• to request a copy of a chapter or 10% of a book not held by ECU Library

Telephone: (61 8) 6304 5525 Email: [email protected]

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More Information

• Evaluating Information Sources A short video from ANU about evaluating information sources.

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Edith Cowan University acknowledges and respects the Noongar people, who are the traditional custodians of the land upon which its campuses stand and its programs operate. In particular ECU pays its respects to the Elders, past and present, of the Noongar people, and embrace their culture, wisdom and knowledge.

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SCWK 4333: Social Work Practice I

Assignments.

• Getting Started
• Journal Databases
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• InterLibrary Loan
• Citing Your Sources
• Academic Integrity at UofA

Component #3 Client engagement and bio-psycho-social assessment

• This is the first of a two-part assignment.
• Discussion of client engagement for this individual, including strategies you may use, potential power differences that may exist, and any personal issues that may arise for you in working with such an individual.
• Discussion of this individual, considering the bio-psycho-social assessment framework. This will include areas of client need, client strengths, all dimensions of the bio-psycho-social framework, and additional information you would need about the client’s situation to complete a comprehensive assessment.
• Review of relevant evidence regarding individuals like your character. You will be required to find and discuss two sources that describe characteristics of a population which the client is a member of and two sources that discuss services or interventions for the population.
• Short stories to choose from
• Detailed instructions and requirements
• Grading rubric
• Note: we will also all read one additional short story and use it as an example during class discussions to highlight 1) issues of engagement, assessment and planning in general and 2) the requirements of the assignment.  

Component #4 Client planning and evaluation

• This is the second part of the assignment using the short stories.
• An intervention plan including client goals, measurable objectives and specific interventions/actions.
• A discussion of why you would propose such a plan to this individual.
• A discussion of how you would evaluate the intervention(s), identify how termination should occur, and discuss any recommended follow-up plan.

Component #5: Memo and referral

• A professional internal memo regarding a hypothetical client.
• A professional external referral regarding a hypothetical client.
• Note: for these you may continue to use the character from your short story or just make up a client and situation.
• << Previous: Academic Integrity at UofA
• Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 4:55 PM
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Twitter now directs to X.com in the latest step in Musk's rebrand of the platform

• Elon Musk just took the next step in rebranding Twitter as X .
• Twitter.com now redirects to the X.com domain.
• Musk has had a fascination with using the letter X for his businesses dating back to at least 1999.

Social media users trying to access Twitter may notice something different today: Typing in Twitter.com now redirects to the X.com domain.

Platform owner Elon Musk confirmed the change in a post early Friday morning, saying, "All core systems are now on X.com."

A popup message alerting users to the change reads: "We are letting you know that we are changing our URL, but your privacy and data protection settings remain the same."

Related stories

Previously, there was still some back-and-forth with the URLs: You'd still see the Twitter.com URL if that's what you typed to access the site, but using the Share button on a post produced a link that started with X.com , for example.

And some users are still seeing the Twitter.com domain — though it's not clear how long that'll last.

The change marks the latest step in Musk's rebrand of Twitter to X since buying the platform in 2022.

Last year, he ditched Twitter's famous blue bird logo for an X and said posts on the platform should no longer be called "tweets" but instead "Xs."

Musk has long talked about his plans for an "everything" app called X that he envisions would take inspiration from Tencent's WeChat.

"If you're in China, you kind of live on WeChat," he's said. "It does everything — sort of like Twitter, plus PayPal, plus a whole bunch of things, and all rolled into one, with a great interface. It's really an excellent app, and we don't have anything like that outside of China."

Musk has also used the letter X in the branding of his other businesses.

Last year, he launched a company called xAI , for example. But his fascination with X for his businesses dates back decades: In 1999, Musk cofounded a financial services business with the domain X.com that would ultimately become part of PayPal through a merger. Not to mention, he runs SpaceX.

Watch: 5 ways Elon Musk shook up Twitter as CEO

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