Routes into Social Work
Below is a summary of the range of entry routes that Surrey Children's Services Academy work alongside. The table includes the funding details and status of each of the programmes.
Name of scheme | Qualification requirements | Funding | Description | When will the scheme be offered? | Status | Where to look for more information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree in Social Work | No degree required 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent. | Self-funded | This takes three years to complete, with the first year being at University. This includes a 70-day placement in year 2 and a final 100-day placement in year 3. | You will need to check with each University. | Independent applications annually | Universities |
| Social Work degree apprenticeship (Social Work trainee) | No degree required 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent. | Apprentice levy | You will learn on the job, attending Chichester University one day a week over three years starting in September 2024. You will complete two formal assessed placements during the programme. On completion qualified social worker. | Children Families and Lifelong Learning (CFLL) are offering 10 funded places for start in academic year 2024. | Applications open 23/02/2024 | Visit the Social Work Degree Apprenticeship SharePoint page |
| Step Up to Social Work | At least 2:2 level degree (in any discipline) plus 6 months direct work experience | Government funded Department for Education (DfE) | This is a government funded programme and takes fourteen months to complete. On successful completion of the course, you will have gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work. Surrey Children's work in partnership with Step Up. | 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 closed | |
| Frontline | First or 2:1 level degree | Government funded (DfE) | This is a government funded programme and takes a year to complete. On successful completion of the course you will have gained a Diploma in Social Work. When you become a Newly Qualified Social Worker undertaking your ASYE year, you will be able to complete a Masters with Frontline. | Applications are open on a rolling basis for each cohort, with places assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. | No current partnership with SCC | Please visit the Frontline web page for more information. |
| Post graduate diploma in Social Work | At least a 2:2 degree plus a minimum of two years' experience in social care and approval from your Line Manager and the Academy (you will need to contact the New and Developing Social Workers Manager). Kingston University will accept a degree at 2:2 and possibly below, if you undertake a good interview and have management support. | Limited number of spaces funded by CFLL | Social work experience is required as you will undertake a self-funded recognition of prior experiential learning – Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) module. The first placement is in your own team May-August. You will attend Kingston University for your final year and undertake your final 100-day student placement, in a different team to your own. | We will review post grad options in 2024 for future delivery. A post graduate apprenticeship route has recently been launched by Universities and we are considering what this means for us in CFLL. There are currently no plans for a further cohort of sponsored post graduate diploma in Social Work (PGDIPSW) this year. | Applications closed | Not applicable. |
| Masters in Social Work | Degree required. You will need to check with each University what level of degree they would accept. | Self-funded | Two-year course, in which the first 70-day placement is undertaken in the first year and the final 100-day placement is undertaken in the second year. | You will need to check with each University. | Independent applications annually. | Universities |
| Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) | Social Work degree required | Programme funded through Skills for Care and run by CFLL | This is a 12-month employment-based programme of support designed to help newly qualified social workers make the transition from a qualifying educational course to the world of professional social work in their first year of employment. | Large intake planned for Autumn 2024. | Applications open Spring 2024. | Not applicable. |
Working in Surrey
Surrey is made up of the 11 districts and boroughs outlines in the map below. Students placements and Newly Qualified Social Worker vacancies may be anywhere within our surrey county children's services teams.
