Step up to Social Work Programme

The Step Up to Social Work programme in Telford & Wrekin opens for recruitment today (17 February 2025) and offers an opportunity for 6 aspiring social workers to apply for a place on the intensive but highly rewarding training programme.

Step Up to Social Work is a 14-month, full-time training programme for talented graduates and career changers to become the next generation of child and family social workers supporting vulnerable children, young people, and families. It is designed for people who want to become a social worker but do not have a degree in social work. Successful applicants train through a combination of academic study and hands-on social work experience in a local authority.

Applicants eligible for the programme, which includes financial support alongside training, will be individuals with experience of working with vulnerable children, young people, families, or adults, and who can demonstrate emotional resilience and potential for success.

Step Up to Social Work aims to attract applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds and aims to have a workforce that represents the society that we serve.

Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, said: “It is excellent to see the quality of the hundreds of graduates who qualify as social workers through the Step Up programme, and encouraged to see them start out on a long-term career in social work. Our profession is highly challenging, but highly rewarding, and Step Up is developing a highly skilled workforce ready to make a genuine positive impact on people’s lives.”

The Step-Up programme is backed by the Department for Education to support 700 individuals to enter the social work profession in local authorities across England in 2026. This funding will support individuals with training costs and a bursary of £21,995 over the duration of the programme to support them whilst in training.

This will be the ninth cohort of Step Up since 2010; the programme has successfully supported over 2,900 social workers to enter the profession across England.

Candidates are eligible to apply if they have:

1. a minimum 2:2 degree qualification (level 6). For some Local Authority areas, final year students will be eligible to apply with a minimum 2:2 predicted grade. For all other Local Authority areas, they must have completed their degree programme to apply.
2. 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.
3. A GCSE in English or English language at grade 4 (C) or above (or an approved equivalent). For some Local Authority areas, there will also be a requirement to have a GCSE in Mathematics (or an approved equivalent).
4. The programme is for those without a degree in social work and who want to become a social worker. Successful applicants will train through a combination of academic study and hands-on social work experience in a local authority.
5. On successful completion of the programme, trainees will qualify with a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work enabling them to apply to register with Social Work England and to practice as a qualified social worker, making a difference by nurturing relationships with families during difficult times and by protecting children.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, please go and look at the info on the link above or get in touch with Louise Spragg or Karen Mosedale.