CWDC woos graduates to re-train as social workers

A scheme offering 200 graduates to re-train as children’s social workers with an annual salary of £15,000 is now inviting applications.

The Children’s Workforce Development Council’s Step Up to Social Work fund is open to professionals with experience of working with children with a 2:1 degree or higher.

The work-based course will be offered from September by local authorities in eight regions in England. The scheme, run in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford, enables participants to study for a master’s degree while training to be a social worker.

A similar graduate recruitment scheme with 200 places was launched by the CWDC last year as part of a three-year reform programme to attract and retain high-quality children’s social workers in England.

Keith Brumfitt, director of strategy at the CWDC, said: “This new scheme is a positive step in ensuring that we attract the best people to pursue a career in social work.

“We want to remove potential barriers which may prevent skilled professionals from seeking to train as a social worker. Step Up to Social Work is a perfect opportunity for people with relevant qualifications and experience working with children who want to change their career while being supported financially.”

In a speech before Lord Laming’s review of child protection was published last year, children’s secretary Ed Balls said social work should become a master’s level profession to boost its quality and status.

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External information

Children’s Workforce Development Council