Uncertainty continues to surround the future of bursaries for social work students in England.
Most students pursuing non-vocational courses face tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year from 2012 onwards, following the coalition government's controversial decision to raise fees to plug a major funding gap. However, social work students have their cost of training paid by government.
The Department of Health plans to launch a consultation on changes to the bursaries given to social work students, which currently accounts for around £70m per year.
The consultation was due to begin in the New Year but despite repeated calls to the department's press office, there is still no date set for the consultation's launch.
Some universities are expressing disquiet at the delay and want answers to help them plan programmes for next year. Academics have already warned that
forcing social work students to pay for their own training coudl spark a recruitment crisis in the profession.
A serious debate is clearly needed taking into account all of the issues affecting recruitment to courses, including the need to provide financial support for mature students opting for a career change into social work.
Read the complete post at http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/social-work-blog/2011/04/future-funding-of-social-work.html
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15 Apr 2011 12:30 PM
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The Social Work Blog
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