Bursaries offered to secure staff

Reed Social Care has become the first recruitment agency to offer
bursaries of £3,000 to people planning to study the new social
work degree.

In exchange for the bursary, students are asked to work for the
agency for a year after they qualify and will also be given the
opportunity to work through Reed Social Care at weekends and during
holidays while they study.

“These bursaries will provide a much-needed boost to those studying
the new social work degree and I hope that it will encourage other
companies to support the profession in this way,” said agency
director Angela Morris.

Anyone undertaking the new degree is eligible to apply for one of
the 10 bursaries, which are being promoted through a national
advertising campaign.

The move follows the Scottish executive’s promise in February to
reimburse student loans for social workers who take up posts in
children’s services, criminal justice and mental health services,
where recruitment problems are the worst.