Diversity of pathways to social work in England

1. Undergraduate degrees – these generally last three years (full-time), pay tuition fees of £9,250 per year, with scholarships of £4,862.50 or £5,262.50 (in London) per year for the most, but not all, sophomores and juniors. years.
2. Postgraduate qualifications – these typically last two years (full-time), although some courses allow students to complete a postgraduate degree in around 18 months, while there are two accelerated master’s courses in social work which last as long time than diplomas. Most students receive a scholarship of £3,362.50 or £3,762.50 (in London) per year, plus an annual contribution of £4,052 towards their tuition fees, covering around half the cost.
3. Undergraduate apprenticeships – these generally last three years, with the training being fully funded and apprentices able to receive a salary from their employer.
4. Postgraduate apprenticeships – they are similar to undergraduate apprenticeships but last less than three years. Like undergraduate degrees, postgraduate degrees and undergraduate apprenticeships, these are not aimed at any particular sector of social work.
5. Switch to social work – a 14-month postgraduate program delivered by partnerships of universities and children’s councils/trusts, who provide placements for trainees – who must have experience of working with children, families or vulnerable adults. The tuition fees, along with grants of £19,833 (£21,995 from 2026), are funded by the Department for Education (DfE), which sees the scheme as a way of recruiting more social workers to children.
6. Social work approach (provided by Frontline) – after an initial five-week summer course, participants (who must have graduated) are placed within small teams from local authorities or children’s foundations and graduate in one year, before completing two additional years at the during which they prepare a master’s degree while working in the social field. workers. Tuition fees and scholarships of £18,000 or £20,000 (in London) are covered by the DfE and the program, including its curriculum, is geared towards training people working in child protection.
7. Think in advance – Like Frontline, graduate participants are placed in small teams in NHS trusts or boards, after a five-week summer course, and qualify within a year. They then prepare a master’s degree in the second year. The program aims to train people in mental health social work, with scholarship funding of £18,250 or £20,250 (in London) and tuition fees provided by the Department of Health and Social Care.