Pay, progression and financial support

You will usually have to pay council tax if you’re 18 or over and own or rent a home. As a full-time student during year one of Approach Social Work, you will be eligible for council tax exemption or discount, depending on household details. Please visit the government’s website to find out who has to pay council tax.

Once fully registered as students of Lancaster University, you can get confirmation of registration and student status via Lancaster University’s student portal to prove you are eligible for a council tax exemption or discount.

In your first year, you are considered a full-time student of Lancaster University. This means you can get a student railcard, student discounts, Microsoft Office Pro Plus and access to SCONUL study spaces, books and resources.

If you are experiencing financial hardship during year one of the programme, you can apply to two of Lancaster University’s funding support schemes: Lancaster’s Opportunity and Access Fund (LOAF) and its emergency loan. This support is intended for those who experience significant and unexpected changes to their finances during their studies. As Approach Social Work participants receive a bursary and do not pay tuition fees, it is less likely that you will be eligible.

Please ensure that prior to applying for extra financial support, you read the supporting terms and conditions for each option.

We recognise that some individuals may find it difficult to complete the readiness for practice stage which begins the programme without additional financial assistance. The Frontline bursary advance and grant scheme supports participants to cover expenses during this period.

As a charity, we have very limited funds available for this scheme and we can therefore only offer grants to a very limited number of participants, at our discretion.

If you apply for a bursary advance, please consider the impact of receiving reduced payments for the rest of the year.

We will share details about the bursary advance and grant scheme with successful applicants before starting the programme.

Disabled students can access government funding via the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). You can apply for this through Student Finance England in year one. DSA may cover any extra study-related costs you incurred because of an impairment, mental health condition or learning difficulty. It is not a loan or a benefit so you don’t have to repay it. The amount received depends on your needs, rather than income. Typical examples of what you can use DSA for include software, hardware, or human non-medical support or helpers.

Currently, you can only receive DSA during the first year of the programme due to Student Finance England’s eligibility criteria.

For further information on how you can apply for DSA and its eligibility requirements, please refer to the government’s DSA guidance.

Please be aware that the bursary may affect other benefits you are entitled to. For example, most participants no longer receive universal credit once they have a bursary and/or are no longer eligible for 30 hours free childcare.

• While Frontline will fund the cost of your initial DBS check, any lost or damaged certificates will be replaced at a cost to the participant.
• If you choose to have an SpLD (specific learning difficulty) assessment, Frontline will cover £160 of this cost. The remaining cost will be covered by the participant, but Frontline can pay upfront and have payment returned via bursary deductions.
• Frontline does not contribute towards costs related to overseas police checks or replacement qualification certificates (if required).

• Participants are required to cover the cost of all travel related to the programme, including readiness for practice and residential teaching days.
• If you are eligible for disabled students allowance (DSA) this may include covering some travel, but this typically only covers from home to place of work, and not multiple locations (i.e. home visits throughout the day).

• Applicants are expected to plan their costs and be certain they can complete the programme based on their bursary amount.
• While there is some scope for hardship funds through Frontline or Lancaster, the availability is extremely limited and only those with significant and unexpected life or financial changes will be considered.

During years two and three of the programme, participants with a disability or health condition may be eligible for funding through the government’s Access to Work scheme. Access to Work supports individuals in employment to get the help they need at work where it is not covered through their employer’s reasonable adjustments. Detailed information on submitting an Access to Work application will be provided to you when relevant.

If you want to focus on working directly with children and families, people often choose to specialise in a particular area, for example working with children in care or with children and young people with disabilities.

As you become a recognised expert, you will play an instrumental role in ensuring the best outcomes for the children and families you support, support less experienced social workers and advise on best practice and recommend changes across your service.

You typically need at least three years experience after qualifying (one year after completing Approach Social Work) to become a senior practitioner. As your experience in social work increases, so will your earning potential. Senior social workers and advanced practitioners tend to earn £40,000 – £50,000, dependent on level of experience and area of the country.

One way you can make a bigger impact is through a leadership or management position. This can include becoming a team manager (typically requires five years experience after qualifying). Team managers lead, develop and support their social workers to ensure positive outcomes for children and families.

Over time you could move into a head of service role, where you would oversee the day-to-day operations of services, manage staff and work closely with other agencies to promote best practice in social work.

With increased responsibility comes increased pay. Team managers and heads of service can earn up to £55,000, dependent on location and experience.

More information on different roles and areas of practice within social work can be found from the Department for Education or the National Careers Service.

The skills and experience gained on Approach Social Work will be invaluable if you decide to follow an alternate career path. Previous participants have gone on to work in a variety of different policy roles, within charity or third sector organisations and beyond.