Why social work?
Children, young people and their families need support when they are going through difficult times. You’ll work directly with the most disadvantaged in society and empower them to bring about positive change in their lives.
During your training, you’ll develop a range of skills, including relationship-building, conflict resolution and leadership. You will receive high quality supervision and training from experienced social workers, academics and professional coaches.
For the most disadvantaged, receiving support from a social worker can make a significant difference to the direction their lives take. Join us on the Frontline programme and that difference could be you.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
BE THE DIFFERENCE
We all rely on others for help and support sometimes. Together we can achieve social change for children who don’t have a safe or stable home.
EARN AS YOU LEARN
You will earn while you study to become a qualified social worker and achieve a fully funded master’s degree. In year 1 you will receive a tax and NI exempt bursary of £18,000 or £20,000 in London. This is equivalent to a salary of £21,000 or £24,000.
As a newly qualified social worker in year 2, you will earn a salary between £25k and £34k depending on local authority and location.
HIGH LEVELS OF SUPPORT
In the first year of the programme, you’ll work on real life cases in small groups, led by an experienced social worker. Working as a team, you will help each other to develop and succeed, with additional support from your practice tutor.
During your second year, you’ll receive continued support from your practice tutor and local authority, along with professional coaching to develop your leadership skills.
DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS
You will benefit from high quality supervision and training from experienced social workers, academics and professional coaches. In your two year placement in a local authority children’s services you will hone and develop these skills on the job.
WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A VARIETY OF AGENCIES
You’ll work with and advise a wide range of professionals in health, education, the criminal justice system and beyond to bring about positive change in the lives of disadvantaged children and families.
LEAD CHANGE IN SOCIETY
After you complete the Frontline programme you will become part of the Fellowship, a community of individuals who are applying themselves to address social disadvantage.
Being part of the Fellowship offers the chance to connect, learn and collaboratively create positive change for children and families with over a thousand fellows across the country.
Participants’ stories
Kasey
Kasey’s experience of working with children and families throughout the pandemic has opened her eyes to new and creative ways of working.
Sally and Jacob
Two Frontline programme participants, Sally and Jacob, worked hard alongside parents-to-be, Lacey and Lee, to ensure that baby Logan would be able to remain safely in the parents’ care once born, but with intensive support from professionals.
Emma
Durham is a fantastic place to live and work. I’ve got a first-hand understanding of how people have grown up and the different challenges of being northern.
Jess
I always thought that I would become a teacher, but as time went by I realised that teaching wasn’t pastoral enough for me.
Application process
IS SOCIAL WORK THE RIGHT CAREER FOR YOU?
SELECTION PROCESS
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
OUR POLICIES
Frontline pilot: independent evaluation
An independent evaluation of the Frontline pilot programme was conducted by Cardiff University and published in March 2016. The evaluation compared the practice skills of Frontline programme participants with those qualifying into social work through other routes. It found that Frontline participants were rated higher than students on mainstream programmes on every one of the ten assessment criteria.
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