Approach Social Work help centre

Approach Social Work is different to other routes into the social work profession for a number of reasons:  

• Practice-based experience. In small groups, you will work with real-life children and families, led by an experienced social worker. In Year 1, you will complete over 200 days of on-the-job training and receive nearly 50 days of academic teaching.  

• Develop your skills. You will benefit from high quality supervision and training from experienced social workers, academics and professional coaches. You will hone and develop these skills on-the-job, in your placement at local authority children’s services. 

• 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 national insurance exempt bursary of £18,000 or £20,000 in London. As a newly qualified social worker from Year 2, you will earn a salary of up to £34,000 per year depending on your local authority and location. Frontline fully covers the costs of your qualifications, so you don’t pay anything. Tuition fees for social work master’s degrees typically cost £9,000 a year. 

• Lead social change for vulnerable people in society. After you complete the programme, you will become a member of the Fellowship. The Fellowship is a movement of outstanding individuals who are applying themselves to address social disadvantage in different ways. As a fellow, you will connect, learn and collaboratively create positive change for children and families. You will be part of a dynamic community of over a thousand fellows across the country. 

On the programme you will complete academic study while immersed in a social work team. 

Our curriculum integrates both theoretical learning and the application of theory through practice. We believe this is the best way to learn, develop and consolidate the essential skills required for great social work. 

What you’ll learn on the programme 

In year one of the programme, you will be placed in a practice hub of typically five participants, providing support and security. You’ll receive management, training and supervision from a consultant social worker, and you’ll give each other peer support.  They’ll be your secure base as you progress through the programme. 

You will learn theory and put into practice the evidence informed ways of working with children and families that make up the Approach Social Work practice model. You will also address other essential topics in social work, including the centrality of anti-racist, anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice; relevant legislation and social policy; ethics and values; assessment of risk and need; and working with vulnerable groups. 

You’ll learn from thinkers, theorists, researchers, leaders, academics and social workers with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, disciplines and perspectives. 

At the end of year one you will receive a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work and register as a social worker in England. 

During year two you will work as a newly qualified social worker. All newly qualified social workers in England must complete their assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE). The year two curriculum is designed to support you throughout this process. 

During your ASYE you’ll complete training and academic work delivered by your local authority. At the same time, you’ll continue to receive training from Frontline, to complement and enhance your ASYE and support your continuing development as a social worker. 

Your practice tutor will provide pastoral support and mentoring. You will continue to meet regularly with your practice hub to give each other peer support and learn from colleagues. 

In your third and final year on the programme, you will complete the remaining credits of your MA in Advanced Relationship Based Social Work Practice with Children and Families. 

You will complete a literature review related to social work practice as your dissertation project. Your practice tutor will act as dissertation supervisor. 

You’ll also have four coaching sessions to help you overcome challenges and assist your transition from newly qualified social worker to experienced practitioner. 

Although incredibly rewarding, participants should be aware that embarking on a professional social work programme can sometimes be emotionally and intellectually challenging. Given the nature of the programme, these issues cannot be avoided, and participants therefore need to be appropriately prepared to develop the skills to deal with and address difficulties. With this in mind, Frontline offers participants a range of formal and informal support structures to help them succeed. 

Support within your hub 

Peer support within the learning and practice hub is an important source of support in the Approach Social Work model, and participants are encouraged to support one another’s learning and development. 

Distressing incidents are bound to come up in the practice learning environment, and your first point of call for debriefing, discussion and support should be with your CSW. The joint working of cases takes pressure off individuals to make the ‘right decisions’ alone and allows space for discussion, evaluation of thinking, and exploration around the proposed approach that can be taken in each situation. Thus, you are expected to support your peers, make time in practice hub meetings to discuss challenges and issues that might be arising for individuals, and come up with solutions as a group. 

Support within your region 

Frontline Partnership and Placement Managers (PPM) work with your local authority to support you throughout the year. The PPM allocated to your local authority will get to know you at the beginning of the year and through relationships with key staff in your local authority. They are responsible for the smooth running of the programme in your local authority. 

You will also receive regular visits from your practice tutor, who will deliver in-hub teaching, tailor individual and group tutorials to your learning requirements, and regularly monitor and assess your progression. Your practice tutor bridges the gap between the academic and practice-based elements of the programme, and acts as a support to you, your hub and CSW. 

Support with disabilities and additional learning needs 

Participants on the programme who have a disability or additional learning need are entitled to ask for reasonable adjustments to be made. Should you require such adjustments, you should disclose your disability to us at the earliest opportunity. Once a disability or the need for adjustments is disclosed, Lancaster University’s Disability Advisor, Frontline and your local authority will work together to make arrangements for further assessments to be undertaken and reasonable adjustments to be provided across learning contexts where necessary/possible. In your first year of the programme, you will be considered a full-time student of Lancaster University, and therefore will be eligible to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance. 

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) 

Participants will have access to several different support services through the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP); a proactive, practical information and emotional support function to help you manage and reduce the impact of life events, both at home and at work.  

• Telephone helpline for emotional or practical support. Answered by accredited counsellors or information specialists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 
• Session based counselling: where appropriate, up to 6 sessions of structured counselling per annum conducted by telephone, face to face or online. 
• An online EAP/health and wellbeing portal designed to offer self-help and guided support. 
• Debt management support and a legal and information team providing Citizens Advice Bureau type information. 
• Telephonic career coaching. You can access x1 50-minute session per annum.

Silvercloud 

Participants will also have access to an online self-help programme, Silvercloud, which is based on cognitive behavioural techniques. There are different programmes available covering issues such as stress, anxiety, depression and body image. 

Each year, we have a large number of parents who join the programme. We are mindful that parents and/or carers will often have additional family commitments, so as much as possible we have created a blended teaching approach to support and enable their participation. 

Participants join the programme in the summer (typically mid-July) at the readiness for practice stage, which consists of five weeks of study. Most days will take place online, however there are three residential days that participants will attend as a whole cohort, alongside two in-person regional teaching days. 

We also have set up a parents’ affinity group for those who are balancing being a carer and completing the programme. 

Please note Approach Social Work is an intensive fast-track scheme and you will likely need to make adjustments to family life whilst you are on the three-year programme to balance the different commitments. 

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.

Applications for Approach Social Work are now closed.

We will re-open applications in early February 2025, in some areas, to fill a limited number of spaces remaining on the 2025 cohort. Sign up to our mailing list to get updates about this and future opportunities.

The programme starts on 14 July 2025, with five weeks of intensive study referred to as the Readiness for Practice stage (formerly the Summer Institute).

For more information about the full programme structure, please visit the programme overview page.  

Approach Social Work enables you to register with Social Work England. You will be able to practice social work in other parts of the UK, however, you may need to complete additional training. 

In Scotland, Frontline or Step Up qualifying routes are only recognised as an ‘entitling’ qualification to permit entry to the register for social workers. Registrants must complete further measures to meet the Standards in Social Work Education (SiSWE) before working with adults. 

You will be based in children and families services for the duration of the programme and will obtain a master’s degree in Advanced Relationship-Based Social Work Practice with Children and Families upon completion. In year one of the programme you will complete a minimum of 200 days in the practice learning experience, including a contrasting learning experience working in the arena of adults’ social care. 

Generic social work values, skills and knowledge permeate both the curriculum and the practice learning experience. You will thus be equipped with the knowledge and skills to work with people of any age or background, in any social work setting, safely and effectively upon completion. 

Frontline designs and delivers the academic content of Approach Social Work, whilst Lancaster University is the awarding body for the qualifications. The curriculum is aligned to the British Association of Social Work’s Professional Capabilities Framework, Social Work England’s professional standards and education and training standards, and the knowledge and skills statements for children. 

You will learn the Approach practice models and will need to demonstrate capability in evidence-informed ways of working including: motivational interviewing, relational and systemically informed practice, and trauma informed parenting interventions, based on attachment, trauma and mentalisation. You will also address other essential topics in social work, including the centrality of anti-racist, anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice; relevant legislation and social policy; ethics and values; assessment of risk and need; and working with vulnerable groups. 

We pride ourselves on having a large number of high-quality local authority partners that host participants on the programme. Through working in these areas, participants are able to support some of the most disadvantaged children and families in England. 

If successful at the assessment centre, you will be able to provide information regarding your circumstances that we will aim to consider while making placement decisions. 

All Approach participants are, however, required to demonstrate a degree of flexibility when applying to the programme and we cannot guarantee placement within your preferred area. 

Joining us for Approach Social Work, you could be working in one of the following areas: 

• North East: Hartlepool, Newcastle, Durham and Middlesbrough. 
• Yorkshire and the Humber: Wakefield, Kirklees, Harrogate, Northallerton, North Lincolnshire and Leeds.
• North West: Greater Manchester (various locations), Calderdale, Sefton, Warrington, Halton and Wirral.  
• East Midlands: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Nottinghamshire. 
• West Midlands: West Midlands (county), Staffordshire and Warwickshire. 
• London (various locations) 
• South East and East of England: Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Essex, Slough, Wokingham and Kent. 
• South West: Bath, Bristol, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. 

Please note locations are subject to change and we cannot guarantee that placements will be available in all of the locations listed above. 

We receive a high volume of applications for our programme and places fill up quickly. While there are many places nationally, we will close applications for specific locations when they are full. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible to ensure your best chance of securing a place in your preferred location on the programme. 

Bursary in year one 

During your first year on the programme, you will receive a bursary to contribute to your living and travel costs. Participants based outside of London will receive a total bursary of £18,000. Participants based in London will receive a total bursary of £20,000. 

The bursary is not subject to income tax or National Insurance contributions. This means your bursary is roughly the same as the take home pay of someone earning a salary of £20,600 outside London or £23,500 if you’re in London.  

The bursary is paid in 13 monthly instalments, on the first working day of each month, starting in August 2025. You’ll receive your final payment in August 2026.

Are there any additional costs prior to receiving the bursary for Approach Social Work? 

You may be required to cover costs incurred from obtaining eligibility documentation. Some GP surgeries charge a fee for completing our health form and, if applicable, you will be responsible for covering this cost. 

If you choose to have an SpLD 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.

The cost of your DBS check is covered by Frontline. However, any lost or damaged certificates will be replaced at a cost to the participant. 

Frontline does not contribute towards costs related to overseas police checks or replacement qualification certificates (if required).

Travel costs for Approach participants

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).

Who covers costs for the Readiness for Practice stage? 

The readiness for practice stage consists of five weeks of study which you complete at the start of the programme. Most days will take place online, however there are three consecutive residential days that you will attend as a whole cohort, alongside two in-person regional teaching days. 

You will cover costs associated with travel to and from in-person days, including the readiness for practice stage residential. We will cover accommodation and food during the three-day residential.

What if the bursary isn’t enough to cover my costs?

Before applying, please make sure you are able to cover your costs of living during year one, using the bursary and any personal funds you have. 

We recognise that some individuals may find it difficult to complete the readiness for practice stage which begins the programme without additional financial assistance. 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.

Salary in years two and three 

After successfully passing year one of the programme, you will move into employment during years two and three. You will get paid a newly qualified social worker salary, which can be up to £34k depending on local authority and location. London local authorities may offer higher salaries. 

Tuition fees and student benefits 

As a participant of Approach Social Work, your tuition fees for your PGDip and Master’s degree are fully covered by Frontline so you don’t pay anything. Tuition fees for Social Work Master’s degrees typically cost £9000 a year. 

In your first year of study, 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. 

You may qualify for council tax exemption or discount. For more information, see here – How Council Tax works: Who has to pay – GOV.UK  

You may also qualify for Disabled Students’ Allowance. For more information, see here – Help if you’re a student with a learning difficulty, health problem or disability: Disabled Students’ Allowance – GOV.UK  

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 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. 

Is the year one bursary on Approach Social Work affected by any student loans I have already taken out? 

In year one, the bursary does not count as income that is subject to student loan repayments. However, in a small number of cases you may need to contact the Student Loans Company to provide evidence for your current means of support. Even if you have taken out a postgraduate student loan before starting the programme, you are still eligible for the full bursary payment.

Effect on other benefits

We cannot advise on individual circumstances but 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.

Please factor this into your budgeting or speak to HMRC. The government’s website has more information on universal credit. 

The programme requires you to work in-office while you’re a student on placement, so that you have a rich learning environment surrounded by experienced social workers and so that the local authority can ensure you’re practising in a safe manner. Opportunities for remote work during year one are extremely limited.

Local authorities have varied working from home policies, and in years two and three of the programme some of our local authority partners allow flexibility in working from home, depending on their requirements and organisational policies.

In year one, you receive 25 days of holiday, which you can take throughout the year. In years two and three, your annual leave is based on your local authority’s policies. Holiday and leave should avoid overlapping with skills days.

The quickest way to find the help you need is to use our help centre.

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please get in touch. Contacting us this way will help us to direct your query to the relevant team and help you more efficiently. 

If your query is urgent and you wish to speak to someone, you can contact the Recruitment team on 0207 167 2636. Please be aware that we are only available to answer calls on Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. 

We are looking for outstanding graduates and career changers for Approach. There is no age limit to apply. 

To apply for the programme you must: 

• Have at least a 2.2 (predicted or obtained) in an undergraduate honours degree (or international equivalent) 
• Have obtained GCSE English Language at Grade C/4 or above (or approved equivalent qualification – higher qualifications will not be accepted in lieu of GCSEs) 
• Possess the right to work and study in the UK (including access to public funds) for the duration of the programme (until September 2028) 
• Be resident in England by the time the programme commences 
• Not be a qualified social worker 

Please note we are unable to accept applications from those who do not meet all of the above criteria. Mitigating circumstances will not be considered nor will work experience be accepted in lieu of any of the requirements. 

Please note that applicants are required to possess all necessary eligibility documentation before submitting an application and will be required to submit this during the application process. 

For guidance on other routes into social work, we advise visiting the Professional Association for Social Work and Social Workers website. 

Applicants are encouraged to read our recruitment and admissions policy before submitting their application. 

Driving and access to a car are key requirements in the vast majority of our local authority partners outside of London. This is in order to reach the children and families in the community. 

Only in very few local authorities will it be possible to place applicants that can’t drive. For example, in central London. 

We recognise that some applicants will be medically exempt from driving. We work with individuals on a case-by-case basis in these circumstances to identify a suitable placement. 

You do not need specific experience to apply for Approach Social Work. 

Throughout our selection process we assess against competencies. We advise you to look at the competencies and think of examples of times you have demonstrated these competencies from your work, voluntary or life experience. This will help you better understand what we expect from applicants and can guide you to seek out experiences which might be helpful to prepare for your application. 

Taking part in voluntary or work experience placements is an effective way to develop your skills further. If you have the capacity, it is a fantastic chance to learn more about others and yourself. 

Learn more about the entry requirements for the programme here. 

In order to book your place onto an assessment centre, you will be required to provide us with official documentation to evidence your eligibility. This includes academic certificates for your GCSE English Language, as well as your degree and right to work documentation.  

Please note that we do not accept letters from institutions as evidence of qualification. Photocopies will not be accepted. 

If you are a final year student who is not due to receive your degree certificate until the programme has already started, this will not affect your eligibility to start the programme as long as you can confirm that you will receive proof of your results before Monday 9 July 2025. 

Once you receive your results and final degree classification, we will ask that you provide official proof that you have met our eligibility criteria. 

Learn more about the entry requirements for the programme here. 

Unable to locate your qualification documents

All applicants for Approach Social Work are required to show certificates as proof of eligibility during the application process. If you are having trouble locating these documents, it is your responsibility to begin the process of ordering replacements from the relevant exam board before you submit your application for the programme.  

You can find guidance on how to obtain replacement GCSE certificates here. 

AQA - Past results and lost certificates 

OCR - Replacement certificates 

Pearson Edexcel - Certificate services 

If your exam board no longer exists, please visit this website for guidance. 

I was only ever given a provisional statement of results for my GCSEs. Do I still need certificates to apply? 

Yes, all academic qualifications listed in our Approach Social Work eligibility criteria must be evidenced with certified hard-copy documentation. A provisional/candidate statement of results is usually distributed by educational institutions on results day, prior to certificates being available for collection. If you never collected your official certificates or arranged for these to be posted to you, you will be required to order replacement certificates or a certifying statement of results from the relevant exam board(s). 

Further guidance on this can be found here.  

If your exam board no longer exists, please visit this website for guidance. 

Applicants are responsible for all costs associated with obtaining official evidence of their eligibility documentation. 

I have international secondary school qualifications. How do I know if I am eligible? 

Frontline will accept international secondary qualifications provided that they are confirmed as being equivalent to GCSE English Language grade C by the UK National Information Centre (UK ENIC),  previously known as NARIC. 

If you are unsure whether your international qualification is considered equivalent, we encourage you to liaise with UK ENIC before submitting your application. We are unable to assess academic documents of prospective applicants. 

If I agree to retake my GCSE English to become eligible, can I still apply now? 

You must have completed and have proof of the required grades for your GCSEs or equivalent at the point of application for the programme.  

The only qualification we accept where the result has not yet been obtained is an undergraduate honours degree, if you are applying whilst still in your final year. 

English is not my first language. Can I still apply? 

Yes, we welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates. You must have obtained GCSE English Language at Grade C/4 or above (or approved equivalent qualification). We also accept international qualifications as long as they are confirmed as being equivalent to GCSE English Language grade C by the UK National Information Centre (UK ENIC),  previously known as NARIC. 

If you are unsure whether your international qualification is considered equivalent, we encourage you to liaise with UK ENIC before submitting your application. We are unable to assess academic documents of prospective applicants. 

We aim to recruit a wide range of individuals for Approach Social Work. We do not wish to exclude those who have been subject to disciplinary procedures or have a criminal record, but you must inform us if this is the case. We will prompt you to provide this information at the appropriate stage of the application process. While we will not automatically withdraw offers made to candidates on the basis of the information provided, offers are conditional to satisfactory eligibility and suitability checks. 

There is no simple criterion pertaining to suitability checks and we will need to consider each case individually. You will receive further information relating to each of these areas if you are successful at the assessment centre stage of the selection process and are extended a conditional offer. 

We accept applications from non-UK citizens providing that you have the right to work and study in the UK for the full duration of the programme (until September 2028), and you have access to public funds. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to support work and student visas. 

For more information about your eligibility to work in the UK, please ensure that you check your visa conditions before submitting your application. More information can be found on the UK government website. 

We also accept international qualifications providing that they are recognised by the UK National  Information Centre (UK ENIC) as being equivalent to the required UK qualification. 

I work at one of your partner local authorities, but I don’t want them to know I’m applying until I have a confirmed placement. Can you request my reference later in the process? 

You can advise that you do not want your current employer to be contacted when submitting your reference details, however we must have received the reference before your shadowing days. We will be checking the dates as part of the eligibility criteria so please make sure you are accurate against their HR records.

We recommend that you are open with your local authority employer during the onboarding process so you have their support and can manage their expectations around whether you’ve identified their LA for a possible placement or have made a preference for another location. 

I’m a qualified social worker but gained my qualification outside of the UK and need to re-train, can I apply? 

We don’t re-train social workers therefore, unfortunately, qualified social workers are not eligible to apply for the programme. If there has been a long period between you qualifying and working as a social worker, there are various return to work schemes that can be accessed. 

We recommend looking at Social Work England’s website for further information on this. 

Am I still eligible if I am already qualified/part-qualified in social work? 

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept applications from those who are already partially or fully qualified as social workers for the programme. This includes applicants who have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Our course expectation is that our participants will qualify in social work on the programme. 

You can only apply once in each recruitment cycle for the programme. So unfortunately, if you are unsuccessful this time around, you will need to wait until applications open again the following autumn for our next cohort. 

Please note, we are only able to provide feedback to applicants who reach the assessment centre stage due to the high volume of applications we receive. 

The process starts with registration on our website, to determine if you are eligible for Approach Social Work. You will then be invited to complete a competency-based application form, followed by the online test. 

If successful, you will be invited to our virtual assessment centre where you will participate in various exercises. This will consist of a role play, written exercise and interview. The assessment centre will give you the opportunity to experience real situations that social workers encounter on a day-to-day basis. 

You can find more information on our application process here and once you complete our registration form you will be given access to the Approach applicant portal which contains everything you need to know about applying and lots of top tips to help with your application. 

Technical difficulties submitting your application form

If you are unable to progress through to the next page of the application form, you may not have completed all of the required fields – indicated by an asterisk (*) – that need to be filled.  

Where you continue to experience technical errors, please get in touch with a member of the recruitment team by submitting a query.

Editing your application form

If you are applying for Approach Social Work and have entered anything incorrectly, including academic details, please notify the recruitment team immediately so that this information can be updated. You can do this by  submitting a query to the team. 

Once you have completed your application form for Approach Social Work, we will send you an invite to complete the online test. This test will include a combination of verbal reasoning and situational judgement tests. 

Upon receiving your invite for the online test, you will have 7 days to complete this. It should take about 30 minutes to complete, but you are not timed when answering the questions.  

You will receive the result for this test and if successful we will then review your application form, before considering you for an assessment centre. 

We will be holding all our assessment centres virtually for the Approach 2025 Cohort. Our assessment centres usually run from October until May. 

If you are invited to attend an assessment centre, please follow the instructions provided to book a date. Dates are released frequently but we urge you to book the earliest date possible. We reserve the right to cancel upcoming assessment centres if we recruit the required candidates for the programme. 

The assessment centre is a chance for you to further explore the job of a social worker and share your enthusiasm for the programme. 

At the assessment centre, you will be evaluated by our team of trained assessors, including specialist social workers and people with experience of care. Throughout the day we will also be looking for evidence of your professional conduct and time management.  

Assessment centre activities include:  

• Role play 
• Interview 
• Written exercise 

You will receive your outcome within 10 working days from your assessment centre date. You can find out more about our assessment centre here.

What happens after the assessment centre?  

After successfully passing all selection stages for Approach Social Work, applicants will be made a conditional offer once it is confirmed they meet eligibility checks. Part of meeting the conditional offer requires applicants to go through a process of admissions and suitability checks. This will include:  

• Reference checks  
• Verification of any outstanding eligibility documentation  
• Self declaration form 
• Right to work check 
• DBS check  

Upon completion of these checks, applicants will be eligible for placement allocation.  

Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications we receive for the programme, we are unable to offer feedback on individual applications before the assessment centre stage. 

At Frontline, we believe that people  with disabilities have an important contribution to make, with unique experiences that benefit the children and families that we serve.    

Many previous programme participants with disabilities have completed our training successfully and gone on to practise safely and effectively with or without adjustments to support them. We ensure that our screening, assessment and decision-making processes complement these beliefs, whilst also considering whether you will be likely to meet our suitability requirements and the professional standards set by the regulator Social Work England. 

Examples of reasonable adjustments that applicants with disabilities have received during the application phase include, but are not limited to: 

• BSL interpreter support and/or live captioning on our events. 
• Extra time to complete tasks at our assessment centre – e.g. our written exercise.   
• Adjustments to tasks at the assessment centre – for example providing a BSL interpreter or scribe.  
• Provision of dyslexia friendly resources at our assessment centres. 

There are several points during the Approach Social Work application process where you will have the opportunity to disclose your disability to us (e.g. on your application form). Although you are not obliged to share this information with us, we strongly recommend that you do so at the earliest opportunity so we can make the necessary reasonable adjustments. 

You can find more information on the support we are able to offer here and our suitability policy can be found here.

For Approach Social Work, we are unable to provide a deferred place as an option at the point of application.  

However, if you have been made a conditional offer and wish to defer your application due to extenuating circumstances, please get in touch. Deferrals are only offered in extreme extenuating circumstances and are not guaranteed. 

We are always looking for ways to improve our recruitment process and welcome feedback to assist with this. Please get in touch by submitting a request online. A member of the team will get back to you as soon as possible. 

We try our best to treat every applicant equally and fairly, but if you feel that we could do better, then please put this in writing to us. We take any complaints seriously and will investigate these carefully. 

After passing the assessment centre, applicants are required to read and sign a conditional offer letter in order to confirm their desire to be placed within the 2025 Cohort for the Programme. 

Applicants must then go through a series of pre-programme checks. This will include eligibility checks (references and verification of documentation) as well as suitability checks (DBS and health checks), which must be completed before a local authority placement is confirmed. 

Details of these requirements will be available to applicants upon receiving a positive assessment centre outcome.

Why is the offer conditional? 

Offers for Approach Social Work are conditional on applicants meeting the following requirements: 

• eligibility requirements 
• suitability requirements 
• that Frontline are able to place you in a suitable local authority placement 
• completing two days of shadowing in your allocated local authority 

An applicant’s place on the programme will remain conditional and they will be unable to commence study on the programme and fully register with our university partner, Lancaster University, until they have met all conditions of their offer. 

Frontline will request details for a selection of referees when you are made a conditional offer for Approach Social Work.  

Every applicant, who has successfully passed the selection process, is required to submit at least two satisfactory references (covering the entirety of the two years prior to their assessment centre) in order to meet the eligibility requirements for the programme. This will include your current or most recent employer. 

I don’t want my employer to know yet that I will be leaving. Will I need to provide their details? 

We request that you provide us with your employer’s details once you have received your conditional offer for Approach Social Work, but you can indicate that they are not to be contacted at this time. 

You will then need to sign a declaration indicating that, to the best of your knowledge, there will be no issues raised by your current employer in regard to performance, professionalism or safeguarding matters. This declaration will suffice until we obtain your current employer reference after local authority allocation. 

Once you’ve been placed in a local authority, we will contact you to arrange collecting your final reference. Your referee will not be contacted without your consent. Applicants will be unable to commence shadowing days in your local authority before a satisfactory current employer reference has been submitted.

We strongly recommend that applicants of Approach Social Work do not hand in their notice until local authority allocation has been confirmed and you have been introduced to your local authority.

All applicants must complete a new DBS check through Frontline before commencing Approach Social Work. This also applies for applicants who have existing DBS checks or are on the update system. 

DBS checks are a necessary requirement to ensure that participants are able to work with children and families. More information on the DBS process will be communicated to applicants during the application process. 

I already hold a DBS certificate / I am registered for the update service. Do I still need to complete a DBS check? 

All applicants are required to complete a new DBS check specific to Approach Social Work, and we are unable to accept existing DBS certificates, including those registered for the update service. 

At Frontline, we believe that people with disabilities have an important contribution to make, with unique experiences that benefit the children and families that we serve.    

Many previous programme participants with disabilities have completed our training successfully and gone on to practise safely and effectively with or without adjustments to support them. We ensure that our screening, assessment and decision-making processes complement these beliefs, whilst also considering whether you will be likely to meet our suitability requirements and the professional standards set by the regulator Social Work England. 

There are several points during the application process for Approach Social Work where you will have the opportunity to disclose your disability to us. Although you are not obliged to share this information with us, we strongly recommend that you do so at the earliest opportunity so we can make the necessary reasonable adjustments. 

You can find more information about the support we offer here and our suitability policy can be found here.  

If you are required to have an overseas police check you will be responsible for any associate costs, including obtaining a letter of good conduct or any translation fees. 

Regional teams begin local authority placement allocation for Approach Social Work in the spring and will be in touch with you to discuss this.  

Applicants will need to have completed several checks before being considered for a local authority placement, further details of which will be provided should they be made a conditional offer. 

How does the placement process work for Approach Social Work? 

Successful applicants on the programme will be placed in a local authority based on a number of factors, including personal preference and the needs of each local authority. We try to place Approach participants in their first choice of area, however please be aware this is not always possible, and we ask all applicants to remain flexible. Each year a small number of applicants may remain unplaced and, in some cases, where a local authority cannot be identified, applicants may be required to defer to the following cohort. 

Why have other Approach applicants heard back before me? 

We have approximately 500 placements available each year on the programme and want to ensure each applicant’s individual needs are considered when being allocated to a local authority placement. As such, the allocation process is staggered, and applicants will receive their local authority placement information over several months. If other people are starting to receive their information before you, please do not worry as this is a normal part of the process. 

Once you have received your local authority placement, whilst this is exciting information to receive, please remain mindful that others may not yet have received theirs, so sharing on social media can be unhelpful and cause worry for others. 

Will I be able to get a placement within the local authority I have been working in already? 

Placements are not guaranteed for Approach Social Work. We will always strive to provide applicants with their first or second choice of placement, and one that meets your needs and requirements, as well as that of the local authority. Equally, you do not have to choose your current local authority as a preferred placement choice. 

If your personal circumstances have changed in relation to the information you submitted on your placement survey for Approach Social Work i.e. if you have changed your address, please contact us by submitting a query.