Welcome to the Approach Social Work bulletin

Welcome to the 2026 cohort

Congratulations on securing your place on Approach Social Work. 
Whether you recently passed your assessment centre or deferred from last year, we are pleased to welcome you to the 2026 cohort.

Approach Social Work is delivered by Frontline, a children’s charity working to make life better for children at risk of harm. We do this by improving the services that support them, including developing confident, skilled social workers who can make sound decisions and build strong relationships with children.

Demand for children’s social workers continues to grow, and the role is both challenging and vital. By joining the programme, you are preparing for a career where your work will make a meaningful difference to children’s lives.

Your applicant portal

The portal will be your central source of information throughout the programme and will include:

• guidance documents and policies
• key programme information
• previous bulletins

We will let you know through future bulletins when new content is added. Please keep the portal link confidential. It is for the 2026 cohort only.

Frontline Awards 2026: nominations open

Now in its fourth year, the awards recognise excellent practice, leadership and innovation in children’s services, as well as the achievements of young people who have been supported by a social worker.

You can submit a nomination for someone whose work or experience you think deserves recognition.

Award categories

• The Frontline Award for Leadership
• The Frontline Award for Practice
• The Frontline Award for Innovation
• The Frontline Award for Team of the Year
• The Frontline Award for Multi-Agency Partnership of the Year (new for 2026)
• The Frontline Award for Young People

Submitting a nomination is free, and the ceremony is free for winners to attend. Nominations close on Friday 27 February 2026.

If you have any questions, please email events@thefrontline.org.uk

Recommended for you

In each bulletin, we will share optional resources for those who want to explore social work further before the programme begins.

• Listen: The Relational Social Work podcast. Featuring Frontline’s Chief Social Worker, Lisa Hackett, discussing the Families First reforms and multi-agency child protection teams.
• Watch: The Children Act. A film following a high court judge presiding over a complex case involving a child with leukaemia.
• Read: That Reminds Me. A novel exploring identity, mental health and trauma through the experiences of a young person in foster care.

We look forward to supporting you as you prepare to start the programme.

Allocation timeline

One of the biggest milestones before the programme begins is finding out which local authority you will complete your placement in.

Reviewing preferences

Over the next few months, our placements team will review the information you shared in your placement survey. To make the best decisions for both you and our local authority partners, we may contact you to discuss your circumstances.

Confirming placements

Throughout April and May, we will begin confirming placements in batches. We do not release all placements for a local authority at the same time. However, we usually communicate hub allocations together so you can meet your local authority and fellow hub members.

Placements are confirmed at different times for different people. This is planned due to the high volume of applicants. Please do not worry if others hear before you.

Scheduling your shadowing days

Once you receive your hub introduction email, you can begin arranging your shadowing days in May and June with your local authority. We will send further guidance later in the season.

Avoid making key decisions

Please do not make significant decisions, such as handing in your notice or signing a tenancy agreement, until you have received confirmation of your placement and been introduced to your consultant social worker.

Your choice

While we aim to match your preferences, we cannot guarantee a specific placement. In rare cases, if no suitable placement is available, you will have the option to defer to the following year’s cohort.

Financial guidance

For many of you, starting the programme means returning to full-time study and receiving a bursary to support living and travel costs in year one.

To help you plan ahead for July, we have created a bursary and finance guide. It includes payment dates, what the bursary covers and answers to frequently asked questions.

We strongly encourage you to read this now and plan ahead. In year one, you will be classed as a full-time student. This may make you eligible for different government support than if you were in full-time employment.

You can find the guide under the information guide section of the portal. If you have questions after reading, please get in touch.

Go to the portal

Webinar: a day in the life of a social worker

In the run-up to the programme, we are hosting a series of webinars to help you prepare for social work.

Our first session, a day in the life of a social worker, takes place on 5 March, 6.00pm – 7.00pm.

Register now

Experienced social workers will discuss:

• what their day-to-day work looks like

• the agencies they work alongside

• the direct work they do with children

You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and begin to picture what your role could look like this time next year.

If you cannot attend, we will upload a recording to the applicant portal.

Recommended for you

In each bulletin, we will share optional resources for those who want to explore social work further before the programme begins.

Listen: Relationships in the care system podcast. A conversation between the Children’s Commissioner for England and care leavers about relationships in the care system and what more could strengthen them.

Watch: Knife Crime: what happened to our boys. This panorama episode explores the deaths of two teenage boys and examines how knife crime, gangs and criminal exploitation affect young people at risk of harm.

Read: Supporting children in the UK care system report summary. This report examines whether children with a social worker or in care experienced different outcomes in the criminal justice system, and makes recommendations to improve support.