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.

Claiming Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA)

If you have already shared a health condition or disability with us, we will soon create a Lancaster University (LU) student number so you can apply early for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).

You will receive an email from Frontline with next steps. If you receive automated emails from Lancaster University, please note this does not confirm your local authority allocation or registration.

If you do not receive an email, this means you have not shared a health condition or disability with our admissions and support team.

If you have a neurodivergence, health condition or disability, diagnosed or undiagnosed, we encourage you to tell us now. Sharing this early means we can put support and reasonable adjustments in place from the start of the programme.

Last year, over 50% of conditions were shared after placement began, which led to delays in adjustments and DSA funding.

If there is anything you would like us to know, email recruitment@thefrontline.org.uk. You will be matched with an advisor who will support you one-to-one.

Please note that DSA funding is currently only available to those with a formal diagnosis. However, Frontline and Lancaster University will still work to provide adjustments wherever possible.

Readiness for Practice and programme dates

Your journey on Approach Social Work begins with a five-week stage called Readiness for Practice between Monday 13 July – Friday 14 August. This is where you build the knowledge and skills you need before starting in your local authority.

This stage includes live and self-directed online learning, as well as:

Three-day residential teaching 

• Tuesday 21 July – Thursday 23 July

• Arrive Monday 20 July

• Accommodation and meals provided

Two in-person regional days 

• Thursday 6 August

• Thursday 13 August

After this stage: 

• You will have a three-week break from Monday 17 August – Sunday 6 September

• Your local authority placement begins on Monday 7 September

Webinar tonight: day in the life of a social worker

Tonight (5 March), 6.00pm – 7.00pm, we are hosting our first pre-programme webinar.

Experienced social workers will talk about:

• What their days actually look like

• The agencies they work alongside

• The direct work they do with children

There will be time for questions.

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

Register now

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: What social work means to us. Social workers Nadia, Fran and Eugene reflect on why they chose social work and what keeps them committed.

Watch: Autism, Schools and Families on the Edge. A Panorama episode examining funding pressures affecting children with special educational needs.

Read: Ashe’s blog for Care Day 2026. A reflection from 17-year-old Ashe on the changes needed to improve the care system.

Finance on Approach Social Work webinar – tonight 

Thank you to everyone who joined our first webinar on a day in the life of a social worker. Florence, Jeneba and Rowchell shared practical insight into the role and answered your questions. 

If you were unable to attend, please watch the recording on the portal. 

Our next webinar takes place tonight: 

• Finance on Approach Social Work 

• Thursday 19 April, 6.00pm – 7.00pm 

This session will cover: 

• programme finances 

• preparing for changes in your income 

• managing your money during the programme 

You will hear from Rois, Head of Admissions, Participant Quality and Support at Frontline, and Amanda from Lancaster Money Advice Service. There will also be time for questions. 

Register for the finance webinar 

DBS and right to work checks 

From April, we will carry out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work checks for all applicants through uCheck. 

We will contact applicants from April and throughout spring. Please wait to hear from us and do not be concerned if you are not contacted straight away. 

You will receive an email from uCheck to complete your checks. Once you have completed the digital steps, you will need to attend an identity check call. We will contact you to arrange this. 

All applicants must complete a new DBS check through Frontline. We cannot accept existing DBS checks, including those on the update service. 

Please complete your checks as soon as you receive the email to avoid delays to your start on the programme. 

You must complete all stages: 

• DBS application 

• digital ID check 

• right to work identity check 

If you do not complete these within the required timeframes, your offer may be withdrawn. 

Important updates from Frontline 

As you prepare to start the programme, please rely on information shared directly by Frontline. 

We know you may be looking for additional information online, but content on social media is not always accurate or relevant to your circumstances. 

If you have questions about the programme or your pre-programme checks, please contact us. A member of the team will be able to support you. 

Withdrawals and deferrals 

If your circumstances change and you are no longer able to start the programme, it is important that you let us know. 

You can find more information about withdrawing or requesting a deferral in the guidance on the portal. 

Read the guidance 

Recommended for you 

Each bulletin includes optional resources to help you explore social work ahead of the programme. 

Listen: What does the future hold for social work? A podcast from the British Association of Social Workers, exploring current challenges and the future of the profession. 

Watch: Split Up in Care. Ashley John-Baptiste reflects on his experience of the care system and the impact of separation on young people. 

Read: An open letter to the social worker who wrote my case files. Rebekah reflects on her own case records and the importance of accurate, thoughtful recording. Trigger warning: includes references to child sexual abuse and domestic abuse