Step Up To Social Work is 14 month, full time training programme offering talented graduates and career changers the chance to become the next generation of child and family social workers supporting vulnerable children, young people and families.
It is designed for people who want to become a social worker but do not have a degree in social work. Successful applicants train through a combination of academic study and hands on social work experience with a local council.
Applicants eligible for the programme, which offers financial support alongside training, include people with experience of working with vulnerable children, young people, families or adults, and who can demonstrate emotional resilience and potential for success.
The course will be running from January 2024 to March 2025 and this will be the third cohort of Step Up students the City of Wolverhampton Council has supported. The course is delivered at the University of Birmingham and is fully funded, with a bursary attached, and participants will obtain a Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work.
At the end of the course, successful candidates will be supported to practice as a children’s social worker in Wolverhampton, or with one of the other organisations in the West Midlands which are partnering with the programme.
Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “We are really pleased to be partnering once more with the Step Up to Social Work programme and this is a brilliant opportunity for anyone interested in becoming a children’s social worker.
"Wolverhampton is a great place to do social work and we would really encourage people to consider and apply for this fantastic programme.”
Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, Claire Coutinho said: “I’ve been truly inspired by the social workers that I’ve met. The passion and support they provide for children and families is a real testament to the profession and it is what makes it such a rewarding career.
“To attract more great social workers we’re helping councils, including the City of Wolverhampton Council, with recruitment and retention, along with better support for social workers with new early career development.”
Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, added: “It is excellent to see the quality of the hundreds of graduates who qualify as social workers through the Step Up programme, and encouraging to see them start out on a long term career in social work.
“Our profession is highly challenging, but highly rewarding, and Step Up is developing a highly skilled workforce ready to make a genuine positive impact on people’s lives.”
For more information about applying visit Step Up to Social Work. Applications close on Friday 24 March, 2023.
Candidates are eligible to apply if they hold a minimum 2:2 level 6 degree qualification. They should also have GCSEs in English or English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above, or the new grade 4 and above (or an approved equivalent). Candidates should also be able to demonstrate significant experience of either working or substantial volunteering with vulnerable children, young people and/or families/carers or vulnerable adults.
