Step up to Social Work

Step Up to Social Work is a Department for Education (DfE) initiative which aims to increase the number of high quality social workers by supporting graduates and career changers to start a new career in social work, working with vulnerable children, young people and families.

• Step Up to Social Work is a full-time, fully funded Programme, providing a recognised social work qualification
• it’s 14-months of intensive study and work based placements
• leading to a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work

The programme is delivered locally by the University of East London in partnership with local authorities across North East London including the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

You are eligible to apply for the programme if you have:

• an honours degree (1st or 2.1) OR
• a 2.2 honours degree with an additional post graduate qualification at level 6, such as a postgraduate diploma or Masters degree AND
• GCSE Maths and English at grades C or above (or equivalent) AND
• experience of working with children and families

Step up to Social Work

Frontline

The Frontline programme is a unique opportunity for high potential university leavers and career changers to join one of the Country’s toughest and most rewarding professions.

The Frontline two-year programme offers an exciting new route into a career in children's social work.  LBBD work in partnership with Frontline to offer a student Unit within Children’s Services.

Frontline

Student Social Worker Placement opportunities

All Social Work Degree and Masters programmes require students to undertake practice placements as part of the programme requirements. 

LBBD offer placement opportunities to students from a number of Universities across London.  The process for applying for a placement within LBBD is to liaise with the Practice Learning Manager within your University. 

Student profiles are sent to the Borough lead and matched to placement opportunities.  While on placement students have access to LBBD training and student support meetings.  Final year students are supported to apply for NQSW posts within the Borough.

NQSW vacancies and Assessed and Supported Year in Employment

Newly Qualified Social Workers in their first year of employment, are required to undertake the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE), to support and monitor their development in practice. 

The council works in partnership with North East London Local Authorities to provide a range of learning activities to support NQSW's development with protected time to reflect and learn, this is in addition to the Boroughs core training offer.  In addition NQSW’s will be supported with:

• regular supervision, weekly for the first six week, fortnightly until the six month review and monthly thereafter
• a reduced caseload
• a personal development plan at each review stage
• opportunities and protected time to meet training and development needs
• regular reviews of progress leading to a final assessment.
• a monthly NQSW Forum chaired by consultant SW’s from across the service

NQSW vacancies will be advertised via our recruitment platform – please keep an eye out for current vacancies

The North East London Social Work Teaching Partnership (NELTP) comprises the London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets together with the University of East London and London Metropolitan University

The NELTP has been funded by the Department for Education from 2018 to 2020 to improve standards in the Social Work workforce in our region.

The project aims to:

• create progression pathways for staff
• plan for future workforce needs
• improve digital literacies amongst social workers
• support staff to develop their practice
• disseminate good practice in social work nationally

The teaching partnership aims to help people at all stages of their social work careers – including students, newly qualified staff and more experienced practitioners. The social work profession needs collaborative support and to be kept up to date with the latest developments taking place locally.

NQSW vacancies and Assessed and Supported Year in Employment