The Step Up To Social Work programme in Somerset Council opens for recruitment today (17 February 2025) for aspiring social workers to apply for a place on the intensive but highly rewarding training programme.
Step Up To Social Work is 14-month, full-time training programme for talented graduates and career changers 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 in a local authority.
Applicants eligible for the programme, which includes financial support alongside training, will be individuals with experience of working with vulnerable children, young people, families or adults, and who can demonstrate emotional resilience and potential for success.
Step Up To Social Work aims to attract applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds and aims to have a workforce that represents the society that we serve.
Sam Mannion, Principal Social Worker for Children’s Social Care at Somerset Council, said:
We are proud that Somerset continues to lead the South West Partnership for Step Up to Social Work, which consists of ten local authorities.
Social work is a rewarding career which makes a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children, young people, and families. The Step Up To Social Work programme provides students with everything they need to build a strong foundation for a fulfilling career in social work.
We had the privilege of hosting a celebration event in conjunction with the University of the West of England this month for the twenty-nine inspirational Student social workers who have recently completed the Step Up To Social Work programme. Their positivity and energy about the programme shone through, and we wish them all the very best in their social work careers.
If you’re thinking about applying for this year’s Step Up To Social Work programme, I really encourage you to go for it.
Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker for Children and Families at the Department for Education, said:
It is excellent to see the quality of the hundreds of graduates who qualify as social workers through the Step Up programme, and encouraged 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.
The Step Up programme is backed by the Department for Education to support 700 individuals to enter the social work profession in local authorities across England in 2026. This funding will support individuals with training costs and a bursary of £21,995 over the duration of the programme to support them whilst in training.
This will be the ninth cohort of Step Up since 2010, the programme has successfully supported over 2,900 social workers to enter the profession across England.
More information about applying to Step Up to Social Work can be found here.
