Step Up to Social Work is a Department for Education-funded, fast-track programme that sees candidates become qualified social workers in 14 months.
The programme is designed to support highly-skilled graduates into social care.

Step Up to Social Work

Find out more about our Step Up to Social Work fast-track programme for highly-skilled graduates to qualify as social workers in 14 months.
Funded by the Department for Education, Step Up to Social Work is a programme that supports highly skilled graduates into social care.

What you can get from the programme

Funding: Step Up students get a tax-free bursary of £21,994.80 to train and don't need to pay tuition fees. This is paid in 15 monthly instalments whilst on the programme.
Fast-tracking: After 14 months, students qualify as a social worker, can apply to register with Social Work England and can look for work.
Employer-led: Local Authorities host students on a placement for 170 days so you can gain real social work experience, knowledge and skills with your academic study.
Path to employment: When you finish the programme, we aim to support graduates to apply for social work positions within the boroughs of the partnership.
About our partnership

Step Up is employer-led, delivered by the North, Central, East London Regional Partnership, made up of the London Boroughs of Islington, Hackney, Haringey, Enfield, Camden and Barnet, in collaboration with our academic partner Middlesex University.

All boroughs are rated 'Good' or 'Outstanding' by Ofsted. We are at the forefront of improving outcomes for children and families with a number of innovative practice models including systemic practice, signs of safety and motivational interviewing. We also offer fantastic opportunities for training and development and support candidates to consolidate academic learning with real-life placement experiences.

Qualifications you need to apply

Social work is a challenging and rewarding career where you can make a real difference for vulnerable children and families.

Candidates will:

- need to build relationships with families facing difficult times
- show a lot of patience
- be good listeners
- have good observational skills
- use analytical thinking and sound judgement to make the right decisions and protect children
- demonstrate their maturity and emotional resilience.
- Candidates must have:

a minimum 2:2 Level 6 degree qualification in any subject other than social work (conditional offers can be made to applicants who will graduate in the summer of 2025 - you will need to show evidence of the final grade before a formal offer is made).
GCSE English or English Language at Grade C or above, or the new grade 4 and above (or approved equivalent)
significant experience of either working or substantial volunteering with vulnerable children, young people and/or families/carers or adults.
We particularly welcome applications from men and people from ethnic minority backgrounds as they are often under-represented in this area of social work.

How to apply

The application window for Cohort 9 is now closed. If the Department for Education decide to fund Cohort 10, we expect the application window to open in February 2027 with the programme starting in January 2028. You will need to apply through the Department for Education.