Our BenefitsAbout the roleAre you looking for a career in Social Work? The Step Up to Social Work Programme is brought to you by the East of England Regional Partnership, formed by Cambridgeshire County Council alongside Anglia Ruskin Essex County Council, Norfolk County Council, Peterborough City Council, Southend Council, Suffolk County Council and Thurrock Council. Cambridgeshire County Council via the Cambridgeshire Academy for Reaching Excellence (in Children Services) are looking for the next cohort of Step Up to Social Work Students to start the course in January 2026. Upon successful completion of the Step-Up to Social Work Programme you will be supported and encouraged to apply for any Newly Qualified Social Worker vacancies we have available. Recruitment for the programme will open with an application window between 17th February 2025 and 24th March 2025, with assessment centres scheduled for May-June 2025. The Step Up to Social Work 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. The Step Up to Social Work Programme is a 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. Isabelle Trowler, Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, 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.” 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 9th cohort of Step Up since 2010, the programme has successfully supported over 2,900 social workers to enter the profession across England. The programme runs once every two years, dependent on government funding, so if you are interested, make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to apply. More information about applying to Step Up to Social Work can be found here: East of England Regional Partnership - Cohort 9 | Step Up to Social WorkStep Up to Social Work Programme at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) On the 14-month training programme, you will receive hands-on experience of working in a real-life social work role through placements in a local authority whilst undertaking your qualification. Once you have successfully completed the course, you will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work enabling you to apply to register and practice as a social worker. If you have any queries about the programme, contact the Cambridgeshire Academy for Reaching Excellence (CARE). Amber.Wilson@cambridgeshire.gov.uk (Children Social Care Practice Development Lead for pre-qualifying pathways) or Ramona.Peiu@cambridgeshire.gov.uk (CARE Manager) -For further information please attend one of our Virtual Information sessions:Wednesday 5th March 2025 9.30am-10.30amThursday 6th March 2025 5.30pm-6.30pmTuesday 11th March 2025 9am-10amMonday 17th March 2025 9.30am-10.30amPlease email ARUstepup@aru.ac.uk to register your interest in a session and receive the link.About youSocial work is both a challenging and rewarding career through which you can make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children and families. You will need to build relationships with families facing difficult times, show a lot of patience and be a good listener. You will also need good observational skills, analytical thinking and sound judgement to make the right decisions and protect children. Social work regularly tests resilience, stamina, and resolve - all of which you will need to succeed. We are looking for dedicated individuals who have experience of working with vulnerable children, young people, families or vulnerable adults and who can demonstrate their maturity and emotional resilience. We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates and aim to have a workforce that represents the society that we serve. To apply to the programme, you will need to have: A minimum 2:2 degree qualification (level 6). Please note: final year students will be eligible to apply with a minimum 2:2 predicted grade. 6 months’ full-time (or equivalent) direct experience, either in a paid or voluntary capacity, of working with vulnerable children, young people and/or families, carers or vulnerable adults A GCSE in English or English language at grade 4 (C) or above (or an approved equivalent) A full UK Driving Licence More information, including eligibility criteria and how to apply can be found here: East of England Regional Partnership - Cohort 9 | Step Up to Social WorkYou will need to show all your original certificates to us as part of the application and assessment process. If you cannot find these, you can order replacements online. About usCambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes.We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Cambridgeshire and want our workforce to be reflective of this diversity, which we believe benefits our employees, the organisation and our communities.https://youtu.be/DDE1nplZttYVisit our jobs and careers section to find out more about our wide range of learning and development opportunities; apprenticeships; our wellbeing package; staff benefits; our commitment to equality, diversity and Inclusion.http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/jobs-and-careers