Routes into social work
Below is a summary of the range of entry routes that Surrey Children's Services Academy work alongside.
Page contents
- Degree in social work
- Postgraduate diploma in social work
- Qualify as a social worker with a master's degree
- Master's in social work
- Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)
- Working in Surrey
- Social work degree apprenticeship
Degree in social work
- Requirements: 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent.
- Funding: self funded - not eligible for paid study leave. Placement periods mean an unpaid sabbatical.
- Duration: 3 years. First year at university, a 70-day placement in year 2 and a 100-day placement in year 3. Open University modules can take place over longer time periods.
- When: annually, check with universities
- More details: check with universities
Postgraduate diploma in social work
- Scheme: Step Up to Social Work
- Requirements: At least 2:2 level degree (in any discipline) plus 6 months direct work experience
- Funding: Government funded by Department for Education (DfE)
- Duration: 14 months
- When: Applications have closed for 2025. Runs once every two years dependent on government funding.
- More details: Surrey Children's partner with Step Up and Kingston university. Step Up to Social Work
Qualify as a social worker with a master's degree
- Scheme: Approach Social Work (formerly Frontline programme from the Frontline social work charity)
- Requirements: a first or 2:1 level degree
- Funding: fully funded masters degree on paid training programme. Bursary in year 1 and a salary from year 2.
- Duration: 3 years. After your first year you qualify as a social worker and then study for your master's degree.
- When: recruit students on a rolling basis. Fill up quickly. When you feel ready, complete the application process.
- More details: see Approach Social Work – Frontline
Master's in social work
- Requirements: a degree, check which level they accept with each university
- Funding: self-funded
- Duration: 2 years. a 70-day placement in first year and 100-day placement in second year.
- When: check with each university
- More details: check with each university
Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)
- Requirements: social work degree
- Funding: programme funded through Skills for Care and run by Surrey County Council's Children, Families and Lifelong Learning
- Duration: 12 months
- Description: employment-based support to help newly qualified social workers in their first year of employment.
- When: two intakes for 2025 in spring and autumn.
Social work degree apprenticeship (Social work trainee)
- Requirements: open to existing members of staff with 2 years experience working for Surrey County Council's Children, Families and Lifelong Learning.
- Funding: government funded (Apprenticeship levy)
- Duration: 3 years.
- Description: Learn on the job with one day a week at Chichester University and 2 assessed placements.
- When: Applications have now closed for 2025.
Working in Surrey
Surrey is made up of the 11 districts and boroughs outlines in the map below. Students placements and Newly Qualified Social Worker vacancies may be anywhere within our surrey county children's services teams.
