Social work students campaigning for bursaries while working on placements in the public sector have welcomed promises made by the Scottish Government, but warned that more still needs to be done.
Students – backed by the Social Workers Union – have campaigned for bursaries for all third and fourth year undergraduate social work students in Scotland working in front-line roles during their studies. This would have provided these students with equity with other students who work in the public sector as part of their degree programmes, such as nurses.
A powerful cross-party committee of MSPs agreed to take action after a petition was signed by more than 2,000 students and staff.
Now, following a review established by the Scottish Minister for Further & Higher Education, Graeme Dey MSP, the Scottish Government has set out in a letter to students that Ministers “will provide all eligible under- and post- graduate social work students with an assessed practice learning placement in-year with a grant of £750.”
In addition, the Government also plans to develop a higher level apprenticeship in social work which will enable students to “earn as they learn” to a degree-level qualification in social work.
David Grimm, who recently completed his studies and has been one of the driving forces behind the campaign, commented:
“Ministers are right to have taken this issue seriously and the additional support grant will help ease some of the pressure on students who are working and managing case work as part of their degrees. But it does not provide enough to help students to live while studying and working in placements.
“Many end up burning out due to the pressure, dropping out of courses or building up unsustainable debt.
“The social work apprenticeship is a major development, but work needs to be accelerated on its development and – of course – it won’t help those who are taking a university-based setting to a career in social work.”
Lucy Challoner, who led the petition with David, added:
“The recent Government backed review found that undergraduate students in Scotland are disadvantaged compared to their counterparts in Wales, England and NI who all receive some form of financial grant incentive towards their studies.
“Ministers and regulators know that the system is unfair, yet they still won’t bring in the full set of reforms needed. While we welcome the steps forward, we need to see a pathway towards equality with other public-sector degree courses.”
In late 2023, the students had already secured reform to postgraduate funding which enabled students not eligible to receive bursary support through the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) will be able to apply for the postgraduate funding package administered by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). The reforms came in from this academic year.
John McGowan, General Secretary of the Social Workers Union, commented:
“The students have had a huge impact in raising the issue of support for social work students who go unpaid for delivering vital front-line services as part of their degree courses.
“We understand the financial pressures the Scottish Government is facing, but the student’s campaign is about two basic principles, that people should be fairly compensated for doing front-line work in the public sector and that students on social work courses should be treated like their peers on nursing and paramedic degrees and receive bursaries while on placements.
“Until these principles are met, we will continue to back the students in their campaign.”
Alison Bavidge, National Director of the Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW), added:
“Lucy, David and all the social work students who have been fighting for these much-needed changes over recent years have worked tremendously hard to secure the progress we now see. These first steps the Scottish Government has taken are welcome, but there is still much to be done.
“SASW stands with SWU in calling for the Scottish Government to meet with the campaigners and set out a clear pathway to create parity with other professions and those in the wider UK.”