Student bursary reform aims to 'stabilise workforce supply'

The government is consulting on reforming financial support for social work students, including potential changes to bursaries and introducing a hardship fund.

The move comes in the wake of campaigning by BASW, the Social Workers Union and students struggling to make ends meet and concerns over course closures.

Social work bursaries have been frozen in England for more than a decade. Last year Scotland announced a 50 per cent rise in bursaries following intense campaigning. Wales has also boosted bursaries in recent years.

According to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) reforms in England will aim to “address barriers to training” and to “stabilise workforce supply”.

In an impact assessment document published this week the department highlights high vacancy rates in the profession – 17.3 per cent among children and family social workers and 8.8 per cent among adult social workers in England.

It also revealed that while bursaries are available to 4,000 students, only 2,600 applicants (1,700 undergraduates and 900 postgraduates) applied for and received one last year.

The impact statement warns: "In recent years the number of bursaries claimed has not hit the UG [undergraduate] and PG [postgraduate] caps which shows that under the current system there is no excess demand for places. 

"If student numbers reduced then it is likely that some HEIs [higher education institutions] would close courses, which is already happening in some places, to redirect resources to more profitable courses in other subjects." 

The consultation outlines options for the social work bursary, the education support grant and travel allowances paid to students on placements.

Minister of state for health and social care Stephen Kinnock said: “We want to understand views from across the sector on how social work bursaries and the education support grant can best support students into social work education and ultimately to have long and rewarding careers.”

The consultation will look at whether:

• The balance of funding between undergraduate and postgraduate students is right (postgraduates currently get 48 per cent of all funding despite only making up 29 per cent of bursary allocations)
• Bursaries should be means-tested
• A hardship fund of up to £3,000 a year should be introduced
• Bursaries to disabled students should be increased
• The education support grant is enough to support practice placements
• The placement travel allowance should refund actual travel costs instead of the current flat rate of £862 

Undergraduates in England currently receive an average bursary of £4,900 annually in their final two years of study while postgraduates get £11,200.

The government wants to “explore the trade-offs” between targeting bursaries at students with the highest financial need and maximising the number of people receiving them.

BASW’s interim chief executive Samantha Baron welcomed the plans but said “the devil will be in the detail”.

She added: “Social work students have felt the brunt of a freeze in support for over a decade, as well as inequitable availability, and it is long before time that the system is reformed. 

 “It’s no secret that social work is facing a serious staffing crisis across England and the declining uptake of bursaries is cause for worry. 

“Removing barriers to entry, particularly to those from low-income backgrounds, through better bursary funding is critical if we are to radically and urgently strengthen our whole profession.”

The consultation ends at midnight on 7 April.