107 social workers start child protection practice in the capital this week on the Frontline social work training programme.
Participants on the Frontline programme, the largest social work training programme in the country, have today started working in local authorities across England. Of the 393 participants, London has welcomed 107 trainees, almost 30 percent of the 2019 intake, to support the most vulnerable children and families in the capital.
This morning, participants started their first day in child protection teams across 20 local authority partners in London, including Islington, Lambeth and Wandsworth, after attending a five-week Summer Institute where they were taught by leading academics and experts by experience. This is the sixth year that the charity has partnered with local authorities in the capital to offer placements to participants in one of the country’s toughest but most rewarding professions.
To date, over 1,000 social workers have been trained through the Frontline programme across 48% of local authorities in England. The charity continues to increase its impact on the lives of the country’s most vulnerable, this week opening applications for 452 participants for the 2020 Cohort.
Josh MacAlister, Frontline’s Chief Executive: ‘Children and families often on the fringes of society rely on social workers to stand alongside them during their most difficult moments. We need more outstanding individuals joining the profession to support vulnerable children and families up and down the country. Social work has the power to change lives and we’re looking forward to developing more social workers across London to help give every child a safe and stable home.’
Kemi Badenoch, Children and Families Minister: “Social workers do one of the most challenging jobs in society, supporting the most vulnerable children in the country. There are more social workers than ever, but we want to keep recruiting and retaining the best, from graduates to career changers, which is why we have invested more than £1.2 billion since 2010 in supporting a range of routes into the profession, including fast-track schemes like Frontline.
“Frontline plays a key role in boosting the profile of rewarding careers in social work all over England, joining a talented workforce that provides support for children and families in [X place] who need it the most.”
