Funding placements for social work students
Consultation on funding placements for social work students to ensure money is spent efficiently and gives students great opportunities.
The consultation is asking for people’s views on how the Education Support Grant (ESG) could be set up to make sure it stays within its £28 million budget. The grant has been running more and more over budget year on year and the current annual overspend is about £3 million.
It also looks at how the quality of placements can be improved as a result of these proposals. This includes looking at giving higher education institutes more flexibility over how this grant is spent, so they can reward the providers that offer high quality placements or work with others to improve standards. This will ensure every social work student has access to high quality practical experience before they begin their career.
The Department of Health has worked with a range of stakeholders in developing these options.