How to become a social worker
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- a graduate training scheme
University
You could do a degree in social work approved by Social Work England.
You could also do a postgraduate degree in social work, if you have a degree in another subject. This postgraduate degree takes 2 years.
You might be able to get a social work bursary.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
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Apprenticeship
You could do a Social Worker Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, which takes around 3 years.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
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Volunteering
You'll need experience of working with vulnerable groups or children for most courses and jobs.
To get skills and experience, you could:
- apply to be a social work assistant or support worker
- work in the community with a charity
- find volunteering opportunities through the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and Do IT
Other Routes
Graduate training scheme
You could apply to do an intensive, work based training programme if you've got at least a 2:1 (upper second class) degree in any subject except social work.
The programmes are:
- Frontline for children's social work
- Step Up to Social Work for children's social work
- Think Ahead for mental health social work
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Registration
- you'll need to register with Social Work England
Career tips
It's possible to do a degree in social work and learning disabilities nursing.
You'll need to check that the course is recognised by the relevant professional bodies. You can get advice about this from course providers.
Further information
You can get more advice about becoming a social worker from the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and Think Care Careers.