Higher Education Provider for the Step Up To Social Work Programme

The Learn Together Partnership is seeking, through Wirral Borough Council, creative and innovative tenders for the effective delivery of the learning outcomes of the Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work. The successful tenderer will have current experience of delivering a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work and is capable of delivering this programme in line with the 15 month timescales given above. A curriculum outline must be completed for the Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work must be completed by all tenderers.\

Wirral act as the lead LA for the Learn Together Partnership (RP), we will be submitting our bid for cohort 8 of the Step Up To Social Work Programme, after 7 previous successful cohorts we have completed.\

The Step Up to Social Work programme provides an accelerated entry route into social work for high-achieving graduates and career changers. The programme has successfully trained over 2000 social workers since 2010. Step Up to Social Work is delivered through the development of a work-based 14-month postgraduate diploma programme, led by groups of local authorities working in Regional Partnerships (RPs) who contract the learning element with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). Award of the diploma enables candidates to apply for registration as a qualified social worker. The scheme targets high calibre individuals who already have experience of working with vulnerable children, young people or adults who want to train as social workers\

We are looking for a HEI provider to deliver to academic aspect of the programme.\

This contract will run year to year as the programme is only 15 months long, but we may wish to extend up to 5 years. Cohort 8 is due to begin January 2024 and will come to end in March 2025. If successful with future bids, we will also host cohort 9 which will run from January 2026 and end in March 2027.