2013/2014 Social Work Bursary Booklet for Undergraduate Students

2013/2014 Social Work Bursary – Undergraduate students If you require this booklet in large print, please contact the Social Work Bursaries Helpline on 0300 330 1342. This booklet is for students studying on an approved part-time or full-time undergraduate social work course. Your course attendance pattern designated by your Higher Education Institute (HEI) will define whether you are a part-time or full-time student. The booklet has been produced for guidance only, it cannot cover all individual circumstances, and you may need to get more details from the Social Work Bursary website (www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/swb) or by contacting the Social Work Bursaries Helpline on 0300 330 1342. Disclaimer The arrangements and rates described in this booklet are correct at the time of publication and apply to the 2013/2014 academic year only, however changes may be made to the Social Work Bursary scheme and you should not rely on the current Social Work Bursary rules and allowances when planning for subsequent academic years as these may be subject to review in the future and as a result may be liable to change. Further information about the Social Work Bursary will be posted on the Social Work Bursaries website as and when it is made available. Students and prospective students are advised to check the website on a regular basis. The Department of Health and NHS BSA will accept no responsibility for loss of any type (including but not limited to financial circumstances) by students who have relied on current rules and allowances when deciding whether to study on a social work course whether for the current academic year, academic year to begin or for subsequent academic years.

Contents

Page

Bursary background and regulations

3

Eligibility

4

2013/2014 Financial Assistance

7

Where to find out more about funding

11

Contacts

12

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Bursary background and regulations The Social Work Bursary is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) on behalf of the Department of Health, who fund and set the policy for the bursary. Although the bursary is administrated by the NHSBSA, it is not to be counted as an NHS bursary. The bursary is administrated under the Care Standards Act, which is the legislation authorising the NHSBSA to distribute public funds within the context of the bursary. The bursary adopts certain elements of the Education (Student Support) Regulations in force at the time of your application. However, the bursary is not legally bound by these regulations. Please note: The rules for the bursary may be subject to change at any time. The Department of Health introduced the bursary as an incentive to train in social work. Unlike funding from Student Finance England, which is intended to assist with the costs of living, the bursary can be used towards study-related expenses and/or for any legal purpose you deem appropriate. The bursary package for undergraduate students is non-income assessed. Non-income assessed means that we will not take into consideration such things as your (or any other person’s) earnings, savings, dependants, mortgage or rent income, disabilities, special needs or any other similar factors. Please note if you receive any funding as mentioned in the ‘Other eligibility criteria’ section of this booklet this may affect your bursary entitlement.

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Eligibility To be eligible to apply for the Social Work Bursary you must satisfy all of the course eligibility, residency criteria and other eligibility criteria. Course eligibility You must be entering or already studying on a college-based social work course that has been approved by the General Social Care Council (GSCC), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) or the Care Council for Wales. A list of all eligible courses can be located on our website at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/swb. If you are still unsure if your course has been approved, please confirm this directly with your HEI. Employment-based courses You are not eligible for a bursary if you are studying on an employment-based course, including direct Open University courses, regardless of whether your social care employer is supporting you. We can only consider funding college-based courses. If you are unsure if your course is employment-based, please confirm directly with your HEI. Joint discipline courses You are not eligible for a bursary if you are studying on a joint discipline course. This is when you study for two subjects and the qualification that you will receive will name the subjects that you are following. It may also be know as a dual award. For example, if you are studying on a mental health nursing and social work combined course then you need to apply to the NHS Student Bursaries for funding. Their contact details can be found on page 11 of this booklet. Residency criteria All students applying for the bursary for the first time must provide evidence to prove their residency eligibility. You may be eligible to apply for funding from Student Finance England (SFE). If you choose to apply to SFE and they award you with a 2013/2014 financial notification, you will have usually met the residency criteria for a bursary; however additional residency checks may be carried out to authenticate your residency status. It is not mandatory to apply to SFE to receive a Social Work Bursary. Please consult the undergraduate bursary application form and form completion guidance notes on our website (www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/swb) for details of the evidence we require you to send in order to prove your residency eligibility. Please note if you apply for funding from SFE using their application form, you may be asked to declare any bursary you are applying for or receiving from the NHS or the Department of Health. This question does not relate to the Social Work Bursary. If you choose not to apply for funding from SFE, you must meet the residency criteria. The full residency criteria can be located on our website at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/swb.

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All continuing students applying for the bursary do not need to send any proof of their residency eligibility if they have received the Social Work Bursary in a previous year and they are still on the same course. The bursary application form requests that you confirm you still meet the other eligibility criteria. Other eligibility criteria You must meet all of the criteria below in order to be eligible for a Social Work Bursary. 

You are entering or already studying on a social work course that has been approved by the General Social Care Council (GSCC), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the Care Council for Wales or the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC).



You do not already hold a higher education social work qualification, including the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) awarded by the GSCC, the HCPC, the SSSC, the Care Council for Wales or the NISCC, or the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW).



You are not studying on an employment-based or joint discipline course.



You are studying on a college-based course and not receiving funding from a public funded body. Please note funding through Student Finance England (SFE), Access to Learning Fund, Government Benefit Agencies and bursaries from your HEI are not counted as public funding for Social Work Bursary purposes.



You are studying on a college-based course and are not receiving any of the following:  any paid time off granted by an employer or future employer to allow you to attend your studies  any payment by an employer or future employer towards all or part of your tuition fees  any payment or other financial support from a practice learning provider for undertaking placement duties for them  any funds from a local authority or other employer (except in relation to the cost of books needed for the course)  any funds through the Department of Health’s Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC)  any funds through the Department of Children, Schools and Families (via social work reform funds – for example the CWDC graduate recruitment scheme)  any funds from practice-led programmes for career changes

You must meet all of the criteria below if you receive a retainer from an employer or future employer in order to be eligible for a Social Work Bursary. 

the retainer is offered as an incentive to engage in employment with the retainer provider once the recipient qualifies as a social worker, and not as support towards the recipient’s social work training



the retainer is a documented contractual agreement between the retainer provider and the recipient. The contractual agreement indicates the recipient’s liability for paying back the retainer to the provider if they do no successfully complete their social work training and/or engage in employment with the retainer provider on qualifying as a social worker Undergraduate Social Work Bursary Booklet Page 5 of 12



the recipient is not and will not be engaged in employment, be contracted to, on a temporary assignment with or seconded to the organisation(s) providing the retainer, throughout the recipient’s social work training; and the retainer is not funded by:  a local authority (LA) or other public sector employer or future employer  the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) or Department for Education (via social work reform funds – for example the CWDC graduate recruitment scheme).

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2013/2014 Financial Assistance Which Bursary Scheme arrangements apply to me? Following a public consultation that took place in 2012 the Department of Health has announced new arrangements for the Social Work Bursary Scheme from the 2013/2014 academic year. You should familiarise yourself with which bursary scheme arrangements that apply to you so that you are fully aware of what you may be entitled to. The table below shows which Bursary Scheme arrangements apply depending on when your course starts: Course start date

Social Work Bursary arrangements

Courses that have started any date before 1 September 2013

Pre 2013 scheme arrangements

Courses that are due to or have started any date on or after 1 September 2013

2013 scheme arrangements

Courses that have started any date before 1 September 2013 (Pre 2013 scheme arrangements) If you are a continuing student and your course started any date before 1 September 2013 then you will continue with your current arrangements and will fall under the pre 2013 scheme arrangements. You will need to download from our website the appropriate bursary application form and send it to us each academic year. Please note: if you have previously started a social work course prior to 1 September 2013 but have had a break in your studies, when you return to this course (or a new course) you will fall under the new 2013 scheme arrangements. This is because you will not be counted as a continuing student. Basic grant Under the pre 2013 scheme arrangements the undergraduate bursary is made up of a non-income assessed basic bursary. This bursary is available to students on part-time and full-time undergraduate courses. If you are awarded the basic bursary it can be used towards study-related expenses and/or for any legal purpose you deem appropriate. No additional allowances, such as Disabled Student’s Allowance, Childcare Allowance or Dependant’s Allowances can be paid through the Social Work Bursary for undergraduate students. If you started a full-time undergraduate course before the academic year 2013/2014, we will offer you the grant rate below, which is paid in three instalments: Full-time undergraduate basic grant rates Students studying full-time at a London-based HEI

Up to £4,975 for a 52-week period.

Students studying full-time at an HEI outside London

Up to £4,575 for a 52-week period.

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Part-time funding You will receive a pro-rata amount of the full-time bursary based on the number of years the course lasts. Your bursary entitlement is calculated to ensure that you will receive the same total bursary over the duration of your course as a full-time student would receive. If you started a part-time undergraduate course before the academic year 2013/2014, and your HEI has moved to the variable tuition fees system, we will offer you the grant rate below, which is paid in three instalments: Part-time undergraduate basic grant rates Students studying part-time at a London-based HEI

The full-time rate (up to £4,975) multiplied by 3 and divided by the number of years the course lasts.

Students studying part-time at an HEI outside London

The full-time rate (up to £4,575) multiplied by 3 and divided by the number of years the course lasts.

Example: A 5 year-part part-time course starting 2013/2014 at an HEI outside of London; we will offer students £4575 x 3 years (duration of the full-time course) ÷ 5 years = £2745 for a 52-week period. Tuition fees If you are studying on a part-time or full-time undergraduate course you are responsible for paying your tuition fees. You can choose to use the basic grant towards your tuition fees or apply for the tuition fee loan from Student Loans Company (SLC). Placement Training Allowance (PTA) The basic grant includes a fixed contribution of £575 towards your placement travel expenses from your term time address to you placement agency, and vice versa. (For part-time students the amount included is a pro-rata rate of £575 based on the duration of the course). No further payments will be made for placement expenses through the Social Work Bursary. It is expected that the agency offering your placement will contribute towards the travel costs incurred while carrying out your placement duties. A contribution of this nature will not affect your entitlement to the Social Work Bursary. Payments The bursary is paid in three instalments: The first instalment will be paid when your application has been assessed as eligible and no later than 10 working days from the date we receive confirmation of course enrolment and attendance from your HEI, or 10 working days from the date of your bursary notification letter, whichever is the later. The second instalment will normally be paid by 10 January 2014 (11 April 2014 for winter start courses). The third instalment will normally be paid by 11 April 2014 (1 August 2013 for winter start courses). Undergraduate Social Work Bursary Booklet Page 8 of 12

Courses that are due to start any date on or after 1 September 2013 (2013 scheme arrangements) In April 2013 the Department of Health announced that there were to be changes to the Social Work Bursary scheme from the 2013/2014 academic year. These new arrangements are called the 2013 scheme arrangements. If you start or have started your social work course any date on or after 1 September 2013 you will fall under the new 2013 scheme arrangements. Please note: If you have previously started a social work course prior to 1 September 2013 but have had a break in studies, as you now intend to return after 1 September 2013 you will fall under the new 2013 scheme arrangements. This is because you will not be counted as a continuing student. The 2013 scheme arrangements means that no new undergraduate student starting a course on or after 1 September 2013 will receive a bursary for their first year of the course. (See the section below regarding first year students). From the second year of the course the undergraduate bursary is made up of a nonincome assessed basic bursary. This bursary is available to students who are entering onto their second year of a part-time or full-time undergraduate course. Please note: there is also a restriction or cap which limits the number of bursary recipients offered from 2013 onwards. This means that there is no guarantee that if you pass the first year of your course, you will receive a bursary. (See the section below regarding capping). If you are awarded the basic bursary then it can be used towards study-related expenses and/or for any legal purpose you deem appropriate No additional allowances, such as Disabled Student’s Allowance, Childcare Allowance or Dependant’s Allowances can be paid through the Social Work Bursary for undergraduate students. Tuition fees If you are studying on a part-time or full-time course you are responsible for paying your tuition fees. You can choose to use the basic grant towards your tuition fees or apply for the tuition fee loan from Student Finance England (SFE). Placement Training Allowance (PTA) The basic grant includes a fixed contribution of £862.50 towards your placement travel expenses from your term time address to you placement agency, and vice versa. (For part-time students the amount included is a pro-rata rate of £862.50 based on the duration of the course). No further payments will be made for placement expenses through the Social Work Bursary. It is expected that the agency offering your placement will contribute towards the travel costs incurred while carrying out your placement duties. A contribution of this nature will not affect your entitlement to the Social Work Bursary. First year students If you are starting your first year of the undergraduate course you will not be eligible for any funding through the Social Work Bursary. You may be eligible to receive funding for your first year through Student Finance England (SFE). If you wish to apply for funding for your second year of your course you will need to complete the appropriate bursary application form nearer to the start of this academic year.

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Capping The number of bursary recipients for both the part-time and full-time courses will be limited or capped, so there is no guarantee that you will receive a bursary if you take up an offer of a place on the social work course and pass the first year of your course. Your HEI will now have a major say in who receives a Social Work Bursary. The Department of Health has agreed and issued the criteria to each HEI to explain how the capping system will work. If you require further information regarding the figures and methodology that your HEI have used please contact them direct. Social Work Bursaries are not involved in this process. Your HEI will agree a shortlist of students within their allocated number of places and then notify Social Work Bursaries of this list of the students who may be eligible to receive the Social Work Bursary. If your HEI is satisfied that you are to be allocated one of their bursary places then you are still be required to satisfy all of the normal eligibility and residency criteria set down in the Social Work Bursary regulations. If you have not been allocated one of your HEI’s bursary places then you may be still eligible to receive the fixed contribution towards your placement travel expenses through the PTA. This will only be available from the second year of your course and you are still required to satisfy all of the normal eligibility and residency criteria set down in the Social Work Bursary regulations. Please note: The Department of Health will be reviewing the application of the cap in 2013 and the figures and methodology may change. Please visit our website (www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/swb) for the latest information.

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Where to find out more about funding Various care councils in the United Kingdom offer support to students studying social work. Social care is a policy area devolved to each country. As a result, the NHSBSA does not have policy responsibility for the funding of students from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. You can find contact details for the social care organisations for Scotland and Wales on the following page. The table below explains where you should apply for funding to depending on where your country of residence is, where your HEI is located and the type of course you are going to be studying on. My country of residence*

My HEI is in

The course I am studying is

Whom do I contact about possible funding?

England

England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Full-time or part-time undergraduate

NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA)

Scotland

England, Wales or Northern Ireland

Bursaries are not available to any undergraduate students

Not applicable

Wales

Wales

Undergraduate

Care Council for Wales

Wales

England, Scotland or Northern Ireland

The scheme in Wales is not available to any Welsh domiciled student studying on any social work course outside Wales

Not applicable

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Undergraduate

Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) N.B The five local Education and Library Boards (ELB’s) administer the normal statutory education support provision. Please contact your local ELB for funding advice.

European Union (EU)

England

Undergraduate

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

European Union (EU)

Northern Ireland

Undergraduate EU students will only be entitled to the normal support for EU students under arrangements managed by the Department for Employment and Learning

Department for Employment and Learning

*Country of residence – You are considered as being ordinarily resident in the country in which you were living before you started any full-time higher education. If you have not yet started a full-time higher education course, it is the country in which you are normally living. All information contained in this funding table was correct at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.

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Contacts If you have any questions about the Social Work Bursary that are not answered in this booklet or on our website, you can contact us on: Social Work Bursaries Bridge House 152 Pilgrim Street Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6SN Tel: 0300 330 1342 Fax: 0191 279 0798 Email: [email protected] Web: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/swb

Company Name

Address

Telephone and Fax number

Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)

Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY

Tel: 0845 60 30 891 or 01382 207 101

Email and Website address Email: [email protected] Web: www.sssc.uk.com

Fax: None available Care Council for Wales

Student Finance England

NHS Student Bursaries

Student Funding Team South Gate House Wood Street Cardiff CF10 1EW

Tel: 0845 070 0249

Email: [email protected]

Fax: None available

Web: www.ccwales.org.uk

Student Finance England PO Box 210 Darlington DL1 9HJ

Tel: 0845 300 50 90

Email: None Available

Textphone: 0845 604 44 34

Web: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

Hesketh House 200-220 Broadway Fleetwood Lancashire FY7 8SS

Tel: 0300 330 1345

Email: [email protected]

Fax: 01253 774 491

Web: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students

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