HUNDREDS of social work students and recent graduates came together today to call for reform of bursaries for courses into the profession in England.

In an open letter to the government, over 400 people called for an end to the “unique nature of hardships” social work students face such as being unable to work part-time while completing their studies due to the front-line work they do as part of their courses.

The letter highlights that current arrangements for student bursaries for social workers in England are unequally distributed and limited.

And where bursaries are available, the funding has been frozen for over eight years, resulting in real-terms cuts in support.

The letter is part of a campaign by the Social Workers Union (SWU) and the British Association of Social Workers following student representations about the issue.

Student signatory Maxine Currie, from Leicester, said that some students on her course will get a bursary while others will not.

She said: “Bursaries are allocated to those with the highest grades which means that those with lower grades who may already be struggling financially are going to have to put more hours in at work, leaving less time to concentrate on their university work.

“We are all studying social work so we should all get the bursary.”

Another student, Rachael Pyecroft from Sheffield, highlighted how the travel costs for travelling to and from placements and to lectures are financially prohibitive for social work students who don’t receive a bursary.

SWU general secretary John McGown said: “At a time of a recruitment crisis in social work, with 8.6 per cent having left the profession in 2020-2021, the government in England must act quickly to attract and retain practitioners.”