Surrey County Council
Children's Services
SOCIAL WORK SPONSORSHIP SCHEME
BA (HONS) SOCIAL WORK
DISTANCE LEARNING
OPEN UNIVERSITY
STARTING OCTOBER 2014
Guidance for Applicants and Managers
INTRODUCTION
Surrey Children’s Services are delighted to be able to provide the opportunity to sponsor five members of staff currently employed by children’s services to complete a BA (Hons) degree in social work with the Open University (OU). This is a distance learning degree starting in October 2014 and finishing in the summer of 2017.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
This opportunity is open to:
1. All Surrey Children’s Services employees who have been continuously employed by the service for two years as at 30 June 2014; and
2. All Surrey Children’s Services employees who meet the OU entry requirements. Listed below are the educational qualifications and checks that the OU requires all candidates for its social work degree programme to have. It is the applicants’ responsibility to ensure they meet these entry requirements before submitting an application.
Pre-requisites to study / Where can I get help and evidence of theseMaths GCSE grade C or certified equivalent / Most local colleges of further education offer GCSE courses. Alternatively you could undertake a free national test in numeracy through Learn Direct (Level 2 or above). Other qualifications must be benchmarked at NVQ Level 2.
English GCSE grade C or certified equivalent / Most local colleges of further education offer GCSE courses. Alternatively you could undertake a free national test in numeracy through Learn Direct (Level 2 or above). Other qualifications must be benchmarked at NVQ Level 2.
240 UCAS points (A Level grades CCC) or certified equivalent / Details of tariff points awarded to various qualifications can be found at the UCAS website. If you have an overseas qualification you must provide proof of equivalence from UK NARIC. The OU will accept its module K101 An introduction to healthand social care as a certified equivalent.
International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) communicating and comprehension skills at Level 7 (if English is not your first language) / Details of the test, locations of testing centres and fees can be found on the IELTS website.
Basic IT skills including word processing, internet browsing and use of email / You will be asked to complete an IT self-declaration section in your application form, no further evidence is required.
PLEASE NOTE: If you do not meet the requirements of 240 UCAS points (A Level grades CCC) or certified equivalent, Surrey Children’s Services are offering the opportunity to sponsor five members of staff currently employed by children’s services to complete ‘K101 Introduction to Health and Social Care’. This is a 60 credit distance learning module with the OU starting in October 2014 and finishing in June 2015. Essentially K101 is module one of the OU BA (Hons) social work degree and if completed successfully, the OU will accept this as a certified equivalent if you do not have 240 UCAS points.
If you pass K101, it is hoped that you will apply for sponsorship for the OU BA (Hons) social work degree the following year (subject to funding availability). There will be a competitive selection process for this degree. Securing sponsorship for K101 and passing this module does not mean you will automatically be sponsored to complete the degree.
Passing K101 does not supersede any other entry requirements for the degree as listed above. It is your responsibility to ensure you meet all other entry requirements.
Further details about this scheme are published separately.
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
1. One of the primary purposes of the scheme is to provide career development opportunities for staff currently working in Surrey Children’s Services. If you are successful through the selection process for the OU BA (Hons) social work degree, you will be required to sign a learning agreement before you start your degree. The learning agreement will state that upon completion of your degree, you will undertake to be employed by Surrey Children’s Services in a front line post requiring a social work qualification for a period of two years. The location of this role will be at the Council’s discretion and can be in any of Surrey’s area offices depending on the needs of the workforce at that time. If you choose to resign from Surrey children’s services within these two years, fail to complete the course or do not take up the offer of a front line post as stated above, you will be liable to reimburse a proportion of the tuition fees.
2. The OU BA (Hons) social work degree is a work-based distance learning course, designed to fit around your current employment responsibilities. Careful consideration would be needed before applying to undertake the course as the demands of study must fit alongside a commitment to work in your existing team.
3. Those selected will continue to work in their current post with a continuation of their salary.
4. There will be no additional expenses paid to you for the purposes of your study, for example study books. You will receive travel expenses for costs incurred during your practice learning placement.
5. You will be entitled to half a day each week per module being studied to complete your study responsibilities. It is envisaged that alongside this entitlement, you should be prepared to allocate additional personal time for extra study.
6. You will be provided with support for practice placements, including assistance with setting up placements and the provision of practice educators. One placement will be in the team of origin, if appropriate.
7. The sponsorship scheme provides an excellent opportunity for people to further their career and therefore we anticipate this offer to be popular. All applicants will have to undergo a competitive selection process and inevitably not all applicants will be successful.
8. These are the arrangements for 2014. We cannot guarantee that there will be funding available for future cohorts of sponsored students.
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT:
BA Social Work degree course content, please click here.
Entry requirements, please click here.
Skills for Open University study, please click here.
Academic potential for the Open University, please click here.
APPLICATION AND SELECTION
Application for this scheme is by completion of an OU application form (separate document), which includes two references on the application form and a separate line manager reference form (see appendix one below). The application form and reference must be submitted via email to by the closing date, 30 May 2014.
Please submit your application as soon as possible. Late applications will not be accepted.
Please note that it is the applicant’s responsibility to pass the reference request to their manager.
Interviews (including a written task and group task) for shortlisted applicants for the BA (Hons) social work degree will be held on 11 June 2014.
Before completing the application, check:
· That you are eligible to apply for the OU BA (Hons) social work degree.
· That you have read and understood the essential information above.
· That you have considered the impact it will have on your private and professional life to undertake this training and that you have discussed it as appropriate.
The aim of the selection process is to select candidates who are most likely to become established, effective and safe practitioners and who will enjoy and positively contribute to the social work profession. The selection criteria is based on statements at entry level of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).
As part of the selection process all candidates must:
· Complete an OU application form which will include a personal statement, references and employers endorsement.
· Complete a declaration of suitability for social work form (you will be required to bring this to your interview and you will be sent a copy via email if you are shortlisted).
· Have GCSE grade A–C in English and mathematics or certified equivalent (you will be required to bring copies of these certificates to your interview).
· Meet the UCAS threshold of 240 tariff points or equivalent (you will be required to bring evidence of this to your interview).
· Demonstrate IT competence through self-declaration (this may also be assessed during the selection process).
· Achieve an International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) score of 7 if English is not your first language.
· Undertake a written task and group task.
· Take part in an interview.
· Have an enhanced DBS dated within one year of starting the degree (11 October 2014). You will be required to bring a copy of your DBS certificate to your interview.
· Complete a health check form. If, in exceptional circumstances, there are serious doubts about a student’s fitness to practice on health grounds, the university’s doctor may ask him/her to undergo a medical examination (you will be required to bring this to your interview and you will be sent a copy of the form via email if you are shortlisted).
INTERVIEW SKILLS SUPPORT
The application and selection process is designed to enable you to perform at your best and to provide the panel with evidence that you are the right person to be selected for this sponsorship scheme.
If you would like support with developing your interview skills, we advise you to book onto a selection of training available via the Portal in My Learning – Personal Development. Career opportunities include:
· A 'Develop your interview skills' course running in April, May and June.
· An e-learning module named 'Prepare for a competency based interview'.
· An e-learning module named 'Completing a job application', which would be transferable to this application process.
There may also be other course available that you may feel would suit your needs and help you through this application process.
MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
Applicants must have the support of their current team manager and line manager. Line managers will be asked to provide a reference. References are a significant part of the selection process as managers are often best placed to provide an assessment of the applicants’ ability, aptitude and readiness to study.
Managers should have an open and constructive discussion with the applicant regarding their judgement about the suitability and timeliness of the application. If a manager is unable to support the application, areas for development towards a future application should be identified and a plan formulated to address them as part of their normal appraisal and PDP process.
It is unlikely to be appropriate for managers to support staff for this course if there are current capability or disciplinary concerns being addressed or if they have an unreliable attendance or performance record at work. Applicants should therefore discuss their application with their manager to ensure they have the necessary support from them before applying.
FURTHER ADVICE
Should you require any further information or advice please contact Alex Grant, Professional Development Advisor, Health and Social Care Training Team ().
APPENDIX ONE
LINE MANAGERS REFERENCE FORM
Surrey Children’s Services Sponsorship Scheme 2014
Open University BA (Hons) Social Work
You can copy and paste this form into a separate word document, if you prefer, before submitting. Please ensure you have read the guidance for applicants and managers before completing this reference form.
Name of Applicant:
Name of Line Manager Completing this Reference Form:
Job Title of Line Manager Completing this Reference Form:
______
Q1: Do you support this person’s application for the Open University distance learning BA (Hons) Social Work degree starting in October 2014?
Yes (Please double click in the box and click ‘checked’ to put a cross in the box – repeat for all boxes)
No
Additional comments:
Q2: Do you consider this person to be well organised, reliable and hard working?
Yes
No
Variable
Additional comments:
Q3: How would you describe this person’s ability to manage pressure and conflicting priorities?
Poor
Variable
Good
Consistently high
Additional comments:
Q4: How would you describe this person’s active commitment to team working e.g. information sharing, positive support for others and a good ambassador for the Service?
Poor
Variable
Good
Consistently high
Q5: How would you describe this person’s level of IT competency to carry out their current job?
Poor
Variable
Good
Consistently high
Q6: In this person’s current role, is their record keeping and data recording generally timely and accurate?
Yes
No
Variable
Q7: In this person’s current role, how often are they required to write reports e.g. assessments, reviews etc?
No, not at all
Rarely
Occasionally (not routinely)
Routinely (a core part of their job)
If they ‘occasionally’ or ‘routinely’ write reports is the quality of their report writing generally:
Clear
Yes
No
Variable
Concise
Yes
No
Variable
Well presented
Yes
No
Variable
Q8: Is this person currently subject to formal capability procedures on the grounds of sickness or performance? Or are such procedures being actively considered?
Yes
No
Q9: Do you have any other comments about this person’s suitability to study, their approach to their work, their regard amongst peers or any reason why their application for Open University distance learning BA (Hons) Social Work degree is or is not appropriate and timely?
I confirm that I have discussed managing demands of balancing study, work and personal life with the applicant and I am satisfied that their plans are realistic.
Name Printed………………………………………. Date……………………………………………………….
(Signature not required if sent electronically from the referees own Lotus Notes address)
Please submit this reference via email to by the closing date, 30 May 2014.
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