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Frontline - Conditional Offer 

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Dear

Thank you for applying to the Frontline programme (referred to hereafter as “the programme”). We are pleased to make you a conditional offer of a place in the 2024 cohort, working towards the Master's degree in Advanced Relationship-Based Social Work Practice with Children and Families. Further to the recruitment & admissions policy, your offer is for a three year programme:

  1. Year one: Participants are registered as students of our university partner Lancaster University and will undertake a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work. At the end of the year, participants who are eligible will qualify as a social worker and register with Social Work England
  2. Year two: As newly qualified social workers, participants will complete their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) and receive continued support from Frontline. During this year participants will not be completing any academic studies, so will not be registered students of Lancaster University
  3. Year three: Participants who are eligible to progress from year two will again be registered students of Lancaster University and will complete their master’s qualification

Frontline is England’s largest social work charity. Everything we do aims to make life better for children who need a social worker, to help keep them safe from harm and to give them every possible chance to fulfil their potential. We do this through developing excellent social work practice, leadership and innovation.

Becoming a social worker through the Frontline programme offers a rewarding learning experience and a career where you’ll put children first, protecting them from harm and changing the course of their lives. After the programme, you’ll join a growing community of like-minded social workers who work hard to bring about wider social change through their influence on the UK social work system and offer you support in your continuous development. Together, we can work to make social work better today, to help change the lives of children and families tomorrow.

Please read this letter thoroughly to understand the conditions of the offer and the expectations before the programme and then sign the agreement. You are advised to read any additional guidance as it is shared.

In Section 1 you will find the conditions of your offer. These are:

  1.          That you meet Frontline’s eligibility requirements;
  2.         That you meet Frontline’s suitability requirements;
  3.            That Frontline are able to place you in a suitable local authority placement;
  4.         That you complete preparation for placement in your allocated local authority.

You must meet the above requirements within the deadlines set by Frontline. You will be unable to commence study on the programme and fully register with our university partner, Lancaster University, for year one of the programme until all of the conditions of your offer have been met. Delays to meeting the conditions of your offer may prevent you commencing readiness for practice, which will take place from 15 July - 16 August 2024.

Please note that Frontline reserves the right to rescind an offer in the event that you are not successful in meeting one or more of our conditions or should you fail to complete tasks and respond to contact within the required timeframes. If you have any queries, please contact us as soon as possible so a member of staff can discuss this with you.

In Section 2, you’ll find Programme information and expectations.

In Section 3, you’ll find your agreement with a helpful checklist as you sign A and B. Please return your signed agreements to us within 5 calendar days.

Finally, we are delighted that you have passed our competitive selection process to join a new, diverse generation of social workers specialising in child protection on our Frontline programme.

Many congratulations on your offer.

Yours sincerely,

1

Mary Jackson signature
Mary Jackson, Chief Executive, for and on behalf of Frontline 

SECTION 1 – Conditions of your offer and additional terms

Frontline has comprehensive policies covering its activities, including but not limited to the recruitment and admissions policy, the suitability for professional training policy and the fitness to practise policy. This offer letter references various Frontline policies, which can be read in full on Frontline’s website.

Condition 1: Frontline’s eligibility requirements

In order for us to confirm that you have met the eligibility criteria for the programme, you may need to provide hard copy evidence of the following: 

  • GCSE English grade C/level 4 (or approved equivalent qualification)
  • 2.2 undergraduate honours degree (or international equivalent)
  • The right to work and study in the UK (with recourse to public funds) until September 2027
  • Proof of name change, if applicable

Frontline will also need to obtain satisfactory references in support of your application. Please note that for most candidates we will look to obtain three or more references to cover any gaps in employment history. We will also require evidence confirming you will be residing in England by the start of the programme, if your initial application form does not indicate this.

Please note that applicants receiving a late offer may not be able to complete all eligibility checks in time to start the programme. If this occurs, your offer will be deferred for the 2025 cohort. This only happens in very limited cases, but please refer to the recruitment & admissions policy for more information surrounding the deferral process.

As part of your application form, you will have confirmed that you have at least a grade C in GCSE English Language or an accepted equivalent qualification. Frontline will need to view the evidence of these qualifications in order to confirm they meet our requirements. Please be reminded that higher qualifications will not be accepted in lieu of possessing GSCEs.

As you are in your final year of your undergraduate studies, this offer is dependent on you obtaining a 2.2 classification, official proof of which must be provided before you can fully register with Lancaster University and commence readiness for practice. If hard copy evidence is required, this must also be brought to the readiness for practice residential or posted to the Admissions & Support team based in Frontline’s London office.

If you hold international qualifications, these will need to be considered comparable to the UK equivalent by UK ENIC (the UK National Information Centre for the recognition and evaluation of international qualifications and skills) along with meeting the requirements with Lancaster University, as per their agreement for the Frontline programme.

Your qualifications will need to be verified as meeting Frontline’s requirements for you to be considered for a local authority placement. 

As part of your application form, you will have confirmed that you have at least a grade C in GCSE English Language or an accepted equivalent qualification. You will have also confirmed that you have obtained a 2.2 or higher in an undergraduate honours degree (or international equivalent). Frontline will need to view the evidence of these qualifications in order to confirm they meet our requirements. Please be reminded that higher qualifications will not be accepted in lieu of possessing GSCEs.

If you hold international qualifications, these will need to be considered comparable to the UK equivalent by UK ENIC (the UK National Information Centre for the recognition and evaluation of international qualifications and skills) along with meeting the requirements with Lancaster University, as per their agreement for the Frontline programme.

Your GCSEs or equivalent qualifications will need to be verified as meeting Frontline’s requirements for you to be considered for a local authority placement. 

Right to work 

You will need to show evidence that you have the right to work and study in the UK until at least September 2027. The Frontline programme is funded by the Department for Education so as well as being able to work and study in the UK, all applicants need to have access to public funds. Please be reminded that Frontline cannot sponsor work or student visas.

Your right to work status will need to be verified as meeting Frontline’s requirements for you to be considered for a local authority placement. 

References

Frontline will need to obtain satisfactory references in support of your application. Please note that for most candidates we will look to obtain three or more references to cover any gaps in employment history.

If you request that we refrain from contacting your current employer for a reference until a later date, please note that we will need to obtain this before you can commence your preparation for placement within your local authority and fully register with Lancaster University for year one of the programme.

Frontline has a duty to ensure the children and families we work with are kept safe and, due to the nature of social work, it is imperative that applicants undergo thorough checks before commencing the programme. Frontline therefore reserves the right to request additional references and/or details where required.

We will require reference from the following:
You are required to be resident in England from the start of the programme, for the full duration. The Department for Education’s funding for fast-track social work education is underpinned by

section 67(4)(a) of the Care Standards Act 2000. This allows the Secretary of State to:

a.            a. Make grants and pay travelling and other allowances to persons resident in England in order to                 secure their training in the work of social care workers;

               b. Make grants to organisations providing training in the work of social care workers.

T    The Department for Education, therefore, has no powers to fund the training of social workers who are not resident in England. From your application, we understand that you do not currently reside in England. This offer is therefore conditional on you providing evidence of your English residency. You will need to be residing in England by the start of the programme in order to fully register with Lancaster University for year one and commence readiness for practice.


You are required to be resident in England from the start of the programme, for the full duration. The Department for Education’s funding for fast-track social work education is underpinned by section 67(4)(a) of the Care Standards Act 2000. This allows the Secretary of State to:

a.                    a. Make grants and pay travelling and other allowances to persons resident in England in order to                   secure their training in the work of social care workers;

               b. Make grants to organisations providing training in the work of social care workers.

The Department for Education, therefore, has no powers to fund the training of social workers who are not resident in England. From your application, we understand that you currently reside in England. Please note, if your address changes and you’re no longer resident in England, you are responsible for informing Frontline as soon as possible. You will need to return to England by the start of the programme in order to fully register with Lancaster University for year one and commence readiness for practice.

Frontline reserves the right to rescind your conditional offer in the event of any changes to your residential status which make you ineligible for the programme.

Condition 2: Frontline’s suitability requirements

Due to both the academic and professional focus of social work training, it is imperative that applicants meet our baseline suitability requirements. This is to ensure that applicants are likely to meet the professional standards set by the regulator Social Work England: the professional body that our programme is bound by.

As such, your offer for the programme will also be conditional on you meeting our suitability checks, which will include:

  • A satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including both children and adults barred lists

You may also be required to undergo the following suitability checks:

  • A satisfactory overseas police check 
  • An occupational health assessment or GP verified health form
  • Other relevant checks such as those related to misconduct; disciplinary findings; sanctions; conduct-related matters during university, training, employment or professional practice; and contact with social work services

Where there are complex cases that mean an applicant may be unable to meet Social Work England’s professional standards, applicants will be asked to attend a suitability panel, during which its members will come to an informed and considered decision as to your suitability for the programme. If, during the suitability panel, it is determined that the information disclosed makes it difficult or impossible for an applicant to safely and effectively perform the duties of a Frontline programme participant (with or without reasonable adjustments) then we may be unable to progress with your offer.

Self-declaration form and further information form

Following completion of your self-declaration form, you may be required to complete a further information form, sharing details on your health and circumstances. This will be reviewed by the Admissions & Support team, who will then reach out to confirm if further information or checks are required, as listed above.
Enhanced DBS and barred lists 

You will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check with barred list information and may be asked to sign up for the DBS update service by either Frontline or your local authority. Frontline will be responsible for the cost of the initial DBS check. Applicants will be required to cover any costs incurred when sending evidence to Frontline’s DBS provider, if a digital check cannot take place.

The DBS process will be initiated by Frontline in Spring 2024 and you will be contacted with the necessary information. You will need to retain your official DBS certificate as you may be required to present the hard copy to your local authority when requested.

All DBS checks must be completed, and Frontline will not accept previous DBS certificates from other employers or subscriptions to the update service.

Overseas police check 

If you have lived or worked outside the UK within the last five years, you will be required to obtain a criminal record certificate (letter of good conduct) from every country in which you have lived for a period of six months or longer within the last five years. This only applies to periods where you were aged 18 or over. The Home Office guidance on criminal records checks for overseas applicants contains details on how to request these certificates. Alternatively, you may contact the embassy of the country in question. In some cases, the countries are unable to provide this documentation, in which case Frontline will carry out further checks, such as requesting additional references. We recommend that you investigate this as soon as possible, if you have yet to do so.

For further information on these processes, please refer to Frontline's suitability for professional training policy, found within the policy section of our website. 

Frontline reserves the right to rescind your conditional offer should you fail to meet the suitability requirements for the programme. 

Please note that applicants receiving a late offer may not be able to complete all suitability checks in time to start the programme. If this occurs, your offer will be deferred for the 2025 cohort. This only happens in very limited cases, but please refer to the recruitment & admissions policy for more information surrounding the deferral process.


Condition 3: Placement

Frontline works with local authorities across England. Following completion of your placement survey, Frontline will aim to identify a local authority within a region that we can best match you to. This will take place in Spring 2024. If a suitable placement can be identified, you and your fellow participants will be placed in a group (known as the participant hub), which will be supervised and managed by your consultant social worker.


Whilst we endeavour to place all applicants in the cohort year that they apply for, we want to be transparent that this cannot be guaranteed due to the changing needs of our local authority partners. In some circumstances, we may be unable to identify a suitable placement for you, or hubs may be disbanded after placement has been confirmed. Should we be unable to place you, your conditional offer may be deferred to the 2025 Cohort, provided your offer has not been deferred previously.


We therefore strongly warn you against making any decisions based on this conditional offer (such as resigning from existing employment or signing a tenancy agreement) until you have been notified of your local authority placement and been introduced to your consultant social worker. 


Many of our local authority partners require participants to have a driving licence and some may require you to have access to a car. If you are placed in a local authority where you need to have a driving licence or access to a car, it will be your responsibility to meet these requirements. This could mean purchasing a car and/or learning to drive. For locations outside of London, it is highly likely that you will need to be a driver by March 2023. Your ability to drive, along with all the information provided within your placement survey, will be considered carefully as part of the placement process.


If you do not accept the placement to which you have been allocated or if Frontline are unable to identify a placement for you, Frontline reserves the right to rescind your conditional offer.

Condition 4: Preparation for placement

Once allocated, you will be required to complete preparation for placement in your local authority before the start of the programme. This will inform part of your readiness to practice assessment and is likely to take place between April and June 2024. Frontline will contact you with information on how you can arrange dates for this and outline how this will be conducted.


If you do not complete your preparation for placement activities, Frontline reserves the right to rescind your conditional offer.


Concurrent registration 


No participant shall normally be allowed to register on the Frontline programme whilst being concurrently registered for another equivalent of one full-time higher or further education scheme of study. Whether a participant can concurrently be registered will be at Frontline’s discretion. If you will be registered on another programme at the point of commencing the Frontline programme, you must inform Frontline and it is highly likely that you will be required to provide evidence that you have submitted all assessments or, alternatively, have withdrawn from studies by the start of readiness for practice. You are responsible for informing Frontline of any changes to your current studies.   


Additional terms 


Readiness for practice


Readiness for practice for 2024 will take place on 15 July - 16 August and will be a hybrid model of both in person and online learning. In person learning will be residential, with the location being communicated to all applicants in advance. You will be expected to attend the full readiness for practice, with exceptions only being made in very extenuating circumstances and for individual days. The approval of this is at Frontline's discretion. All participants are required to have access to their own laptop by the start of readiness for practice. Further information surrounding finances and additional support can be found in section 2.


Programme terms


Lancaster University and Frontline have entered into a partnership for Frontline to deliver the three-year social work training programme:


  1. In year one, participants are registered as students of our university partner Lancaster University and will undertake a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work. At the end of year one, participants who are eligible will qualify as a social worker and register with Social Work England.
  2. In year two, as newly qualified social workers, participants will complete their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) and receive continued support from Frontline. During this year participants will not be completing any academic studies, so will not be registered students of Lancaster University.
  3. In year three, participants who are eligible to progress from year two will again be registered as students of Lancaster University and will complete their master's qualification, the MA in Advanced Relationship Based Social Work Practice with Children and Families.
As part of the delivery agreement, the sharing of data to provide effective programme and student registration management is required. Further details of this can be found in the privacy notice.

Please note, as an applicant, the terms set out in this letter remain binding up until you fully register with Lancaster University for year one and commence the programme on 15 July 2024. By registering as a student of Lancaster University, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions outlined in section 2 of this offer: that as an applicant, a Frontline programme participant and a student of Lancaster University, you are subject to Frontline's policies, Lancaster University's Manual of Academic Regulations and Procedures (MARP) and the agreed Frontline variations to MARP.

As an applicant, please be aware that any potential breaches of the terms of this letter may arise will be dealt with via the recruitment and admissions policy and the suitability for professional training policy, found here. Once you are a fully registered student and Frontline programme participant, any potential breaches of the student terms and conditions that may arise will be dealt with via the fitness to practise policy, participant discipline policy, fitness to study policy, or MARP as appropriate.

Frontline reserves the right to rescind any offer made to an applicant that fails to comply with its policies and procedures. In addition, Frontline reserves the right to rescind any offer made to an applicant who fails to comply with Social Work England's professional standards at any point in the recruitment and admissions process.


Frontline expects applicants to respond to request for information and documentation within the timeframes communicated and reserves the right to rescind a conditional offer if these are not met.  


The terms of this letter shall be governed by English law. All disputes arising out of or in connection with this letter shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.    


Frontline shall have no liability in respect of loss of a chance or opportunity, loss of profits or income, or other consequential losses, and its liability in relation to any claim or series of claims arising under or in connection with the terms of this offer and any agreement it may reach with you shall be limited to £1,000 in total. This limit shall apply however liability arises, including, without limitation, a liability arising by breach of contract, tort, statutory duty or otherwise, provided that this limitation of liability will not exclude or limit Frontline's liability for death or personal injury caused by Frontline's negligence or limit Frontline's liability for fraud and fraudulent misrepresentation.


SECTION 2 – Programme information and expectations 

Finances

Frontline covers your tuition fees throughout the programme. In year one, you will receive a bursary of between £18,000 to £20,000 dependent on location. From year two onwards, as a newly qualified social worker, we anticipate that you will earn a salary between £25,000 to £34,000, which will be dependent on your local authority. You will be paid your bursary in advance instalments on a date set by Frontline, on a monthly basis. The first bursary payment will be made in August 2024 and your final bursary payment will be August 2025.  The earliest point at which you will be able to register with Social Work England is mid-October 2025, after which you’ll start fully qualified employment with your local authority. In September 2025, as long as you have successfully completed all elements of year one, you will have temporary employment with the local authority until you receive your qualification in October 2025 and register with Social Work England. The salary for this temporary employment will be, at the least, aligned with the monthly bursary payment.  Participants who have not successfully completed all elements of year one in time for ratification by the examination board in October 2025 will be delayed in commencing their ASYE. Although we will endeavour to support participants in these situations, there is no guarantee of employment until registration with SWE is complete, and bursaries will not be permitted beyond the initial 12 monthly payments.   

Frontline has an early bursary and grants scheme for participants in financial hardship. Please note, Frontline is a charity and has limited funds which we want to ensure are reserved for our participants most in need. You will receive more information on this later in Spring 2024 but this scheme is not guaranteed and is usually reserved for emergencies or where circumstances have suddenly and significantly changed. You should not rely upon being successful in your application. 


As an applicant and a participant, you are expected to abide by the social work regulator’s professional standards and guidance. In addition, applicants are expected to abide by Frontline’s expectations as set out in the suitability for professional training policy. This includes guidance on social media usage. Participants are expected to abide by Frontline’s expectations as set out in the fitness to practise policy. Additionally, throughout the programme you must abide by the local authority’s expectations of its trainees and employees and in years one and three, by Lancaster University’s expectations of its registered students (as these apply to Frontline programme participants). Throughout year one you must complete the academic units, including all coursework and assignments, within the required timescales, unless you have agreed exceptional circumstances. You must comply with the requirements and regulations of Frontline and Lancaster University. This will involve study in the evenings and at weekends and may involve using your 25 days away from the practice learning experience. 

By registering as a student of Lancaster University in years one and three, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of being a student: that as a participant (and student of Lancaster University), you are subject to the Frontline policies,  Lancaster University’s MARP and the agreed Frontline variations to the MARP.

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SECTION 3 – Your agreement 

Please confirm your agreement to the terms set out for your conditional offer by completing the checklist below. 







Acceptance of offer 

If you would like to accept the conditional offer of a place on the Frontline programme with the terms set out in this entire document please ensure you have confirmed you have fully understood the terms above and complete Section A and B below and sign and date your acceptance.

Section A

I,
, accept Frontline's conditional offer of a place in the 2024 cohort and I agree to the terms set out in this entire document and I have read and agree to uphold the expectations set out above.

Section B

I,
, declare that if any of my circumstances change, I will promptly inform Frontline and understand that this might affect my offer and place on the programme.

Contact Information