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Original poster

To be pissed off at how social work students are treated compared to nursing students?

72 replies

disgruntledsw · 21/09/2021 12:19

I've just started an MA social work course this week and I'm already shocked at how poor the package is compared to nursing. I compared both before starting the course and decided that I preferred social work even though it wouldn't be financially the best choice as a student. I have to contribute £3500 to my course fees per year and get around 6k to live on as a bursary. I have been told this morning that I am prohibited from working during the course as I need to focus on my studies and my first bursary payment won't come in until the beginning of November, wtf? On top of this I need business insurance to be able to drive to placements that I have to fund myself. Aibu that student social workers are being fucked over? If I would have chosen to do nursing I would have got student finance and a £5000 training grant on top and full tuition fees paid. This country is desperately short of social workers yet are making it almost financially impossible to train.

OP posts:
BalladOfBarryAndFreda · 21/09/2021 12:34

You get a £6k bursary, that isn’t means tested and doesn’t have to be paid back. Nursing students a get a £5k training grant equivalent, so you are doing better. Nurses have to pay tuition fees. There are certain grants, loans and things that you can apply for but they are all means tested (hardship funds etc) and likely apply over most health and social care courses. Nurses should be upgrading their car insurance to reflect that it isn’t just used for SDP (social, domestic & pleasure) too.

Nothanksverymuch · 21/09/2021 12:37

You get a bursary? Most students don't get that.

I dunno what the rules are like now, but my DSIS did a physio degree and had her tuition fees paid by the NHS. HOWEVER, she wasn't entitled to as much in terms of studen loans etc (despite them being means tested and paid back) because of it. So she was actually no better off financially.

NautaOcts · 21/09/2021 12:41

Surprised to hear they are “prohibiting” you from working, they can recommend but surely can’t stop you?
Lot of students I know have done bank work in the holidays. I worked as someone’s carer at the weekends and did sleep ins

WoozySnoozy · 21/09/2021 12:42

You get a bursary. More than a lot of students. Presumably you knew the situation before you enrolled?

WoozySnoozy · 21/09/2021 12:43

Comparison is the thief of joy. If you think the nursing students have it better then you could ha e gone for that.

SlidDownTheElephantsTrunk · 21/09/2021 12:45

How can they stop you from working ? Working is possible, particularly in the first year when you don't have placements.

My car insurance didn't go up with business insurance added.

BalladOfBarryAndFreda · 21/09/2021 12:49

So I’m assuming you’ve got a capped place? Therefore the course fees charged by your course provider are higher than the tuition fee bursary you’ve been awarded by NHS bursaries and you have to pay the difference? TBH, that’s worth a lot factored in with the £6k.

Training for health and social care roles is hard, stressful and not financially lucrative, just like working in the field will be. It isn’t a race to the bottom over who has it worse. Good luck with your training.

CurlyWurly321 · 21/09/2021 13:02

Rubbish.

They can't ban you from working.

MaudBaileysGreenTurban · 21/09/2021 13:17

They can't ban you from working outside the course. The 'recommendation' is so that students don't prioritise attending work shifts over attending lectures / placements.

You get a bigger bursary than most nursing / midwifery students. They have to pay full tuition fees, too. Plus, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there will be much expectation that you do regular 12-hour shifts or night work, like students on those courses do?

Not denying for a second that social work is hard (and important) but I think your complaints are misplaced.

EL8888 · 21/09/2021 13:22

@MaudBaileysGreenTurban all of this. I doubt you want to do evenings, weekends, nights etc. My memory of working with social workers on wards, was them wanting to go home at 430pm

bingoitsadingo · 21/09/2021 13:24

A friend of mine just finished training as a social worker, she didn't have to pay any fees and received a bursary that she lived off for a year and a bit - I think it was about 18k. I've never heard of anything like that for nursing

lifegavemealemon · 21/09/2021 13:31

I worked throughout the course and managed. Also got UC since I have a child. I have never heard about the business insurance thing so maybe you need to clarify as we were never informed. Could you use public transport since the bursary includes a travel allowance?

Original poster
disgruntledsw · 21/09/2021 13:32

Bingo she probably did the frontline programme or the step up to social work not the masters course. I knew the situation before I started obviously but I just didn't know I wouldn't receive any money until November and that I 'must not work' during the course. I don't understand why social work courses do not have access to student finance like other nhs courses do?

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CurlyWurly321 · 21/09/2021 13:32

@bingoitsadingo

A friend of mine just finished training as a social worker, she didn't have to pay any fees and received a bursary that she lived off for a year and a bit - I think it was about 18k. I've never heard of anything like that for nursing
Yeah you definitely don't get 18k bursary for nursing! Social work students get that much?!
Original poster
disgruntledsw · 21/09/2021 13:33

Life yes I could but public transport would limit my placement options and id be paying for public transport and then keeping my car on top as I need my car to get to university.

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Original poster
disgruntledsw · 21/09/2021 13:34

Social work students do not get 18k unless they do the step up course with a local authority or the front line course. The step up course isn't a masters it's a diploma.

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Mermaidwaves · 21/09/2021 13:35

Nursing students do pay uni fees! The NHS stopped paying for them years ago now and a lot don't get bursaries unless they have children. I think nursing students are treated pretty badly and are used as unpaid carers on the wards a lot of the time. Speaking from personal observations here.

Original poster
disgruntledsw · 21/09/2021 13:37

Ok they pay uni fees for nurses but it is funded as a tuition fee loan from student finance that social work students don't have access to. I would be happy to take the loan, I just don't have access to it. Nurses do not have to pay the fees upfront.

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PermanentTemporary · 21/09/2021 13:39

Bursaries have changed a lot over the past few years so it's hard to compare.

The best work I came across for demanding courses was a woman I knew who did sleep-in care for a woman who needed very little help, just medication help and to be there in case she fell. Could easily be a nightmare job with a more demanding client but she was able to do some course work in the evening and graduate with relatively low debt.

SparklyLeprechaun · 21/09/2021 13:39

It's a different course, why would you expect the same conditions? It looks like a pretty good package to me. There are many professions in the UK with a shortage of workers that get no training support whatsoever.

Original poster
disgruntledsw · 21/09/2021 13:40

The bursary comes from the same nhs bursary scheme company so that's why I'm wondering why the finance is so different.

OP posts:
SnackSizeRaisin · 21/09/2021 13:41

It's a year's postgraduate degree compared to a 3 year undergraduate degree - you can't really compare. I thought you could get a post graduate loan now anyway?
Business use on a car is usually free or just pay an admin fee.
Sounds like you are getting all worked up about very little.

SaskiaRembrandt · 21/09/2021 13:42

@disgruntledsw

I've just started an MA social work course this week and I'm already shocked at how poor the package is compared to nursing. I compared both before starting the course and decided that I preferred social work even though it wouldn't be financially the best choice as a student. I have to contribute £3500 to my course fees per year and get around 6k to live on as a bursary. I have been told this morning that I am prohibited from working during the course as I need to focus on my studies and my first bursary payment won't come in until the beginning of November, wtf? On top of this I need business insurance to be able to drive to placements that I have to fund myself. Aibu that student social workers are being fucked over? If I would have chosen to do nursing I would have got student finance and a £5000 training grant on top and full tuition fees paid. This country is desperately short of social workers yet are making it almost financially impossible to train.
They can recommend you don't work but they can't stop you. Students on my degree course were told not to work more than 8 hours a week, but almost everyone did considerably more.
PinkiOcelot · 21/09/2021 13:43

One of the carers in my mam’s care home is training to be a social worker.

Original poster
disgruntledsw · 21/09/2021 13:43

You can't get the post graduate loan at the same time as having a bursary, it's either or.

OP posts: