Frontline, a charity running one of the largest social work training programmes in the country, has today announced Lancaster University as its new partner for its two-year leadership development programme.

The partnership, beginning in 2020, will allow those completing the Frontline programme to achieve a Master’s degree awarded by Lancaster University.

With seven academic staff working in child and family social work and two research centres in the field, Lancaster University will bring a wealth of higher education expertise to qualify 900 new social workers on the Frontline programme.

Consistently ranked in the top five universities in the country for their social work course, Lancaster University’s expert team of academics will also advise Frontline and contribute to the programme through key note teaching.

Professor Corinne May-Chahal, from Lancaster University, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Frontline. We share a commitment to achieving the highest standards in social work education and practice to attain the best outcomes for children and families in a challenging environment.”

Frontline’s Chief Executive Josh MacAlister, said: “Today’s announcement of Lancaster University as our higher education partner means that we can continue to deliver the Frontline programme to the highest quality.

“We have enjoyed working with the University of Bedfordshire over the last five years and hold their expertise in high esteem.

“We are looking forward to the new direction of this partnership and the shared commitment that both organisations have to improving the quality of social work practice in England.”

The Frontline programme qualifies graduates and career changers as children’s social workers, and equips them with the skills necessary to become leaders in social work and broader society, training 1 in 10 new social workers each year. To date, the Frontline programme has brought more than 1,000 people into the social work profession.

Since it was founded, Frontline has been the subject of three evaluations which have evidenced the impact of their programmes, and continues to engage in teaching and research at the forefront of social work practice. One of these evaluations , undertaken by Cardiff University, found that Frontline trainees were rated more highly than the comparison groups for quality of both interview and written reflection. Interviewing quality was also more highly rated.

Frontline now works with local authorities across London and the South East, East of England, North West, North East, Midlands and South West. More than 340 participants began the Frontline programme in summer 2018, with more than 400 participants joining the 2019 Cohort.

Lancaster University’s partnership with Frontline is arranged under a franchise arrangement.