Frontline social work students ‘perform better', study finds

An independent evaluation by Cardiff University found that the overall practice skills of Frontline participants was 3.77 on a scale of one to five. This compares with 3.25 for "top universities" with the highest entry requirements, and 3.09 for "other universities".

Despite enjoying high ratings for practice quality, the Frontline trainees’ rating of their own confidence in their abilities was lower than their mainstream counterparts.

Researchers said it was difficult to evaluate whether differences in performance in the Frontline evaluation are due to the Frontline programme itself or due to tougher selection requirements.

The Frontline training programme, dubbed Teach First for social workers, is currently in line to be expanded across the country as part of government efforts to train 3,000 of the "best and the brightest graduates" over the next five years.

The evaluation concludes that, while the initial evidence is mainly positive, there are some possible issues.

“There are important questions about the Frontline model that we cannot yet answer," the report states.

"Criticisms, particularly within the academic community, about the appropriateness of the Frontline model remain. In the context of further investment in Frontline and sector concerns about the funding of mainstream programmes, it would perhaps be understandable if social work educators in England did not rush to embrace Frontline.

“We do not know about the durability and career trajectories of these trainees and we do not know about their impact on outcomes for children and families.”
 
Josh MacAlister, Frontline’s chief executive, said: “The findings of this evaluation are a reflection of the hard work and dedication of Frontline participants, our local authority partners and the university team delivering the programme.

"High-quality social work practice can be transformational for those children most in need of help. The study’s findings are an early endorsement of the innovative approach we have taken. We are pleased to demonstrate value for money in the work we do to recruit and develop new social workers.

“The evaluation also recommends improvements that should be made and we welcome these suggestions. We will continue to change the programme as we learn from some of the best practice and research in the profession. This evaluation shows that we’ve made a good start in recruiting and developing new social workers.”