Types Of Social Workers Needed In The United Kingdom & Their Salaries
Types of social worker
Many social workers work with young people and their families. You might also work with the following groups:
- the elderly
- people with learning and physical disabilities
- young offenders
- people with mental health conditions
- school non-attenders
- drug and alcohol abusers
- the homeless.
Government legislation focusing on the integration of health and social work services means that social workers often work in multidisciplinary teams.
Salaries According to prospects.ac.uk
- There are no fixed national salary scales, but salaries for newly qualified social workers are typically between £24,000 and £30,000 depending on the local authority and location. If your first job is within the NHS, you’ll typically start on band 6 with a salary between £32,306 to £39,027.
- With further responsibilities and experience, salaries in local authorities can rise to around £40,000. Senior posts such as team manager, commissioning manager and head of the service can earn in excess of this amount. Within the NHS, you’ll move on to senior roles at band 7 (£40,057 to £45,839).
- Graduates of the Frontline social work programme will earn while studying for a fully funded postgraduate diploma and Masters’s degree. You will receive a tax and NI exempt bursary of £18,000 (or £20,000 in London) in the first year of the programme. As a newly qualified social worker in Year 2 of the programme, you’ll earn a salary of between £25,000 and £34,000, depending on the location.
Salaries vary depending on a range of factors, including the local authority you work for, the setting you work in (e.g. adult, mental health), your skills and experience, and your location.
Most local authorities would pay travel expenses for journeys made for business purposes. Many local authorities are happy to negotiate flexible working hours, and have family-friendly policies and childcare voucher schemes.
Income figures are intended as a guide only.