2025 locations

Applications for the 2025 programme are now closed.*

We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to apply this year.

We’re not able to confirm details for future programmes at this stage. Currently our 2026 programme is subject to funding confirmation from the Department of Health and Social Care. As soon as we have any more information, we will be sure to share this on our website and with our community.

*Due to uncertainty within NHS budgets it is possible that this may change, and some locations may reopen at short-notice. If this is the case, we will be sure to contact all in the affected locations. Make sure to sign up to our mailing list if you haven’t already.

Where you’ll train and work

We partner with NHS trusts and local authorities across England to run our training placements.

You’ll stay with the same NHS trust or local authority throughout the programme but will change teams in that time.

The teams you could join include:

• Community mental health
• Early intervention in psychosis
• Forensics
• Learning disabilities
• Older adults
• Perinatal

How training placements are allocated

We allocate training placements on a rolling basis from December each year and do our very best to match people to their preferred locations.

We this with you after you successfully pass the assessment day stage of our application process.

Various considerations are taken into account including:

• Your commute: Given the intensity of the course and the amount of travelling required in social work, we recommend your commute is no longer than one hour in London, and 45 minutes elsewhere.
• Your support network: Our experience shows that that having friends and family nearby, will help you manage the demands of the programme and support your wellbeing.
• Driving license and access to a vehicle: You will need to drive and have access to your own vehicle for most of our training placements. We do accept applications from people who are learning to drive, but in most cases, will only be able to allocate a training placement when you have passed your test.
• Special circumstances: We prioritise people with special circumstances which could make it difficult to move areas, such as disabled people or people with caring responsibilities. Please read our reasonable adjustments page to find out more.

Find out more in our placement guide

If there is not a suitable training placement for you

We do our very best to secure training placements for people in their preferred locations. However, given the high number of applications we receive, we cannot always guarantee this.

There are a couple of options available to you when suitable placements are unavailable:

1. If your first-choice location is unavailable, we may be able to explore options in your second or third choice locations.
2. If we are unable to offer you a suitable placement, you may defer your place to the following year when you would be given priority.

Find out more in our placement guide

Deferring placements

We only accept applications for the current year and deferrals are generally only offered if a suitable location is unavailable.

Occasionally, there may be situations such as severe illness or bereavement, where we may consider a deferral request. These are considered on a case-by-case basis for people who have received an offer and need to be made in writing to the recruitment team.

All 2025 locations

Please find below our current full list of training locations for the 2025 programme.

Please note, if your application was successful but you live in an oversubscribed location, or there is no suitable training location for you currently, you may have been placed on a waiting list for an assessment day.

If you are on our waiting list and a suitable placement becomes available in your area, we will be sure to let you know.