Social work - Practice Learning Support Grant: equality impact assessment

Proposal for the Practice Learning Support Grant

Scottish Government proposed a new grant: Practice Learning Support Grant. This would include an increased award of £750 per student and a change to a more efficient and transparent disbursement system. Scottish Government wants to increase the level of financial support for social work students, while working to improve value for money of public expenditure. Existing SSSC systems can disburse the proposed £750 grant directly to eligible students. The aim is to remove variables and create equality across eligible student cohorts, regardless of their place of study.

The grant can be used flexibly by eligible students to support them with costs they incur while undertaking practice learning placements, which are a mandatory component of their qualifying course.

It should be used towards outlay necessarily incurred by that student, such as:

1) travel to and from their placement location

2) personal subsistence e.g. work clothing/meals etc

3) other practical or wellbeing requirements to enable practice learning participation