Social work - Practice Learning Support Grant: equality impact assessment

Key findings

Age

HESA, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2022–2023 (2024). SG secondary analysis; data not publicly available; percentages rounded to nearest whole number.

The NUS study found that 42% of mature students worried about their finances all the time, with 69% saying this affected their mental health. The postgraduate social work student cohort has a higher proportion of older students. While the PLSG award is equal across cohorts, undergraduates have a larger baseline support package^[9], ^[10], so the increase in support provided by the PLSG is an improvement for postgraduate students.

Based on the evidence, we do not consider that the policy would significantly advance equality of opportunity or create unlawful discrimination related to age, nor impact relations between different age groups.

Disability

Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2022–2023 (2024). SG Secondary Analysis. Data not publicly available. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole number.

An Advance HE report for Academic Year 2020–2021 found more students are disclosing as disabled, rising from 5.4% in 2003–2004 to 15.9% in 2021–2022. Mental health conditions are included in the definition of ‘disability’ and this was the second largest impairment for disabled students at 29.2%, and the fastest growing disability.

The SASW survey found that discrimination due to disability was one of the factors affecting mental health whilst on placement: 40% of those who failed their placement had a disability, 20% of those who failed had mental health issues. Whilst these figures are derived from a very small sample size of 20 students, it does suggest that those with disabilities may be disproportionately affected by placements and the policy should consider mitigations for this.

Intersectionality between disability and other social characteristics is explored in the Advance HE report. Disability disclosure rates for mental health were highest amongst female students compared to males (33.6% versus 20.9% respectively); whilst male students were more likely to disclose a learning difficulty than female students (37.3% and 29.2% respectively). Reviewing intersectionality with race reveals disability disclosure rates sitting highest amongst mixed race students at 22.8%; whilst disabled students not identified as belonging to an ethnic minority were more likely to disclose two or more impairments (12%).

A National Union of Students Scotland survey found that disabled students and other widening access^[11] groups are more likely than their demographic counterparts to worry about money all the time: 45% of those with a disability worried about their finances all of the time, and 75% of students with a disability said it affected their mental health.

University feedback on the Interim Travel Grant 2023–2024 highlighted that some disabled students had been unable to access placements on an equal basis due to the prohibitive costs of their travel requirements, and within the context of the capped Disabled Student Allowance^[12]. The PLSG is a contribution towards mitigating this reported inequality.

Based on the evidence, we consider this policy has the potential to advance or create equality of opportunity for disabled students. We do not consider this policy would create unlawful discrimination related to disability, nor impact relations between disabled and non-disabled people.

Gender reassignment

Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2022–2023 (2024). SG Secondary Analysis. Data not publicly available. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole number.

Based on the evidence, we do not consider this policy would significantly advance equality of opportunity or relate unlawful discrimination towards people proposing to undergo, undergoing, or who have undergone a process for the purpose of reassigning their sex, nor impact on relations between this group and people who have no personal history or experience of gender reassignment.

Pregnancy and maternity

Information on this protected characteristic was not readily available. We do not consider this policy would create unlawful discrimination related to pregnancy or maternity issues, nor impact on relations between groups on the basis of this characteristic.

Race

Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2022–2023 (2024). SG Secondary Analysis. Data not publicly available. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole number.

The Advance HE report indicates the UK student population is becoming more ethnically diverse. 73% percent of students identified as ‘White’ in 2021–2022, a drop from 85.1% in 2003–2004; whilst the proportion of Black, Asian and minority ethnic students increased from 14.9% in 2003–2004 to 27% in 2021–2022. These trends are generally mirrored in the statistics for taught postgraduate students in the UK with 75.7% classified as ‘White’ and 24.3% as from an ethnic minority. Ethnicity was found to correlate with age profiles, with ethnic minority students having a slightly younger profile at 54.1% being aged 21 years and under in contrast to 49.4% of ‘White’ students.

The figures specific to the student population in Scotland diverge from the UK-wide population. Almost all students are ‘White’ (89.1%), with only 10.9% classified as ethnic minority, and this is broadly reflected in the HESA data for social work students.

The SASW survey showed that of the 20 students who failed their placements, 20% were of Black/African ethnicity. Further, it highlights intersectionality with those who are male and having a disability, who are also overrepresented amongst those who have failed. Whilst no reasons are provided for this and it is a very small sample size, it indicates this may be an issue to explore to determine whether this is replicated at scale, infer possible causality and to understand what support could be offered.

Data from HESA and Advance HE indicate that the Scottish student population on social work courses and more generally is predominantly ‘White’. This differs from the UK-wide student population, which has become more ethnically diverse in Advance HE reports.

Due to the potential intersectionality of protected groups and impacts on placement experience, this policy has the potential to advance equality of opportunity for individuals in non-majority racial/ethnic groups. We do not consider this policy would create unlawful discrimination towards people on the basis of their race/ethnicity nor impact on relations between people of different races/ethnicity.

Religion or faith

Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2022–2023 (2024). SG Secondary Analysis. Data not publicly available. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole number.

Whilst those aged 26 years and older were less likely to cite no religion, they were more likely to refuse to provide this information with 7.5% refusing to do so compared to 6.2% of those aged 21 and under.

For disabled students, 8.2% refused to disclose a religion or belief group compared to 6.5% of non-disabled students. A similar pattern was found across sexes, with 6.4% of female students refusing to disclose in contrast to 7.2% of male students.

Ethnicity probably had the greatest impact with 55.7% of White students reporting no religion or belief in contrast to 15.4% of ethnic minority students.

Based on the evidence, we do not consider this policy would significantly advance equality of opportunity or create unlawful discrimination towards people on the basis of their religion/belief or lack thereof, nor impact on relations between people of different religion/beliefs and none.

Sex

Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2022–2023 (2024). SG Secondary Analysis. Data not publicly available. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole number.

Social work student cohorts are overwhelmingly female. This mirrors the most recent workforce data^[13] collected by the SSSC which shows a highly gendered workforce.

The NUS study^[14] on student finances found that women were one of the groups more likely to worry about their finances all the time. Some of those women will fall into other widening access categories, such as disability, parent and low-income. By improving women’s access to financial support, this should hopefully reduce concerns about money; therefore, this policy has the potential to improve recruitment and retention in social work courses.

Based on the intersectional evidence, we consider this policy has the potential to advance equality of opportunity for women. We do need believe it creates unlawful discrimination related to sex, nor impact relations between women and men.

Sexual orientation

Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2022–2023 (2024). SG Secondary Analysis. Data not publicly available. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole number.

Based on the evidence, we do not consider this policy would significantly advance equality of opportunity or create unlawful discrimination towards people on the basis of their sexual orientation, nor impact on relations between people of different orientations.

Additional groups considered

Monitoring of the previous Interim Travel Grant 2023–2024 established the prevalence of claims as a result of rural residence and/or placement location, or related to individual circumstances.

University of Stirling, Robert Gordon University and University of the West of Scotland have the highest rates of claims for rural travel. Whilst University of Edinburgh data also suggested high levels, discussions indicated these resulted from particular individual circumstances requiring tailored solutions.

Hidden costs linked to undertaking full time placement are often wide ranging and can include: not being able to continue in part-time employment; additional expenses arising from caring responsibilities; or wellbeing needs arising during practice learning placements.

Socio-economic circumstances

Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2021–2022 (2023). SG Secondary Analysis. Data not publicly available. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole number.

This table demonstrates that a significant percentage of Scottish-domiciled undergraduate and postgraduate students studying social work in Scotland (46% and 38% respectively) are from the most deprived communities (quintile 1 and quintile 2).

All widening access groups

The NUS study demonstrated that almost 40% of students worry about their finances all the time; this proportion has increased since the beginning of 2022. All students considered by the report as part of widening access groups (low income; disabled; parent; students with caring responsibilities; care experienced students, estranged, mature) and those in rented and own homes, women and Scottish students were found to be more likely than their demographic counterparts to worry all the time.

Experience of using social work services

HESA data are available on the proportion of social work students who are care experienced. Although ‘care experienced’ is not defined in law, Scottish Government define this as ‘a child, young person or adult who is, or who has been, looked after at some point in their childhood’.

Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2020–2021 (2022). SG Secondary Analysis. Data not publicly available. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole number.

The high proportion of unknowns and refusals to answer for postgraduate social work students in particular for this category limit us in making conclusions as to any impact the policy may have.

We considered that it would also be important to understand the number of students studying social work who have experience of using social work services, and will explore whether universities or the SSSC would be able to collect that information.

International students

Some university contacts reported their concerns about difficulties experienced by international students.

Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘Enrolments on Taught Social Work Courses’ for Academic Year 2022–2023 (2024). SG Secondary Analysis. Data not publicly available. Percentages are rounded to nearest whole number.

Students enrolled on undergraduate social work courses in Scotland are overwhelmingly Scottish-domiciled, while Scottish-domiciled students make up over two thirds of those enrolled on postgraduate social work courses.