Diversity and Progression among Social Work Students in England

This report presents the findings from the Diversity and Progression Among Social Work Students in England study that investigated the particular circumstances of black and ethnic minority, disabled, and lesbian, gay and bisexual students on social work programmes in England. The diversity and progression study was commissioned by the Department of Health (DH) under the Social Care Workforce Research Initiative of the Policy Research Programme, and was undertaken between 2007-2009. It used a qualitative approach to conduct an investigation into the particular circumstances of black and ethnic minority, disabled, and lesbian, gay and bisexual students to identify any specific factors that contribute to their experiences on social work courses. The study originated in the context of longstanding concerns that black and and ethnic minority and disabled students have different progression and completion rates compared to other groups of students on social work courses (see Hussein and colleagues 2006, 2008 and 2009).