700,000 children and their families rely on the support of a social worker each year. 

More families are living in poverty, having to choose between food or heating and trying to work out how to make ends meet. More people are struggling with their mental health and addiction. Domestic violence has increased hugely since the start of the pandemic.

Children living through these circumstances often face challenges no child should. Some might be cold, hungry or unable to focus at school. Others may experience abuse, trauma or neglect, lacking the love, care and protection they need to grow.

This not only harms them in the here and now but, without help, can do long-term damage too.

Social workers can change this.

The work social workers do with children and families can be the difference between a family being able to get through these tough times or not. To stay together and thrive. Or to take steps that means a child is kept safe from harm. At the heart of their work is advocating for children, letting them know they have someone in their corner.

In 2014, Big Change took a bold bet on Frontline, investing £215,000 to support its pilot programme. Inspired by the success of Teach First, Frontline aimed to bring exceptional graduates into social work, addressing the urgent need for skilled professionals in the field. 

Over the next decade, Frontline scaled nationwide and social workers from their programmes have supported over 150,000 children and families across England. 80% Frontline programme fellows are still in the social work practice. Their innovative approach extended beyond training individual social workers to include Firstline, a programme designed to equip social work managers with the skills to lead impactful teams. Together, participants of Frontline and Firstline have made a remarkable difference, with over 98,000 children directly supported by Frontline trainees and a further 48,000 helped by teams led by Firstline managers.

This impact has been recognised by the Department for Education, which provided funding to help expand Frontline’s reach.

Beyond the numbers, the stories from social workers highlight the transformational change brought by Frontline:

Today, Frontline is the UK's largest social work charity and remains a leader in the field, training best-in-class social workers and managers while shaping the future of children’s social care. Big Change is proud to have played a part in this powerful story of innovation and impact.

Josh MacAlister is a transformative leader and advocate for children and families. He founded Frontline in 2013, inspired by his experience teaching in Greater Manchester, where he witnessed the challenges faced by children with social workers in their lives. He established Frontline with a bold vision to transform vulnerable children’s lives by recruiting and developing exceptional individuals to become social workers and leaders.

Recognised for his impact, Josh was awarded Charity CEO of the Year in 2018 and later chaired the historic independent review of the children’s social care system in 2022. Building on his dedication to systemic change, he co-founded SHiFT UK alongside Sophie Humphreys OBE, launching an innovative programme in 2020 - supported by Big Change - to disrupt cycles of youth offending in England.

In 2024, Josh MacAlister was elected as an MP for Whitehaven and Workington, focusing on putting the recommendations from the children's social care system into review, including an investigation into the role of private equity firms in children's care homes

Mary Jackson is chief executive of Frontline, a post she has held since 2021. She was previously on the charity’s senior team for over six years. She has 20+ years’ experience in leadership, change management and communications at operational and strategic levels. Prior to joining Frontline, she project managed Reclaiming Social Work in Hackney and was a founding director of Morning Lane Associates, where she supported children’s services teams with organisational change programmes in over 40 local authorities.