Don't be sorry about the questions, I'm happy to help out where I can!
For any postgraduate level study, you don't get the tuition fee and maintenance loans. It's rubbish as we could use the money just as much as undergrads, but great because you're not getting into more debt as the bursary doesn't need paying back. I'm not sure about the ins and outs of the bursary as I'm on a grad scheme and got money through that instead. I'm not sure if the amount varies if you're living with a partner or not. I think their earnings might be taken into account on the income-assessed bit of the form but can't be certain.
My placements have been great, but that's because I've been on this grad scheme so got two statutory ones in children's services. Most people on my course have been lucky and have had at least one statutory placement - if they didn't get one in first year, they got one in second and vice versa. As far as I'm aware, noone has extended their placement due to not meeting their key roles, but a few have started later as something suitable couldn't be found so therefore finished later. Brunel try to place people in line with their requests, and near to where they live, but obviously this isn't always possible. I think in second year, all those following the children and families route had C&F placements, and all those doing adults had adult placements.
Employment-based route is for the Bachelors rather than the Masters as far as I'm aware, and is a part-time route taking 4 years rather than 3 years. Your employer would have to be willing to allow you the time off to go into university, go to placement and to have study leave for exams. Most employment-based BA students are seconded by their workplace and will be expected to work for them for a certain amount of time as a qualified worker in return for time off, help finding placements, and sponsorship. My personal opinion would be that seeing as you already have a degree, your funding options would be better for an MA (if you've had a student loan for your first degree, you won't get one again) and it would take half the time that going employment based would. Maybe ask your employer if they would sponsor you to do the MA if that's something your interested in, but this might affect your entitlement to bursaries.