Bachelor of Science (Honors)

Social Work

As a Social Worker, you’ll interact with some of the most marginalised groups in society, supporting them in overcoming barriers to a fulfilled life. Buckinghamshier New University BSc (Hons) Social Work degree is focused on the quality of your placements, linking theory to practice and helping you register with a professional body.

A career in Social Work is a rewarding and worthwhile profession, and you can act on the issues that matter to you today by applying to our BSc (Hons) Social Work degree. Gaining a Social Work degree from Buckinghamshire New University is the key to your future success.

Why study this subject?

Knowing how to work with someone and overcome the challenges they face in life isn’t easy, but a Social Work degree gives you the insight, skills and understanding to become an effective Social Worker.

As a Social Worker you’ll be aware of the impact societal issues such as poverty, deprivation and exclusion have on your work. Social Workers aim for positive partnerships with individuals and families and find solutions through understanding and relationship building.

Social Workers campaign tirelessly to improve the quality of life for those around them and those in need. You’ll deal with complex emotional situations and learn to balance care, personal safety, client safety and self-control.

The demand for Social Work is increasing globally, and it affects the most vulnerable. Choosing to gain a degree in Social Work means you’re taking the decision to act now and play a crucial role in our society.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

At Buckinghamshire New University (BNU), you’ll benefit from our strong reputation within the world of Social Work. You’ll be able to work in their high-quality placements to enhance your skillset as well as gain valuable experience throughout your degree.

Many of BNU's graduates have gone on to become employed with their degree placements due to the highly desirable skillset and the relationships they built while studying at BNU. You can work closely with people with lived experience, so you can hear first-hand about the impact you could make on individuals and communities.

BNU work with a broad range of partners to offer placements within local authorities, healthcare trusts, and organisations from the voluntary and independent sectors, all of which are within a 25-mile radius of theirHigh Wycombe Campus. They help you focus on the theory in the classroom and then transfer what you’ve learnt to work in the field.

BNU understand employers want to see working experience, and they are offering you the chance to not only gain that, but also benefit from the insight, research, theories and advanced communication techniques that are an integral part of their highly regarded course at BNU.

BNU BSc (Hons) Social Work degree is accredited by Social Work England which means you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a Social Worker in England as soon as you graduate. Combined with your practice hours, you’ll be in the perfect position to pursue a career in Social Work.

In addition, their lecturers have rich working experience from which to draw on. Their tutors remain up to date with the latest sector changes and many of them lead external forums, discussing and influencing the future of the sector. BNU also have lecturers who are published authors in the field of Social Work.  

The choice to become a Social Worker shouldn’t be taken lightly. They welcome students who are committed to their future career and determined to make a difference to the lives of others, but most importantly, want to join their community.

What facilities can you use?

Buckinghamshier New University invested in a range of state-of-the-art facilities across their Campus to support your learning. Many of your hours will be spent in placement gaining the work experience and hours that you need.

The university campus is full of modern lecture theatres and rooms where learning can take place and they are proud of the investment BNU has made in this area in recent years.

In addition BNU's Library is open 24/7 and is the perfect place to find the resources you need and a quiet place to study, filled with four floors of books, journals, computer suites and study rooms. Or, if you’d rather work off campus, e-Journals and resources are only a few clicks away using our Virtual Learning Environment.

What will you study?

BNU will recognise how crucial Social Workers are in the community. Their Social Work degree helps you aid people in need across their lifespans, from birth to death. They will prepare you to contribute positively to development at all stages.

In this Social Work degree, you’ll gain the necessary skills that employer’s value, like teamwork, communication, problem solving, analysis and evaluation skills, combined with the essential skills required to become an effective and registered Social Worker with Social Work England.

Transferability of skills forms the underlying benefit of this degree course, and your learning content has been designed to complement learning on placement with learning in the classroom. Academic modules are fully integrated with placement learning to bring context to your placement.

Placement, or practice learning, is an extremely important and significant part of the programme, you will complete a total of 200 practice days, with some of these in the academic environment, to develop your vital social work skills. This is essential to building your understanding of Social Work.

Skill module learning will occur throughout the course in the dedicated skills development sessions and while on placement. This is supported by presentations, courtroom skills, and simulations where service users and carers work with the university to design and present realistic practice scenarios and the development of practice learning portfolios.

As you progress through this Social Work course the focus is on development of the Social Work role and providing input to help your work placement with service user groups – children and families, adults and people living with mental health illnesses. You’ll be required to engage in reflective practice and really identify areas for improvement.

In addition, you will begin to reflect on your role within the workplace and apply the knowledge, skills and values you are learning, engaging with your classmates and discussing, debating and analysing what you are gaining. Knowledge of Social Work policy is an important part of the role and the current government legislation will be explored in depth.

During this Social Work degree, you will be given the chance to gain an academic understanding of the core values, legislation, theory, and psychology that underpins Social Work. This knowledge is best gained through our degree programme and will set you apart from others in the field.

You can gain the ability to transfer your skills to new practice situations and excel within communities, referencing specific journal chapters and articles and seeing their use in real time provide an effective and reflective development strategy for your client.

The modules you'll study will enable you to have greater self-awareness, which will include your ability to manage your emotions and the emotions of others. Modules will also offer you the opportunity to gain relevant knowledge in theory, law and policy and how to implement this knowledge in practice.

The experiences of people who have Social Work support needs will also be explored and examined, both from a theoretical perspective and a practice perspective, during your placement work. You will cover important topics like Ethics and Values, Society and the role of Social Work and you’ll learn about how Social Work is framed by legislation and policy in England.

How will you be taught and assessed?

A variety of strategies ensure that theoretical concepts are understood and can be related to practice. Students will be required to research and evidence topics before applying it to practice. Assessments are to see if your learning outcomes have been achieved.

Skills learning will occur throughout the course in the dedicated skills development sessions and while on placement. This is supported by presentations, courtroom skills, and simulations where service users and carers work with the university to design and present realistic practice scenarios and the development of practice learning portfolios.

Students must also have undergone an Occupational Health Assessment and achieved clearance, alongside satisfying DBS checks (an admissions requirement).

Assessments are usually carried out through:

• practice portfolio
• essays
• exams
• presentations.

There are several formative assessment opportunities for learners to receive feed-back on their development before submitting summative work.

What are your career prospects?

Throughout your time with Buckinghamshier New University they’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. They will help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. BNU also help you find employment after graduation. 

BNU is so proud of their consistently high employability rate for our graduates. They have close and collaborative relationships with a range of Local Authority employers, and many graduates work with them now. They offer a recruitment event in your final year where you’re able to meet with employers to explore the next steps in terms of your first year of newly qualified status.

BNU employer partners are very keen to ensure that they provide opportunities for their successful graduates every year. They also encourage you to start networking in your final year placement, which is often a springboard to future employment. BNU recognise that your journey to becoming a Social Worker does not simply end with us and we strive to provide a clear path between your education and your new career.  

When you graduate, if you choose not to pursue employment with local authorities, you’ll be eligible to apply for professional registration with Social Work England (SWE) and your degree can also be recognised and accepted in other countries around the world.