Social workers work with a wide cross-section of society, including some of the most disadvantaged and excluded people. Our MA in Social Work provides a variety of opportunities for you to develop the knowledge, skills and appropriate values to work positively with people who have lived experience of social work practice.
This course is being reapproved under the University’s normal cycle of review. As such, the course structure and content may be changed to enable the University to deliver a better quality of educational experience to students.
You’ll develop and integrate knowledge, skills and values for, and in, practice to meet the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Professional Capabilities Framework at the Qualifying Level for Social Workers in England and the Standards for the professional regulator (Social Work England).
As part of the Masters in Social Work course, students are required to complete 180 days in practice. This consists of a 35 hour per week, 80 day first placement starting in the February of the first year of study. And a 35 hour per week, 100 day final placement starting in the February or March of the second year of study.
A specialist team arranges all student placements: students do not find their own placements. All placements are based in the North-West of England, primarily across Lancashire. With a small number of placements in Greater Manchester, Wigan and South Cumbria. First placements normally take place in private, voluntary, independent or charitable (PVI) organisations. Final placements take place either in PVI organisations, NHS teams, or local authority teams.
Our NHS partner is Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust. Our local authority partners are Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackpool Council. All placements are audited according to Social Work England’s professional standards and the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF).
Why study with us
- Values for ethical and effective social work practice are at the heart of the MA in Social Work course, underpinned by connection to people with lived experience of social work, research and the professional evidence base.
- You’ll spend at least 200 days (including 30 skills days) gaining different experiences and learning in practice settings. This enables you to build on your academic learning, developing a critical professional skills. You will demonstrate values-based practice to professional standards.
- Teaching takes a blended approach of lectures, seminars and in-person learning opportunities.
What you'll do
- In Year 1 the focus is understanding of the contexts for social work practice; self-awareness and self-development for resilience and effective practice; developing skills for working with others (communication, observation, assessment, intervention, criticality, writing, relationship building and digital professional skills); and developing and applying this knowledge with, and learning from people with lived experience of social work practice.
- In Year 2 you’ll have the opportunity to build on your skills and knowledge from the first year to consider and work with key complexities and challenges in social work practice, be supported to reflect on your developing professional capabilities, and plan for your intended social work career.
- The experiences, messages and views of social work practitioners, service users and carers underpin the course and are drawn upon to support your development as an effective social work practitioner in response.
Module overview
Modules studiedCompulsory modules
• SW4900: Preparing for Social Work Practice
• SW4902: Understanding and Applying Social Work Law and Policy
• SW4907: Theories for Understanding Self and Others Across the Life Course
• SW4908: Complexities in Social Work Practice
• SW4910: Social Work Practice: Experience 2 (Advanced).
• SW4911: Research Informed Social Work
• SW4912: Social Work Practice: Experience 1 (Intermediate)
Course delivery
Following the pandemic, we have found that some courses benefit from a blended learning and teaching approach. Therefore, the majority of your teaching will be face-to-face on campus aside from a small amount of online teaching where we have learnt it works best.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
Future careers
Recent graduates of the MA in Social Work have gained jobs in social work teams in safeguarding/support roles, in children’s, young people and adult’s services, and with local authority, third sector and private organisations.
You could also return to the School to undertake post-qualifying courses and continue academic study.
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