This applied course paves the way for you to register and practise as a qualified social worker, reaching out to help people from many different backgrounds to assess and tackle their problems.

• ‌Gain the skills, knowledge and professional qualification you need for one of the most worthwhile careers of all
• Meet high standards: this course is approved by Social Work England, so you can be confident about the quality of the training you receive
• Build a dynamic portfolio of skills and theories to work with your clients in a variety of settings
• Gain vital experience on practice placements, where you can put theory into practice and increase your confidence on the frontline of social work
• Develop your capacity to work flexibly in multi-agency teams, thanks to our strong focus on inter-professional learning
• Be inspired by our experienced, enthusiastic academic team who put teaching first and are dedicated to your success
• 91.5% of students were in graduate-level jobs six months after graduating

If you already hold a degree and are looking to qualify as a social worker, find out more about our MA Social Work.

We prepare you to work as a confident, caring and highly skilled social worker in a variety of settings. This wide-ranging course equips you with the skills, knowledge and theories you need to make a difference from day one in your role.

Join a new generation of social workers

Becoming a social worker will challenge you in ways few other careers ever will. You need resilience and flexibility to manage complex cases, but the rewards are immense as you make a genuine difference to people’s lives.

Your role could involve supporting young people who need protection, homeless children and adults, people with mental health problems, teenagers in care, or people with drug or alcohol dependency.

You will learn how to form effective partnerships with individuals, families and other professionals and will become skilled in assessing, interpreting and addressing people’s individual problems. Our emphasis is on helping you to develop empowering, supportive and focused solutions to those problems.

Gain professional credibility

Because our course is approved and accredited by Social Work England, you will be working to the standards set out by the regulatory body for Social Workers, giving you the ideal preparation for real workplace environments.

Plus, when you graduate, you will be able to register with Social Work England to practise as a qualified social worker, as long as you meet their requirements.

Placements to inspire and challenge you

This course features substantial periods of work placement so that you can apply the theory you are learning to practice. You will have 80 days of placement during stage two and 90 days of placement in stage three, all providing you with effective, practical and meaningful experience which will stand you in good stead for your future career. Placement hours are subject to change.

Thanks to our strong professional partnerships with local and regional employers, we offer opportunities for you to work with adults and children in both voluntary and statutory settings. Our students have, for instance, been placed in local authorities with teams specialising in children and families, adult social care, disabled children and looked after children.

They have also worked with child and adolescent mental health teams in hospitals and have undertaken voluntary sector placements focusing on issues such as housing, substance abuse, sexual abuse and domestic abuse.

Pursue your specialist interests

We offer opportunities for you to undertake projects which match your professional ambitions and personal interests. The Independent Study module provides a chance for you to explore a particular theme in depth and our students have produced thought-provoking research into a wide range of topics.

Recent examples have seen them investigate how dementia patients are institutionalised and marginalised in the UK; how social workers can effectively intervene with sibling sexual abuse; how mental illness can affect personal relationships; and the impact parental alcohol dependency can have on adolescents.

Support from our expert team

You’ll be taught by a supportive, enthusiastic and inspiring team, all of whom are qualified social workers. They offer a wealth of professional experience, sharing practical insights which will keep your learning up to date and relevant.

Their experience spans all aspects of social work, including areas such as loss and grief, poverty, inequality, housing and homelessness, learning and physical disabilities, social exclusion and mental health. In some cases, they combine their teaching with continuing social work caseloads and roles with leading professional bodies such as the Care Quality Commission.

A dynamic learning experience

We are committed to enriching your learning, offering a range of activities such as guest lectures by leading professionals, visits to various workplace settings and work shadowing opportunities which form part of our Skills Days.

Among new initiatives on the course, we have launched a scheme where students from the second and third stages of the degree act as mentors to first year students.

Working together to learn from each other

Successful social work professionals have to be adaptable, versatile and prepared to work in multi-agency teams. You will therefore have opportunities to learn with, and from, students from other disciplines through our Inter-Professional Learning agenda.

This is important in preparing you to work alongside other professionals after graduation so that you can achieve positive outcomes for clients. We adopt this approach right from the start of your course, where you will attend a major conference with other new Health and Social Care students representing courses ranging from nursing to counselling.

In tune with latest developments

We’re proud to say that our courses are closely mapped against the needs of health and social care employers which ensures that our curriculum is always up to date and relevant.

We respond to national developments such as latest government policies and, as a result, some of the information about our courses may change.

How you will learn

This course is exciting and challenging. You’ll undertake 170 days on placement to gain experience and develop your skills. You’ll be taught in a number of ways, including activity-based group work, lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops. You’ll also complete your own self-directed study.

How you're assessed

You’ll be assessed in a variety of ways, including written assignments, presentations, one exam, written reports, assessments, placement portfolios, court experiential learning, role play and professional discussions.

We are constantly introducing new and effective methods of assessment to enrich your learning experience. We have just, for instance, introduced a VIVA approach – which involves a spoken assessment – for two modules.

Who you will meet

You'll be taught by an experienced team including several qualified social workers with many years of experience working in the sector, which includes:

• Jessica Jackson (Programme Leader)
• Catherine John-Baptiste (Admissions Tutor)
• Michael Balkow
• Jennifer Brown
• Cynthia Tuuli
• Vita Snowdon
• Gavin Jinks
• Deborah Bardouille