Social Work BA (Hons)

• Reading and writing critically.
• Constructing and evaluating an argument.
• Note-taking techniques for reading and listening.
• Understanding plagiarism and academic integrity.
• Introduction to reflective practice.
• Preparing for, and delivering, powerpoint presentations.
• Referencing and citation.
• Summarising and paraphrasing written sources.
• Literature searching.
• Report writing.
• The culture and expectations of higher education.
• The assessment process including the role of assessment criteria and feedback.
• The nature of research journal publishing.

Whilst much of the content above is generic, students will be encouraged to situate skills within the context of the undergraduate discipline they are entering, which leads to some variation in emphasis for certain skills.

1.To raise awareness of the range of study skills required for successful higher education studies, including the process of academic writing, reading strategies, seminar skills, organisation of time and materials, planning for and meeting deadlines, understanding and responding to feedback.

2. To introduce students to concepts such as plagiarism, academic integrity and appropriate use of artificial intelligence tools.

3. To facilitate an effective transition into higher education by exploring, and providing guidance in, the key elements of successful undergraduate studentship including students' understanding of taking responsibility for their own learning.

4. To teach students how to undertake a literature, visual or data review for their discipline and be able to differentiate between a valid, reliable source and an unsubstantiated or irrelevant source.  

• Research and planning skills.
• Becoming familiar with topics that comprise their undergraduate degree subject.
• Developing a knowledge base for a discipline of study.
• Identifying areas of interest.
• Application and development of critical analytical skills.
• Development of self-directed study.
• Use of learning resources.

1. To develop students' skills in planning and writing an essay.

2. To familiarise students with the process of tutor supervision for a written piece of work.

3. To give students an opportunity to focus on a topic within their undergraduate degree subject.

4. To write a piece of work that allows the student to broaden and deepen knowledge on a topic of their choice.

5. To prepare and deliver an academic poster presentation outlining the student's research topic.

• Society, social structures and socialisation 
• Social scientific ideas, theories and ‘lenses’ on society 
• Social scientific research and basic research methods  
• Digitalisation of society, smartphone technology and social media platforms 
• Consumerism and consumer culture – definitions, impacts and debates 
• Inequalities related to gender, social class, ‘race’ and ethnicity, and LGBTQ+ communities 
• Social issues and problems related to knife crime, riots and uprisings, prostitution and sex work   
• Social justice, power and movements for social change

1. To examine contemporary society from some key perspectives of social science.

2. To introduce students to research in the social sciences.

3. To introduce students to contemporary themes and issues in the social sciences.

• The role and historical context of psychology
• Consider a range of topics from the main perspectives to include the core areas; biological, developmental, cognitive, individual differences and social psychology
• Investigating current issues in psychology
• Ethical issues and responsibilities
• Exploring research methods used in Psychology
• Introduction to using data in Psychology

1. To examine the main perspectives in psychology

2. To introduce students to research methodology and the use of data in Psychology

3. To consider ethical issues and responsibilities within the field

• Defining health in the 21st century
• Culture and health 
• The biomedical, social and biopsychosocial models of health
• Health inequality: definition, examples and impact
• Current health issues
• The emergence of the UK National Health Service
• Health promotion 
• Individual Health behaviours 
• Introduction to reflective theories (Nurses and Social Workers only)
• Introduction to big data (Life Sciences)

1. To introduce students to the social, biomedical and biopsychosocial models of health.

2. To explore contemporary issues in health care.

3. To consider the impact of inequality on health.

4. To explore examples of health promotion.

To provide an introduction for students into the values, knowledge and skills required to become a registered social worker.

Module content will include:

1. Relevant legislative and welfare policy frameworks which impact on the planning and delivery of services for adult service users and carers
2. Examining the different needs of adult service users and carers, including older people, adults with disabilities, substance dependency, mental health challenges, and refugees and asylum seekers
3. Safeguarding vulnerable adults: Risk assessment and decision making
4. Theoretical, professional and skill based approaches to practice within adult services. Application of theories, methods, models, frameworks, and the professional standards of the social work regulator, to practice
5. Working inter-professionally with service users and carers
6. Anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practcie. Stigma, stereotyping and power
7. Current evidence based research in relation to vulnerable adults   

Social work practice with adults is a complex activity involving a range of competing priorities. Practitioners are required to promote self-determination and autonomy whilst managing risk and protecting service users from harm. The aim of the module is to develop the students’ understanding of the different needs of adult service users and to consider the knowledge and interventions that can lead to positive outcomes. The focus of the module is to understand key current issues, complexities, and practcie with service users and carers from a diverse range of backgrounds and communities. 

Module content will include:

1. Working with children and families within the social policy and legal framework.
2. Early intervention and prevention. Inter-professional working in child care. Theoretical perspectives and lessons learned from Serious Case Reviews.
3. Child care assessment. Theoretical perspectives that underpin assessment models and frameworks. Analysis in assessment and how this informs recommendations and intervention. Assessment practice and intervention in a youth justice setting.
4. Safeguarding and protecting children and young people, including those who have been sexually exploited.  Working with vulnerable parents and carers and understanding the impact of problematic substance misuse, alcohol misuse, mental health problems and domestic violence. The impact of these factors on children and the thresholds for intervention.
5. Social work practice within the statutory court process. Decision making and planning for permanence for children and young people.
6. The emotional impact of social work practice. Working with involuntary service users and the importance of supervision and support. Emotional resilience. Working with children and young people and ascertaining their wishes and feelings.

The aim of this module is to enable students to develop knowledge and a critical understanding of social work practice in a children and families setting and within a multi-agency context, and understanding of the social work role from provision of support services to dealing with significant harm. The module aims to enable students to understand the assessment process, to develop the ability to critically analyse information effectively, and to utilise the data to inform intervention, planning and review.

Module content will include: 

1. The importance of social work theories and methods to social work practice.
2. The origins and development of social work theories and methods within historical, socio-political and philosophical contexts (from charity organisations and societies to case work, psychosocial theories, evidence-based theories/task-centred practice). 
3. Theoretical paradigms and how they relate to social work practice - seekers after meaning (interpretivism), radical humanism (raisers of consciousness), the fixers (the functionalists), radical structuralists (revolutionaries).
4. How theories and methods are applied in social work practice nationally and internationally, including psychodynamic, task-centred, crisis theory, systems theory and ecological perspectives, humanistic, narrative, solution-focused, motivational interviewing, group work and community/strengths-based perspectives.

The aim of this module is to enable students to:

1. Understand the importance of applying social work theories to social work practice.
2. Understand how different theories and methods have evolved over time in changing contexts.
3. Understand broad paradigms and how they relate to practice, enabling students to understand a variety of methods and apply them to day-to-day practice.

Module content will include:  

1. Critically locating social work practice in dealing with complexity in inter-professional working with adults, children and families.
2. Professional roles, processes, responsibility and accountability, including but not limited to safeguarding, protection, risk, assessment and resilience.
3. Critical reflection on social work practice in a changing professional landscape-reflecting current issues.
4. Analysing key debates in social care organisations and collaborative practice.
5. A critical overview of current social work and management theories in the context of current professional practice.
6. Critical issues in developments in social work: practice and principles.
7. Development of reflective, analytical and critical thinking.

The aims of the module to:

1. Enable students to gain an understanding and critical awareness of issues impacting on the social work role within a range of organisational and professional contexts.
2. Prepare students for inter-professional working and inter-agency collaboration particularly in relation to safeguarding issues.
3. Develop students’ collaborative skills, knowledge and values that are relevant to good social work practice within an inter-professional and inter-agency context.

Module content will include: 

1. Induction programme at the agency in which the student is placed.
2. Individual supervision sessions in the agency to support the student's learning and university placement support sessions.
3. Learning opportunities to develop social work practice skills through the allocation of work/co-work which is appropriate to the level of development of the student.
4. The opportunity to engage in direct work enabling the student to demonstrate End of First Placement Level capabilities
   (Professional Capabilities Framework 2018).
5. Opportunities for inter-professional working.
6. Reflection and analysis in practice.
7. Integration of social work methods, models and theories to practice undertaken in the placement agency.
8. Opportunity to apply social work ethical principles and values to guide professional practice in accordance with Social Work England Professional Standards.
9. Practice skills development sessions within university setting – advancing communication and interviewing skills, specific methods of social work intervention, report writing and case study analysis.

The module aims to: 

1. Enable the student to demonstrate capacity to work with people and in situations where there may not be simple clear-cut solutions.
2. Enable the student with support from supervision to apply the theoretical knowledge, skills and values from previous module learning and teaching to their practice.
3. Provide an opportunity for the student to experience the responsibility of meeting service users’ and carers’ needs and to demonstrate social work values and anti-oppressive practice.
4. Enable students to achieve the PCF End of First Placement Level Capabilities.

Module content will include: 

1. An overview of practising social work critically e.g. what does a critically reflective social worker look like?
2. A critical overview of practising social work knowledge, values and skills e.g. power, the use of appropriate authority, decision making, using professional judgement effectively and ethically; and being accountable.
3. Critically locating social work practice and dealing with complex situations in inter-professional practice e.g. involving domestic violence; alcohol and substance misuse.
4. Critically locating professional power and working with authority.
5. Critical analysis of serious case reviews and managing uncertainty.
6. Managing self and dealing with complexity in practice re: need; risk, capacity/incapacity, decision making when safeguarding children/young people/adults and older adults.

This module aims to prepare final year, pre-qualifying students to further develop their capacity to practise social work critically and reflectively. Throughout the module three major aspects – social work values for practice, theories and approaches to practice, and how to do critical reflective practice – will be outlined. The module aims to build upon and synthesise knowledge from previous modules so as to consolidate students’ knowledge and understanding of the themes, ethical dilemmas, issues and lasting debates in contemporary social work practice located within its different practice settings. Students will develop their understanding of and ability to use their professional judgement and make effective decisions in practice.

Module content will include:  

1. Induction programme at the agency in which the students is placed.
2. Individual supervision sessions in the agency to support the student's learning and university placement support sessions.
3. Learning opportunities to develop social work practice skills through the allocation of work/co-work which involves statutory/legal interventions e.g. formal assessment processes and presentation of outcomes including analysis of risk/recommendations, use of formal agency recording for assessment/risk.
4. The opportunity to engage in direct work enabling the student to demonstrate Qualifying Social Worker Level Capabilities
   (Professional Capabilities Framework 2018).
5. Multi-agency working, including planning interventions with other agencies, and analysing and managing tensions.
6. Critical reflection and analysis in practice e.g. engagement with organisational policies and decisions and the impact on service delivery to service users, reflection on the demands of a high-pressure environment.
7. Synthesis of social work theories and methods to practice undertaken in the placement agency.
8. Opportunity to apply social work ethical principles and values to guide professional practice in accordance with Social Work England Professional Standards.
9. Practice skills development sessions within university setting – advanced communication and interviewing skills, preparation for Assessed and Supported Year in Employment.

The aims of this module are to: 

1. Enable the student to demonstrate capacity to undertake complex work involving statutory/legal interventions.
2. Enable the student to demonstrate ability to work directly with service users/carers in complex situations.
3. Enable the student with support from supervision to apply the theoretical knowledge, skills and values from previous placement and module learning to their practice.
4. Enable the student to achieve the PCF Qualifying Social Worker Level Capabilities and Social Work England Professional Standards.

1. Methods of data collection and analysis, evidence-informed practice, and the importance of research in social work
2. What makes good research? What methodologies are common in social work evidence (empiricism, positivism, interpretivism, quantitative, qualitative)? How can research impact on people using services? Analysing findings critically.
3. Principles of research design and systematic inquiry: Reliability, validity, rigour, ethical considerations, bias,reflexivity and anti-oppressive research.
4. Analysing messages from local, national and international research and considering the implications of for social work practice.

To enable students to understand social science research traditions and methodologies.

To encourage critical assessment of research methodologies and the ideas and values that underpin them with reference to anti-discriminatory practice.

To enable students to understand the relationship between research and social work practice.

Module content will include:

1. Induction programme at the agency in which the students is placed.
2. Individual supervision sessions in the agency to support the student's learning and university placement support sessions.
3. Learning opportunities to develop social work practice skills through the allocation of work/co-work which involves statutory/legal interventions e.g. formal assessment processes and presentation of outcomes including analysis of risk/recommendations, use of formal agency recording for assessment/risk.
4. The opportunity to engage in direct work enabling the student to demonstrate Qualifying Social Worker Level Capabilities
   (Professional Capabilities Framework 2018).
5. Multi-agency working, including planning interventions with other agencies, and analysing and managing tensions.
6. Critical reflection and analysis in practice e.g. engagement with organisational policies and decisions and the impact on service delivery to service users, reflection on the demands of a high-pressure environment.
7. Synthesis of social work theories and methods to practice undertaken in the placement agency.
8. Opportunity to apply social work ethical principles and values to guide professional practice in accordance with Social Work England Professional Standards.
9. Practice skills development sessions within university setting – advanced communication and interviewing skills, preparation for Assessed and Supported Year in Employment.

The aims of this module are to:

1. Enable the student to demonstrate capacity to undertake complex work involving statutory/legal interventions.
2. Enable the student to demonstrate ability to work directly with service users/carers in complex situations.
3. Enable the student with support from supervision to apply the theoretical knowledge, skills and values from previous placement and module learning to their practice.
4. Enable the student to achieve the PCF Qualifying Social Worker Level Capabilities and Social Work England Professional Standards.

Module content will include:

1. Concepts and issues of resilience within the current UK social care landscape.
2. Social Work context and impact of socio-political factors including social worker roles within differing organisational contexts and the impact of this upon practice and professional identity.
3. Organisational resilience and responsibilities, responses to the current political climate, concepts of distributed leadership and learning from Serious Case Reviews within adult and children's services.
4. Developing personal and professional resilience, including emotional intelligence and emotional resilience. Strategies for sustaining the practitioner – supervision, support, critical reflection, boundaries and work balance, keeping safe, action learning and mindfulness. 
5. Developing and sustaining positive professional relationships in practice. Managing hostility and threats, challenging others effectively and whistle-blowing.
6. Preparation for Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE).

This module is designed to offer opportunities to critically explore debates and issues of resilience in social work.  It will contribute to the students transition into the social work profession, and allow students to consider their strategies and the organisations responsibilities in maintaining their health and well being, as they become newly qualified social workers.